Element Series Part 3: Water, Beyond the Tap | E045
Water, it's everywhere. And because it's everywhere, we often don’t pay attention to the importance of it.
Have you stopped to recognize all the way’s water supports us as human beings?
In this week’s episode we are discussing the third element in the series and talking all things water! We discuss so much more beyond its essentialness for life on the planet. How water shapes the world we live in, how it can be both beneficial and harmful, and how water helps us with our emotions. Whatever your experience with water, whether you love it so much you dance in the rain, or you only think about it when you turn on the tap, let’s explore the deeper side of water together.
Ready to dive in? ;-)
In This Episode
00:00 Element Series: The Cycle of Water
03:25 Air quality and why it matters
04:16 What we love about the air purifiers we personally use in our homes
05:34 Why having an air purifier is so important for your health—and some surprising things that have set off ours!
09:12 Breathwork and our lungs
11:01 The many benefits of breathwork…it’s not just for nervous system regulation!
13:12 Toréa’s favorite thing about cold plunges
14:36 Evie breaks down one super simple and quick breathwork technique you can do ANYWHERE
15:13 Some details on our upcoming retreat in Oregon!
16:25 The amazing ways our bodies adapt to changing surroundings
And if you enjoyed this, be sure to be on the lookout for our last of the series: Fire
Resources Mentioned
Want even more water goodness? Catch up on Season 2, Episode 1: Cold Immersion Therapy - https://www.torearodriguez.com/wowpodcast/s2e1
Atla Water Filtration & Restructuring systems. Save -$75 with code TOREA https://torea.co/atla
Torea’s IG Reel installing her Atla system https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpNprMNjTK-/
Join us at the Wilderness Reset Retreat 18-22 October https://www.torearodriguez.com/wrr
Connect with Toréa
Website: https://www.torearodriguez.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torearodriguez/
Connect with Evie
Website: https://holisticallyrestored.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticallyrestored/
Join the Optimized Wellness Community: https://torea.co/Premium
Submit a Question for the Show: https://www.torearodriguez.com/podcast-question
Transcript
Toréa Rodriguez 0:08
Welcome to the Wildly Optimized Wellness podcast. I am your host, Toréa Rodriguez. And I'm joined by the lovely co host, Evie Takacs. Both of us our Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioners and we love working with women from all over the world, through our virtual programs, helping women not only feel better, but actually achieve that vibrant, no holds barred version of themselves, they've been missing for a long time, and how we actually get there. Well, that is what this show is all about. Now, please keep in mind that this podcast is created for educational purposes only and should never be used as a replacement for medical diagnosis or treatment. And if you like what you hear today, we would love for you to hit that follow button, leave a review in Apple podcast, share with your friends, and keep coming back for more. Let's start today's adventure shall we?
Toréa Rodriguez 1:08
Okay, welcome back, everybody to the Wildly Optimized Wellness podcast. Evie and I are continuing this series on elements and the earth elements. So we're calling it the elemental series and today, we're talking about one of our both of us have this affinity with this particular element. And so we're going to talk about water today, and how it relates to the earth how it relates to healing. And we'll just dive right in and get it.
Evie Takacs 1:35
Yes. Oh good one
Toréa Rodriguez 1:38
Evie, tell me water, like what attracts you to water? And why is it so important to you?
Evie Takacs 1:45
Yeah, it's, gosh, it's gonna kind of be hard for me to put this into words. Because I feel so much with water, right? Like, it's so much of emotional feeling for me, being in water is probably more grounding than being on like, solid ground, if that makes sense. Yeah, right. Like I feel so much more held and taken care of, like, I feel held and I feel more relaxed. When I'm in water. I'm, whether it's a pool, or it's an ocean, I mean, ocean is my preferred thing. I grew up swimming in the ocean in the summer time. And some of my best memories are associated with being at the beach and being on the water and feeling the sand and feeling that on my body. And the older that I've gotten, the more I feel drawn to that, like, I live in the Midwest. And so when it gets really wintry in the Midwest, I immediately start to daydream about being in the water and being in the sunshine and like being feeling like I'm flowing within water, it just feels to me much more grounding. And it feels as if I am. Like, I'm much more centered when I feel like I when I'm in water. And so for me, that's what draws me so much to it is because I couldn't tend to get kind of flighty and in my head and like, very much like thinking all these things and playing out scenarios. And when I'm in the water, all I think about is being in the water. And it's kind of like the cold plunges to you talked about, right? We talked about that with cold plunges is all I do when I'm in the cold pool and just focus on my breath. So it just takes all that noise out for me. And it just helps me stay very centered and grounded and present and where I am. And I think that's what draws me so much to the water.
Toréa Rodriguez 3:22
Yeah, yeah, that's beautiful. And I too at this phase of my life, I'm very drawn to water. And it's one of the elements that I've been drawn to the most. I think if I were to consider all of the elements, the air, the fire, the water and earth, earth and water are the two that I'm pulled to the most. And, like you, I grew up not necessarily around water, not so much like that a large body of water. So I grew up in Colorado, I grew up on a ranch that was surrounded by national forests, so very kind of isolated area. But we did have a river that came right through the property. And so I was able to as a young child, I've got all these memories of playing down by the shore of the river, and just you know, playing with the water and being in the water. So water has been very important for me and like you. I got to see the ocean as a young child visiting my grandparents, they lived next to the ocean in California. And so I fell in love with the ocean there. And then of course, where did I choose College, in a town that's right on the ocean, and I just felt super drawn to the ocean. So much so that my first major that I declared was marine biology, like I really wanted to, like learn so much about all of the ecosystems that were in the water and everything else and so for a long time I've lived near the ocean and now being in Central Oregon again. It's very much that mountain type water for me So it's lakes and rivers and streams. And so I'm just enjoying being able to be in the water as much as possible. And I think, also, like you part of what is really comforting for me with water is that sense of that sense of being able to, for me, it's almost like being in water allows me to release emotions, which is interesting, because we had a guest instructor come and teach a workshop over at the Community. And she was talking about these four elements. And one of the things she said about water is that water is associated with the emotional body. And so that really resonated with me, because that's what I experience when I'm in water. When I get my whole body in water, whether it's a river, or a lake, or even in the ocean, I feel like I'm able to allow some of my emotions to leave, basically. And I feel so much calmer when I'm in it.
Evie Takacs 5:59
Yeah, it's, as you're saying this, it makes me It reminds me of why I like it so much in that I become I get in this flow state. And maybe that's what you're describing to have, like water flows, right? Yes, the waves flow, the river flows, there's a direction, or maybe there's a disruption to the piece of it, but it flows. And I think that's what draws me to it is it's such a metaphor for life of like, just flow with it, right, you're like, and so a lot of times when I'm sitting there, and I'm literally floating in the water, I always think about like, man, this is just how life is it's gonna get a little bumpy at times, but then it's gonna go back to being calm, but there's always it's always moving in some way, like you're never really stagnant. And I think that's also why I love it, because I kind of make it philosophical in that way. And it sounds like the both of us view it that way to have like, there's always this flow to it, there's this emotional release, because, like, the waters can get really tough. And then there's like this, really, there's this like, slower point. And that's how life can be too. So I definitely think that that's part of what draws me into it now that we're talking more about it.
Toréa Rodriguez 7:00
Yeah, I think you're talking about the bumpiness of it, and how it can be really powerful. And some of the times that I've felt most moved, are, you know, in springtime, when the snow melts, the rivers get bigger. And so the power and the rushing of the water that goes by, I'm definitely not swimming in that because that's not safe. But that just that sheer power, because if you think about it, water is really, really powerful. It has carved canyons through solid rock over time, right? So it has the power to be able to do that. And then, you know, the northern coast has this really powerful wave system. And all year round, usually, but also during storms, like just being next to the waves crashing on the shore, feels so powerful. And just knowing that that is all coming from water. Also, I guess I get this feeling of like empowerment when I'm out in that kind of weather, and this kind of crazy weather, and I'm done to my like raincoat and everything else. And I'm getting drenched. But it's for me, it's really powerful. And I really enjoy that part of storms. I'm that crazy person that like, oh, a storm is here. And let me go run out and be in it.
Evie Takacs 8:22
Well, I think, again, that's being present and understanding the role of nature and that there's different roles and different purposes for all the things that we experience in nature, right, whether in some of them, yes, they can be catastrophic. But there's also a purpose and the reason that those happens. So I actually think that just goes back to the a lot of the things that we talked about on this podcast, which is being present, and understanding that everything has its role in nature.
Toréa Rodriguez 8:47
Yeah, it really does have a role. And, you know, the water itself, if you start thinking about that role, that it has a nature, it's an essential element that plants need animals need humans need, right and having access to that water. That's also something that I think about a lot, especially when you and I are coaching clients, and we're working with them on trying to reduce their toxin exposure or anything else are really looking at not only how much water are you drinking? Sure, that's a great place to start. But it's more about the the purity and the quality of the water, right and trying to keep it back, get it back to as much of a pristine state or an original state, as we've found on planet Earth decades and 1000s and 10s of 1000s of years ago, so that our cells can use that water in that way. And so I know we'll probably get into this but we do have a lot of conversations around properly filtering it and making sure that it's you know, structured and not full of chemicals and all of those things and it's just one of those things that is so essential and so magical. Because it has all of these different properties to it, you know, the the spiritual and the emotional property? And then of course, the physical like, we need it for ourselves to function properly.
Evie Takacs 10:12
Yeah I mean, water is also very much used in religious purpose in religion and spiritually, I assume, as a cleansing mechanism too, like think of baptisms, right? Yeah, like water is involved in that. There's a lot of ways and water is used in different capacities in the world and in cultures and religions. And so I think it's really interesting when you think about that of, well, I don't think that we do think about water a lot. But now that we're talking about, it's like, there really is all these different ways that people use it and view it and honor it, that I think we just take for granted on a day to day basis.
Toréa Rodriguez 10:49
Yeah, yeah, especially. I think it's one of those things that's so ubiquitous in our environment, that we tend to not really notice it that much. And then something has to happen for us to be called attention to it. And so you know, with recent events that have been happening around you, actually, you know, with the train crash in Ohio, and the contamination of the water, people start to actually think about that, and how it's not contained to the crash site anymore, right? Because water flows, and it gets into the ground, and it moves. So now those contaminants are moving. So it brings us some awareness and to you know, how I'll use the term magical, but it's not magical. But how interesting it is that water changes these phases, and it moves about the planet, and it's always in circulation, like it's very rare that we find water that is truly stagnant. And so I think when we see things like that, that's when we start to really consider what is our role? And what is our relationship to water? And is the water that I'm coming in contact with? Is it something that is going to be helpful or harmful? And that's something that you and I talk about with clients a lot.
Evie Takacs 12:10
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Toréa Rodriguez 12:12
Especially with things like you know, thyroid and thyroid issues are so so so common, right? And when things are in our water that can displace iodine in the thyroid gland and displace the well, not in the gland, and also outside of the gland, but that that iodine is important for the thyroid to function properly. But then there are things in the water that can disrupt that and take the place of iodine. And so those are the kinds of things that we're talking about when we want to, like filter them out and not have water be so harmful.
Evie Takacs 12:45
Right? Yeah. And you just recently posted on your Instagram, the under sink water filter that you have. So if you for listeners who haven't checked that out, make sure to go to Toréa's page and look at that. Yeah, you know, we talked about that, from time to time to we talked about that with our clients and the private community of these are ways that you can get better water or like clear, you know, filter your water better. There's all these resources out there. Yeah, ranging from water bottles, to pitchers to under sink system to whole house systems. And that's something that we don't take lightly, because we know that it has such an impact, not just on our physical health, but I think also our mental health too.
Toréa Rodriguez 13:22
Yeah, absolutely. Because water is water is integral to every single cell. So we've got all these cells and inside the cells, are water, right, the inside of it is basically, soup is a very, like, non accurate term. But we'll use it a lot of times we think, oh, there's just stuff inside the cells, we don't really think it's not air that's inside those cells. It's water. Right? So what is it 70% of the human body is comprised of water. So it is essential, it is very, very important. And while we can go without water for a couple of days, we can't go without water permanently. So it's it's definitely essential for life in general. And so, you know, being able to make sure that we're having good sources of water is super important. And so yes, we do. It's kind of giggled a little bit when you were talking about you know, how many resources there are about water. But when somebody does ask us about water, it's a big topic, you know, and usually it's just this like, oh, let's just talk about water for like two minutes and I'll ask my question about what pitcher should I use and that is a much bigger conversation. Because water is so important and because there are so many different resources that are available to people for filtering water and that kind of thing. So yes, if you have not thought about filtering stuff, then definitely check out we'll post a link to that Instagram reel so that you can check that out. But we did we installed a water filtration underneath our sink, here at this house, and we decided that the simplest way for us to deal with removing contaminants from water right now are an under sink, filter for drinking and cooking. And then shower filters. And so that's how we're approaching it here. And that's usually the most economical for most people. So yeah, water. The other cool thing about water, of course, if you remember back to your grade school biology class, right, or all these phases of water, right, so that's one of the other things that I love about water is that it comes in different forms, it comes in solid, it comes in a vapor, it comes in a liquid, we know now it also comes in a gel like form, which is the fourth phase of water. So there's all of these different phases of water, and they all transfer back and forth to one another. And for me, that's kind of magical, because the water that Evie and I might be co plunging in a particular stream in Central Oregon, hint, this fall at the retreat, right? Yeah. And you can come with us if you want to do that. But that stream, the water will evaporate and eventually make it into a cloud. And it'll come back down as rain later. And I just, I don't know, maybe I'm the one who's enamored with the natural world. But I just think that is a really cool way of being able to move a substance around a planet, it's been able to change those phases. So
Evie Takacs 16:27
Yeah, and again, each phase has its purpose. Like we were saying, there's always a purpose, there's always something. So I think it just reiterates that fact of, you know, there's there's gonna be a purpose, why it's solid a purpose, why it's going to be a gas. And so like I'm looking behind you right now, that looks like snow, right? Like, is there snow on the ground? Yeah,
Toréa Rodriguez 16:45
there's snow on the ground. Yep. Yeah. So water.
Evie Takacs 16:49
Right, exactly. So it's just really neat to think about it in that way. Yeah.
Toréa Rodriguez 16:52
Yeah. Um, what about temperature of water? Have you noticed a difference in how you feel? And this might be a loaded question, because I might already know the answer. But how you feel in warmer water versus colder water? Yeah, no, you go swimming in Greece. I don't know what the temperature of the oceans are in Greece. But yeah, notice that temperature is a major factor for you.
Evie Takacs 17:20
Yeah. I mean, actually, when you started asking that my question, my brain went to taking like a hot bath to a cold plunge. So cold plunges. We've talked so much about that on this podcast and cold plunges for me, are yes, slightly uncomfortable in the beginning, but then I feel an immense sense of calm. Yeah. Because again, all I'm doing is focusing on my breath, I'm really present in the moment, when it comes to hotter water, I do feel like that's, that's relaxing, for sure. But I don't get as much benefit as when I'm in the cold. And that might be really backwards for some people. Like, I just feel like I get much more of a benefit when I come out of cold water versus coming out of hot water. So yeah, like the oceans that I've swam in, are typically cold, or I don't typically swim in like warmer water, especially the parts of Greece that I go to, but even like the Pacific coast, like that's cold water, so you know, like I've swam in there, and I'm like, this is really, really cold. And there's a region of Greek islands that has really cold water to like this past summer. It was like, I guarantee you, it was like, maybe 50 degrees. Like it was very cold. Yeah. for that. And so, to me, I'm like, I just feel much more of a benefit when I come out of cold water than hot and I like taking hot warm baths for sure. But it's not the same rush or the same centeredness that I feel when I come out of it. What about you?
Toréa Rodriguez 18:44
I think in terms of temperature, I can get benefit out of both sides. I'm not sure if, like right now I'm loving cold plunges. So I feel like I'm getting more benefit out of the cold water. But hot water too, has a really great purpose. And for me when I'm finding a hot springs, either in nature, or I'm doing a hot Epsom salt bath, that helps me sweat. And oftentimes we will work with clients to get their sweat functionality moving again in the body. And using a hot bath to do that is really, really great. It also can really help with like muscle tension and relaxation. So it there's a different element to it in terms of the therapeutic and physical benefit that I get from the different temperatures. And I think right now just a personal preference is I'm preferring the cold side of that spectrum instead of the hot side of that spectrum. But I think it's really interesting that when we do have water that is not lukewarm, right, not tepid, or a neutral temperature that there are various different therapeutic benefits that can be just derived from the temperature of the water, which is also amazing and super cool.
Evie Takacs 18:48
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Again, it might change from season to season. Yeah. Or might change from you know, what you're focusing in on but I do think it's interesting to at least note, how you feel in different temperature of water.
Toréa Rodriguez 19:00
Yeah. One last thing about water that I just want to touch on that you said very, in the very beginning was that you feel supported by water. And that is something that I've always been attracted to with saltwater, right, because saltwater has more buoyancy. And I got very used to swimming in the ocean. And then my husband and I, we were traveling in Hawaii, and we found some freshwater, you know, waterfalls with pools, and I just remember this day where I like jumped in the water and tried to swim in it, and the buoyancy wasn't there. And that was like taking in water and like the dog battle a little bit more and like regain my bearings. But what's really fascinating about the buoyancy of water is how supported you can feel. And I remember working with a client, we're talking about her feeling supported just that feeling of being supported. And I got the idea of having her go to a float tank, spa location. Because the float tanks or the sensory deprivation tanks are super saturated with Epsom salts. So like you want to talk about buoyancy, it's hard to actually get underneath the surface of the water in one of those tanks. But it's a way for the body to feel really supported in that way. So I just think water is one of the most amazing elements, and maybe it's because I've got a mad crush on it. But I think it's a really great element.
Evie Takacs 20:33
So yeah, it's my favorite too. I'm glad that we talked about it. Yeah.
Toréa Rodriguez 20:36
So if anybody has any questions, feel free to write in a question. Tag us on, you know, social media, send us a DM we'd love to be answering your questions. And if you'd like to come and experience some of the natural waters of Central Oregon, we've got the retreat that's coming up in October. So we hope that you join us.
Evie Takacs 20:56
Yes, it's gonna be a blast. I'm so excited.
Toréa Rodriguez 20:58
Me too.
Toréa Rodriguez 21:05
Hey, thanks for joining us for this episode of the Wildly Optimized Wellness podcast. If you’re ready to dig deeper into your health, stop playing the Whack-a-Symptom game, start testing to get better guidance, you can find more about Toréa at torearodriguez.com and you can find Evie at holisticallyrestored.com. Want a peek into what it’s like to work with us? Come join us at our Optimized Wellness Community. You can find the invitation link in the show notes below. And if you have a question for the show, you can submit your question under the podcast section of torearodriguez.com. Finally, if you found something helpful in this episode, don’t forget to leave a review, hit that follow button or share it with a friend. They’re gonna love that you thought of them. Until next time, see you outside!
