The Healing Benefits of Staying Hydrated

Fairy chugmother. Ounceluencer. Hydravangelist.

These are all titles that I wear with pride because there is, quite literally, few things that I am as passionate about as water. Drinking it. Advocating for it. Learning about it. Dipping into it. If there’s water involved, sign me up. For the past decade I’ve been putting around 100-150 ounces into my body on a daily basis. I could talk about water all day so please invite me out for a cold beer. Or a cold water (or warm. or room temperature. with or without lemon. I’m really not picky). I recently read a book by Dana Cohen called Quench and it completely challenged my core beliefs surrounding water and hydration. It also introduced me to some of the less obvious healing benefits of staying hydrated.

The more hydrated your fascia is, the more positive effects you’ll experience from that sound bath or pre-shower date with a dry brush.

Quench is based on the idea that optimum hydration isn’t just about how much water you drink, but also about how much water you absorb. It explains that water can be absorbed more deeply into your body when it’s consumed in the proper form, which the authors identify as the fourth phase of water known as gel water (for more about this entire idea, read this and listen to this).

I knew water was important (I regularly credit it with saving and changing my life), but I didn’t have a very in-depth understanding of the science surrounding hydration, how drastically chronic mild dehydration (which 75% of us live with) really effects us, or the ways being hydrated really can impact us beyond just our physical health.

One of my favorite sections of the book explains the fascial system and its role in our body. This is a gossamer-like tissue similar to saran wrap found throughout body, miles and miles of it! It serves as an irrigation system for the body, and also a communications system. This fascial tissue isn’t only how our body distributes the water we drink to all the parts of our body that need it, it’s also the way our brain transmits electric messages to the rest of our big sack of meat. 

This hydrated, water-loving, slip-n-slide system of fascia is also the reason why so many holistic practices actually work. Massage. Acupuncture. Sound baths. Tapping. Face rolling. Gua sha. Breathwork. Dry brushing. Weighted blankets. Even a hug!

These practices connect directly to that information super-highway called the fascial system. And, the more hydrated this jumbled pile of saran wrap is, the more positive effects you’ll experience after that sound bath or pre-shower date with a dry brush. It’s also why so many practitioners will tell you to drink water before and after almost all of these services (no more post-massage wine!). 

Even less physical practices, such as meditation or crystals (yes, crystals!) are connected to hydration. It shouldn’t surprise us that our brains work better when they’re not dehydrated but if this self-anointed queen of water hadn’t made the connection before there’s a good chance that you haven’t either. The one thing I know for sure is that I’ll never pay good money again for an energy healing session without being hydrated AF.