Water and The Nervous System

Yesterday I sat in a mini river rapids, clinging to a mossy rock, laughing hysterically and playing with my sister. I felt aliveeeee. It made me think of all the mothers and grandmothers of the world saying ‘go splash your face with cold water’. Did you hear this growing up too? They were right.

Splashing cold water on our skin activates the vagus nerve to regulate and slow down. This gentle trigger allows the abdominal organs to then reset to a resting state, so for people that tense their bellies with nervous tension for all the various reasons, this is especially helpful. The sensation of a simple cold splash diverts the brain’s energy and attention away from a thinking state, leaving you more embodied into a feeling state, as it signals to the body to relax. As I do more research on the autonomic nervous system, I’m actually thinking backwards to the simplest, most primal, engrained wisdoms that have been passed down through generations.

Go splash your face. We don’t need to do uncomfortable things to see great benefits in our mind/body! No fancy ice bath contraption needed. No need to be fully submerged and frozen to receive these wonderful benefits either. Splashing from your sink, a river, an ocean or a garden hose is effective. For those without the ability to get out to a water zone, bring it to you- soaking a washcloth in ice water and laying it on your face/feet/etc works too. This is one of the reasons I love keeping hydrosols with me wherever I go; Mist for mood.

Tap into your inner child. Smile, play and SPLASH. Include a loved one for an extra joyous experience. It’s the simple things. It’s about feeling real joy as we tend to our bodies.