Insights :.

At this point, we shall begin to peer deeper into the soul of the Water Warrior. Ancient civilizations divided the universe into five elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, Metal, and Water. Here, too, we shall divide the essense of the Water Warrior into these five elements. Though the scieEach and every day offers many opportunities to enhance oneself and one's Water Warrior within. Even the simplest of tasks can be used to hone one's skills as a Water Warrior while, at the same time, using these skills to also help one accomplish other goals.

A key concept in Zen is being mindful of what one is presently doing, focusing on the task at hand, experiencing it for what it is, and learning through the variety of stimuli provided through the process of even accomplishing the most mundane of tasks.

For example, take the simple task of washing one's hands. To most, this task is something done from time to time with little thought and more of as an necessity or even barrier to overcome to get to one's next task such as eating or handling something more delicate. Instead of considering the act of washing hands as extra labor, consider it also an opportunity to get in touch with the essence of Water. Take that extra moment to simply feel how the warmth or coolness of the water feels against one's skin; how the water drips, ripples, and flows around one's finger tips; how water splashes into the sink and changes behaviour in the presence of soap. Such simple, yet repetitive reminders of how water behaves shall help shape one's thoughts in turn regarding how water naturally behaves and what one needs to do to get water to respond the way we wish it to in differing situations.

This is but one single example.

Virtually any task can be related to different aspects of water warfare. Future posts will cover some other examples, but the floor is open for others to also create their own ideas on how simple, every day tasks can be used as means to improve oneself as both a Water Warrior and overall as a whole.