The elements of our natural world provide us with wisdom and healing medicine. Learning to dance with them can help us attract and amplify their energy for support and personal transformation. The element of water invites us to connect with the world we cannot see with our naked eyes. It allows us to feel, heal, nurture, and embrace our innermost depths. Water is also capable of cleansing us - both physically and energetically. Moving with this energy can help us develop a sensitivity to the unseen realms and the whispers of our souls.
The water element can carry us to our internal landscape, pulling us inward to explore our deepest feelings and desires. It represents our subconscious as well as life’s deeper mysteries. Water is soothing and peaceful - but it can also be destructive (through floods and hurricanes). It will fill in the shape of its surroundings, but it also can change the shape of its surroundings.
Water moves gracefully and intuitively. Someone who is dancing with this energy creates shapes and sequences that are expressed in a fluid and cyclical manner. Embodying the element of water will also portray a deeper connection with our emotional body.
Here are some reasons for bringing the element of water into our bodies …
- To feel and express our emotions for energetic balance and overall wellbeing
- To cleanse and heal matters of the heart
- To mend relationships and practice forgiveness
- To release stress and regulate our body's rhythmic cycles (sleep/hormones)
- To explore our sensual and sexual natures
- To dissolve boundaries (physical or spiritual)
- To understand our dreams, recall past lives, connect with ancestors
- To deepen our intuition and psychic abilities
- To break up stagnation and learn to flow with life
Movement guidelines for aligning with the attributes of water
- Circular shapes that travel in a curve or infinity pattern
- Movement that is performed in the lower-mid planes and emphasizes the hips
- Slow-tempo sequences that are of a steady pace and kept close to the body
- Focus is internal with little to no travel
- Movement qualities are soft, gentle, light, receptive, continuous, smooth and flowy
- Primarily used to express emotions and connect with our sensual nature
Other associations and tools for dancing with water energy
The water element has a Yin (-) polarity, meaning it displays an inward flow of energy that is lunar (or feminine) and receptive in nature. A dancer moving with this energy would have an internal focus, movements would tend to pull in toward themselves through actions like gathering or contracting, and their motivation is found in their desire to feel and experience something.
Water is associated with the sacral chakra, which helps us regulate our emotions and stimulate our creativity. It teaches the value of engaging with our senses and prioritizing pleasure. You can visualize this as orange energy spiraling inside of your pelvic bowl to help you connect with your emotions.
Water is the inspiration for the Suit of Cups as well as the Queens in the tarot. Some major arcana cards to help you connect to this element are The High Priestess, The Moon, The Chariot, and the Hanged Man.
Water energy can also be found in the cosmos. You can embody the qualities of Venus, Neptune, and the Moon, as well as the constellations of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
For more information on this topic, check out some of my other resources:
- Episode 6 of my Spiritual Dance Podcast titled "Elemental Dance Magick"
- Episode 8 of my Spiritual Dance Podcast titled "Cosmic Choreography"
- My "Astrology for Dancers" Blog Post
- My book titled "Dance Divination
- My channeled movement video for the element of water
