In this thought-provoking documentary, filmmakers Jirka Rysavy and Saida Medvedeva come to sing the praises of the living substance that surrounds us in oceans, streams, lakes, and waterfalls. It also comprises 70 percent of the human body.

Using interviews with scientists, thinkers, and researchers, the filmmakers travel to beautiful locations around the world to tell the story of water's glory and the dangers posed to it by humanity's lack of respect for this precious gift.

Scientists explain three of the wonders of water: its memory, its transfer of information to DNA, and its energetic qualities. Indigenous peoples have always honored the sacred and healing powers of water. They know that it can die if treated poorly. Water is very sensitive to sound, positive and negative thoughts, emotions, and the spiritual practice of intention.

Secret of Water opens our eyes, hearts, and minds to this miraculous source of life and human flourishing.

Go Deeper

There are plenty of places in Secret of Water where we were tempted to insert quotations, gathas, prayers, mindfulness exercises and spiritual practices. Here are a few suggestions from the large library of resources at S&P.

The Water of Life
"Water is marvelously expressive stuff, full of deep meaning to all humankind, perhaps the most beautifully symbolic stuff of all. The water of life, the water of baptism, the water that cleanses and heals, the water that breaks down and destroys, the water that lifts us and floats us when we come aground, the water that churns and pounds us out of our complacency and into awareness; the water of swamps and sloughs and soggy despond; the roiling sea-ice powerfully sculpting a coast; soft groundwater, tenderly upwelling to green a barren landscape; the singing chuckle of a creek, the roar of a fall, the calm assurance of a great river, the crash of a sea swell, the quiet privacy of fog, rain washing or slashing or down pouring or falling gentle as a leaf; the soft healing, or bitter springing, or joyful welling of salt tears. . . . God be praised for the gift of water."
— Molly Wolf in Hiding in Plain Sight by Molly Wolf

Water as a Soul Symbol
"The next time you drink a glass of water, take a shower or bath, or watch it rain, prayerfully ponder water as a vital image of your soul. Consciously use water as a soul symbol, so that even a simple drink of water will become a moist prayer of remembrance of your inner self.

— Edward Hays in Prayer Notes to a Friend

Mindfulness About Water
"Pure, clean, sparkling water. Surely water is one of our healthiest drinks. It's easy to forget, in our thirst, as we gulp down this precious gift that some people don't have pure water. Some water has to be boiled in order to be safe for drinking. Some people have to walk great distances to get the water they need. As we allow ourselves to remember this, it can make us more grateful.
— Macrina Wiederkehr in Gold in Your Memories

A Gatha for Turning on Water
"As I turn on the water, my body's essence pours before me. Clouds, oceans, rivers, and deep wells all support my life."
— Barbara Ann Kipfer in 201 Little Buddhist Reminders

To Water as One of the Four Elements
"Great wetness:
The beat of your waves is the beat of my breathing;
the surge of your tides is the surge of my heart.
My very cells pray to you; my tears, sweat, and blood sing your song.
Without you I wither and die.

Teach me your secrets of ebbing and flowing,
help me to trust in your pattern repeating.
Buoy me up, teach me to swim in you,
help me to rest in your arms."
— Cait Johnson in Earth, Water, Fire & Air

Observing Water
"Observing water is a meditation in itself. Just watching a flowing river or a running stream can help us feel calm and renewed. Swimming, floating, being in or near water is one of the basic ways human beings relax and replenish our energies."
— Starhawk in The Earth Path

Thank the Water
" 'Every morning when I get up to get a drink of water from the sink, I always remember to thank the water.' Those words were spoken to me thirty years ago by Dewasentah, an Onondaga Clan Mother who was always reminding me of the sacred relationship that exists between all things and the responsibility we humans have to acknowledge that relationship.:
— Joseph Bruchac in Our Stories Remember

Learn Respect for Water
"Water was not meant to be polluted, anymore than human blood, which is mostly water, is meant to be contaminated. How dare we bring anyone into the world who must, anywhere on earth, run from rain? Native people have always maintained that water — like trees, rocks, and the earth itself — has emotions. Think how it must feel. We must learn respect for water and teach this respect to the billions of human already here."
— Alice Walker in We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For

River of Mercy
"Living Water,
River of Mercy,
Source of Life,
in whom we live
and move
and have our being,
who quenches out thirst,
refreshes our weariness,
bathes
and washes
and cleanses
our wounds,
be for us always
a fountain of life,
and for all the world
a river of hope
springing up in the midst
of the deserts of despair.
Honor and blessing
glory and praise
to You forever."
— Medical Mission Sisters in WomanPrayers by Mary Ford-Grabowasky