The holiday season has arrived and even though for most, this particular year will be a more low-key homestead style celebration, it still carries with it the pressure to shop, decorate, uphold traditions, and surprise the people you love with everything that will make their hearts merry and bright. In addition to that, it usually brings up unresolved emotions from as far back as childhood. It is a volatile time when all of our experiences come to the surface, good and bad, and visions of sugarplums dance through our heads alongside other less appealing confections.

This weekend, amidst the wrapping and planning, and just as my partner and I were feeling the holiday pressure mount, it started to snow. It was unexpected and beautiful. The flakes were large and full and we watched them drift slowly without hurry. We could sense their confidence and poise as they posed briefly in front of the window before continuing their descent towards the snow covered ground below. We stood in awe for a few minutes before looking at each other with the same realization. We could sense the flakes offering us an anecdote to the stress.  So, we grabbed our skis and headed for the woods.

About halfway through our trek, we stopped to catch our breath and take in the serenity and majesty of our surroundings. I noticed a clump of red bittersweet growing on a shrub near the river and as I looked closer, I was able to make out the individual snowflakes. Each held a unique and brilliant design and reminded me of a book I had read some time ago called The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto. 

In the book, Emoto illustrates the effects of words, pictures, and music on the structure and development of crystallized water (snowflakes). The water that was exposed to positive words such as love and peace (and classical music) turned out to be beautiful and intricate, which was evident once it was frozen into crystallized form. In contrast, the water exposed to negative words like hatred and war, (and heavy metal music) turned out malformed and less appealing to the eye. These findings led Emoto to conclude that wherever water is found, in our bodies for example, there will be a susceptibility to the quality of energy around it. Verbal words seemed to have the most impact. However, pictures, music, and the surrounding environment also had a substantial influence. Certainly, we can understand how positive and negative statements, sounds, and visuals would affect our psyche and emotions, but Emoto’s research goes beyond that, to illustrate how these energies have a direct impact on our physical composition as well.

As I continued to watch the snow fall, I could feel my entire body relax. There was a palpable calm which did not exist hours before in the midst of holiday preparation. I had changed in some way, perhaps physically. It may have been the quiet of the snow as it blanketed the forest or the perfection of the crystalized designs. Whatever it was, I vowed to keep the feeling close to my heart by bringing the visual to mind each time I felt the stress creeping in. I also promised to extend kind and loving words to myself and others, especially during these trying times. After all, peace, love and joy (even if only in a word) seem to be the best gift I can give this holiday season.

Masaru Emoto’s findings are spectacular. Here is a quick demonstration measuring the effects of gratitude on water:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDNhH8deZPg

Wendy’s Other Websites.   Body: https://www.inbalancetherapeutics.net/   Soul: https://www.mysoulpurposeproject.com/  Music: https://www.wendydarlingandthelostboy.org/