Water Wisdom: The Healer + Teacher That Unifies Us All - Episode 37

Oh this conversation is going to fill you up, inspire you and most likely give you a new perspective on two resources you may be taking for granted: Water + Wilds.

Meet Dr. Wendy Pabich.

Wendy acknowledges that today’s world has brought on so much stress and disconnected most of us from who we really are. Through her own studies and experiences she knows that Water + Wilds have the capacity to teach, ground and heal us. Our relationship with Water + Wilds can help us reestablish connection to ourselves, the planet, and to each other.

We walked away from this conversation with an entirely new perspective on water and our relationship with water.
 
Wendy holds a PhD in Water Resources and a Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning from MIT, a Master in Science in Coastal Geology from Duke University, and a Bachelor of Arts  in Geography from Dartmouth College.

She is also the author of “Taking on Water: How One Water Expert Challenged Her Inner Hypocrite, Reduced Her Water Footprint, and Found Nirvana."

And Wendy is a Yogini, President of Water Futures, which helps organizations ensure water security, has taught for MIT and the Sierra Institute, and has taken students to the wilds of Patagonia, the Himalaya and Alaska.

Wendy’s work focuses on bringing wellness to women through Water + Wilds.

We dive (mind the pun!) into what that means and how you can start to tap into your own Water Wisdom and healing powers.

To find out more about Wendy, her work, offerings, speaking opportunities, book and to donate to the Sea Women Expeditions Arctic Norway 2022 visit drwendypabich.com.

Get 50% off Wendy's Awakening course or 5 women for the price of 4 for her Awakening Course + Water Circles. Join now with code: SEEKINGCENTER. 

Visit theseekingcenter.com for more from Robyn + Karen, plus mega inspo -- and the best wellness + spiritual practitioners, products and experiences on the planet!

You can also follow Seeking Center on Instagram @theseekingcenter

Transcript

Robyn: [00:00:00] I'm Robyn Miller Brecker, 

Karen: and I'm Karen Loenser. Welcome to seeking center. The podcast,

Robyn: join us each week as we have the conversations and weed through the spiritual and holistic clutter for you, we'll boil it down to what you need to know. Now 

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We'll talk to the trailblazers who will introduce you to the practices, products, and experiences. That may be just what you need to hear about to transform your life. 

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Robyn: Oh, this conversation is going to fill you up, inspire you, and most likely give you a new perspective on two resources you may be taking for granted. Water and Wilds Meet Dr. Wendy Pabich. We knew she was Soul Family when we found out that one of her favorite [00:01:00] mantras is if it's not a fuck Yes, it's a no.

That's one of our guiding principles too, Wendy acknowledges that today's world has brought on so much stress and disconnected most of us from who we really are through her own studies and experiences, she knows that water and wild have the capacity to teach ground and heal us.

Our relationship with water and Wilds can help us reestablish connection to ourselves, the planet, and to each other. Wendy holds a PhD in water resources and a master of science in environmental policy and planning from mit, a master in science. In coastal geology from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Dartmouth College.

 She is also the author of Taking on Water How One Water Expert challenged her Inner Hypocrite, reduced her water footprint and found Nirvana. Wendy is also a Yogi President of Water Futures, which helps organizations ensure water security. She is also the author of Taking on Water How One Water Expert challenged her [00:02:00] Inner Hypocrite, reduced her water footprint and found Nirvana wendy is also a Yogi President of Water Futures, which helps organizations ensure water security. She's taught for M I T and the Sierra Institute and has taken students to the wilds of Patagonia, the Himalayas, and Alaska.

 Wendy's work focuses on bringing wellness to women through water and wild. We're going to dive in mine the pun, into what that means and how you can start to tap into your own water wisdom and healing powers. Hi Wendy. 

Wendy: Hi, Wendy. Hi, Karen. Hi, Robin. , 

Robyn: so much in there. 

Karen: Before we start, I think that introduction inspired a question for me right off the bat is what are wilds? I think most people know what water is, but when you say water and wilds, 

what is that to you, 

Wendy: Wendy? To me, I have the privilege in living in these remote regions. To me it's deep wilderness, but it doesn't have to be, it can be the living things right outside your door. . 

Karen: I love that. So it's the idea of combining water and the [00:03:00] outdoors together and nature.

 As one, 

Wendy: Yes. That's awesome. 

Robyn: . Yeah. And we're gonna dig into everything. So Let's start by talking about how you look at water, because most people listening may never have thought of water as having wisdom. So what does water wisdom mean 

Wendy: to you? I would start by maybe expanding from the word look to just say experience, Because for me it's all about this engaging all five senses. for instance, I grew up right on the ocean in New England. And so I was thinking about this as an example. Waking up early morning on a foggy, cool New England Day. That's one face of the ocean. And there are so many, but each one has its own nuance, So waking up on a day like that and it's cool and still, and you can feel the water in the air. You can smell it. You can taste the ocean, You hear sounds the calling [00:04:00] of an occasional seagull or a foghorn, you can actually hear the seagul dropping crabs on the rocks, 

it fully engages all of your senses and when you tune in that's where you really open yourself up to all the messages and to the wisdom of water and the workings of nature. 

Karen: I've never thought of that it that way. Like water is an amplifier really of our senses.

Robyn and I have talked a lot about how when we take a, physical shower, that can be the inspiration behind a lot of ideas because it's that conductivity, Hitting our our crown chakra. But I never thought about it being an amplifier 

Wendy: before. Yeah. And then when you immerse yourself in water, you have these experiences in the shower, but it's true of anybody of water. It's there's a reason we use hot water as therapy, , bowel therapy, which has a long ancient tradition of soaking and healing in mineral hot springs, but in cold water, hot water, they all have various health benefits.

Robyn: What can [00:05:00] water teach us about living our fullest life? 

Wendy: So when we get into that space and we're really able to connect to water in that way, and to spend some deep reflective time, you start to understand in a very visceral way all these things about the characteristics of water, It shows us this whole spectrum of behaviors like these dualities. It can at one speed fierce. You look at a raging sea, and it can also be super fluid and gentle. One of the things that's really interesting is water scientists consider water the great integrator.

So as it migrates through a watershed it comes in as precipitation, so rain or snow or grapple, and it makes, its. Through these winding pathways seeping into the mineral soil and the organic soil seeping into the unsaturated zone and into the water table, and then ultimately making its way to a river and then to the ocean.

And along the way it picks up all these chemical and [00:06:00] biological signals of everything that it's touched. So it actually integrates, Organic matter and the, big minerals from rocks and soils and the inorganic matter. And so it's this great integrator and it transports all of this to the sea.

This chemical soup, all these new nutrients that ultimately form the base of the marine food chain. So they feed the Fido plankton, which as we know are the basis of food chain. And those support all the organisms, all the way up to the great whales, and then in evaporates or transpires again and ends up back in the cycle.

And so it literally is the lifeblood of our planet and it integrates all. And when you observe that, you start to understand that we are of the water, our bodies are 70% water, our hearts and minds are more like 80% water. And we too hold all these amazing capacities, We can at once be fierce fears or fluid. We can be angry and [00:07:00] strident, or we can be, compassionate and open. There's all these fluid characteristics. And there's this really beautiful quote from National Geographic that goes all the water that will ever be is right. And when you think about that we at our core right now are all that we will ever be, we have all the knowledge, all the capacities, 

and so any amount of exterior accolades or validation, none of these things are actually what's going to bring you solace and deep wisdom. Cause that's all inside of you. You have to work though to decide which ends of those dualities, which of those characteristics you wanna lean on and when is it appropriate and one 

Karen: of the things that you just said that occurred to me too is if we all look at the fact that we're 80 ish percent water. How much do we really have in common? So we are the same in so many ways. And water is that unifier not only on a planetary scale, but on a 

Wendy: humanitarian scale.

[00:08:00] Absolutely. All beings on this planet are connected and in fact, we're all connected to the planet cuz we are all dust, all stars. If you think about all the chemicals in your body come from the food and the water you ingest. That's right. Which comes animals and the plants which derive their nutrients from the soils And the inorganic matter.

And the stars . And we never talk 

Robyn: about that. The other thing I wanted to make sure everyone listening also recognizes from conversations we've had earlier, in this aspect of living your fullest life, the, and we're talking about integrating this idea of yes, we're water.

And how does that relate then to the moon and the other planets? Because I think you do a beautiful job of talking about that. 

Wendy: We in this country have this epidemic of anxiety and depression and disconnect and when you are out in these spaces and you're connecting in that way, it's teaching you all the rhythms of the planet.

So we are connected to the ways in which the moon is forcing the oceans, which [00:09:00] is also playing Into our bodies. 

Robyn: Exactly. So how can people pay more attention to that?

When we do look at, let's say the ocean and we look at the tides and we know that they are impacted by where the moon is and how full it is and all of that. Can you talk about that and how we can be more present and 

Wendy: aware? My path has been all about the actual experiential connection, So by spending time outside, in any way, you can access it , and I know not everybody has easy access to it, But but anytime outside allows you, it has all these healing benefits, It allows you to down regulate your nervous system and to breathe fresh air and to retune your bio rhythms to, in your circadian rhythms, to those of the planet.

And in our modern day lifestyle is obviously disconnecting us in a huge way and so to me, that's the first step in really reestablishing this [00:10:00] connection that we also desperately crave it, even if we don't understand that's what's happening because, and that's the source of all this sort of ecog grief that we're seeing too.

The climate change and biodiversity loss. that's really painful for all of us, whether or not we're actually paying attention to it, because we are all connected. And so these injuries that we're seeing around us are also so connected to our hearts. That's true. 

Robyn: , we often talk about energy,

and water it's that connection to one another and everything that surrounds us, all energy. The wild that we talked about, the, where we are in this universe, all 

Wendy: of it. Absolutely. And that's where the study of water and an understanding of science plays in with the discussion or any kind of spiritual practice, 

because as much as some people wanna make a distinction between the two in water, you can see harmonic resonance, when wave forms stack up on each other and in a in [00:11:00] a aligned fashion. You see an amplification of wave, peak and troughs. And so that's harmonic resonance.

So it's not dissimilar from when we experience you walk into a room and if you're paying attention, and if the room is full of, positive vibrations and the loving, warm, welcoming atmosphere, we know that right away. And by contrast, if there's, anger and ugly energy, we all sense that, right?

And you feel it. . And so it's the same thing. 

Robyn: It makes me think of that water experiment that I know we've talked about the one with the, with the crystals. 

Wendy: Yeah. Yeah. Zero moto. Yeah. Yes. 

Robyn: That's just another tangible way of looking at it.

Wouldn't you say? 

Wendy: Missouri Moto did these experiments where he was taking photographs or, or they were actually taking water and freezing it after he had him put it in a vessel and imparted either positive or negative loving or, or distressing emotions and words towards these glasses of water.

And then looking at the [00:12:00] freezing the water and looking at the crystal in structure. And, I'm not sure his experiments have been replicated, but even still we all on a personal level, Know what this feels like to be in resonance, yes. And I think so 

Karen: many people who are listening may not realize the effect that water actually has on them for that reason.

If I am 80% water, of course I love floating in my backyard pool. Of course, I love sitting on the beach just watching those waves roll in. Of course, I want my house to be on the lake side with the beautiful view because it's not just a nice to have, it's a bodily connection.

With who I am, my essence. And absolutely I love listening to how you put that together, Wendy, because I never really thought of it that way, that it was really reflecting myself and not just a 

Wendy: nice feeling. We are of the water, in addition to being 70% water you're housed in your mother's amniotic [00:13:00] fluid for nine months, So that's where we originated. And there is an evolving field of study around the idea of blue Mind, which is all the things you just described, Karen. And the way in which our biology and neurology and, biochemistry works. Water does have this profoundly healing meditative, and it's documented.

 The scientists are looking at the, neuroplasticity and all these things. Like what happens when you're in the ocean and you're observing the distant horizon and scanning the horizon. it's actually this super grounding connecting and centering experience.

So it's all this meditative state you can enter into. And it is what drives us to go live by the water. And you can see the implications of that. Practical things like real estate prices are higher when you're by the water, and that's not a mistake. It's because we are compelled and I 

Karen: think, when we spoke before, one thing that also woke me up again was how [00:14:00] water is used in spiritual practice. So when I go into a church, for example, you bless yourself with the water. And I always thought of that as just an old ritual because that's what I was supposed to do, but now it just has a different . because it's reminded me of the connection literally with my spirit. Are there other ways that water is used in rituals that you can talk 

Wendy: about? Oh yeah, absolutely. Virtually every religion has some water ritual, You talk about mikvahs or there's sacred soaking and. In present time, there's a lot of ways you can integrate water into your spiritual practices. And then it can even be creating a sacred soak in your own bathroom in your own bathtub And there's all sorts of recipes out there for whatever healing modality, whatever healing effect you're looking to gain, but just soaking in water using it in your sacred spaces, in your meditation routines.

I actually like to do what I call water cycle [00:15:00] meditations, where you're envisioning yourself connecting to the great hydrologic cycle. And so you're drawing in water into your body as you breathe in and flushing it through and releasing it and envisioning it, going back out meandering through the planet to get back to the oceans and back up.

And so it's this big pump, energetic and otherwise, and then of course there's a lot of people practicing. It's, basically ology is like the whim H method. People are doing a lot of cold soaking and breathing techniques and, cold to hot.

So all of these have health benefits and spiritual benefits. And then water also is the element of our second chakra, So it's, it's the seed of our intuition and divine feminine energy and creativity and fluidity and all these things.

And so it's profoundly a part of us. 

Robyn: Going back to when you were talking about the whim H method and the cold plunge, can you talk about that for a [00:16:00] moment? some people may not know what that is. 

Wendy: Yeah. It's just a physiological thing where it stimulates your circulation and it builds tolerance and it's calming and it's a way to build, resilience.

And psychologically allows you to develop an increased tolerance for external stresses, So you're stressing your body, but in a way that your body can handle. And so it's more your mental emotional reaction that's actually freaking you out, That's too cold. But then your body eventually calms into it. , which is same sort of thing you get when you can have a meditative practice, or mindfulness practice. And you start to build that space between, stimulus and response, So it helps with all of.

Robyn: I have a feeling some people may have heard about it but don't understand why. Cause it sounds, so jarring, However, the more you do it, the more benefits that you're gonna feel. 

Karen: I think I read too that it also stimulates the blood flow in your.

So that it's almost like a [00:17:00] runner's adrenaline that you feel after the run, right? It just says that people have this fascination right with water in any sense. And I think for people listening, thinking about how they can incorporate it into their lives, maybe more, even to your point Wendy, about in your meditation, I know a lot of meditation apps have the sound of water falling and that's a very soothing kind of thing of a water fountain maybe in your home That's different ways to incorporate. It in a practiced, 

wendy. Are there practices that you can recommend for people?

Wendy: Even just, putting water in some beautiful vessel and having it as part of your altar, and so that you're actually intentionally recognizing it and connecting with it.

And to do the same with your drinking water. and like I said, in your meditation practice if you're able to meditate outside next to a body of water, that's a really powerful experience. But too, I. Feel like time in these natural environments can be just a walking meditation.

You don't even have to be [00:18:00] meditating, You can be just quieting and centering and connecting with water, whether it's just watching it and there's so much to take in when you do that, you start to see how it moves and how it interacts and the sort of connecting with the life giving qualities.

 And it's generative capacity and all those things. 

Robyn: The reason we were so excited to talk to you today is both about giving people these practices, And it's also educating them about water in a way they never thought about. And also helping them become more aware.

To your point just now, it is about just. Walking, even if you're walking near water. It's that awareness and it's the awareness of the fact that it is within you and how you integrate to everything around you. So I think it's this combination of both practice and awareness and we felt it was really important because it's so much a part of who we are and what this world is made of, and yet we don't [00:19:00] talk about that type of integration.

Wendy: And something I was thinking about earlier today is just about the idea of damning rivers, you if you look at the difference between a stagnant body of water behind a dam and what happens to that versus a free flowing river, it's an emotional experience when you witness it.

And from that you can understand more from a somatic place. What that means for each of us as individuals when we don't listen to our hearts, when we don't follow our guidance, when, we all are gifted with this, really deep intuition and so much of what happens in all the constraints of our modern society is we ignore that.

Wow, that's such a great 

Karen: point. And that whole balance act, I witnessed down here in Dallas the power of rain when it comes in full force and how, unless you're prepared down here, Mother nature definitely takes over and it doesn't seep into [00:20:00] the ground as well, and everything floods. So I think it's such a good analogy of how we as human beings think that we're almost smarter, and can reroute.

Mother nature when in fact, it's just a powerful force 

Wendy: and you can't well, and in fact, Mother Nature is showing us with great alarm exactly how misguided we are right now. If you look at all the things that are happening in, on the planet. So True. 

Robyn: In terms of healing, what are ways that people can use both water and wilds as part of their healing?

Wendy: it's all gonna be personal for each individual. But spending time in these places is profoundly healing. There's now a whole line of inquiry around the ways in which being in the natural world down regulates your nervous system, they've shown that soaking has helped heal people from addiction and anxiety, there's profoundly healing benefits to this, and it's subtle. And it takes time It's not you're not gonna take a magic pill, But introducing and cultivating [00:21:00] this awareness is really powerful and it has healing benefits for all of us. 

Robyn: In your childhood and teenage years, did you know this is what you were gonna study? that you just needed to know more in terms of whether it had to do with water or, nature? How 

Wendy: Yeah, it was probably more general like nature. I just knew , being out side and seeing the awe and the wonder and the mystery and all these things were just so compelling to me and they remained that way.

Robyn: I feel like when we've talked before and you do have such a background in terms of all the studies that you've done and what you can really teach, but then also there's this spiritual part of who you are and how. These energies speak to you How did that start?

many scientists don't necessarily open themselves up to that part of things, so how does that work in your life and for 

Wendy: you? So that's definitely been a part of my [00:22:00] personal journey because I'm super analytical. And the path that was laid out in front of me was an easy path, like Wall Street if I wanted it, And but all along the way I knew that I was connected in this other way to this other way of being and to the greater world.

And I was always so curious. My first job outta college was as a geography intern at National Geographic. So that's what that's what really compelled me, the adventure and mystery and the questioning. so over time, that has just taken me on a whole bunch of adventures.

And each one of them has opened up that door a little bit more to just questioning the conventional paradigm really. And over time, the more I know, the more I know, I don't know , right? Yes, 

Karen: On everything. 

Wendy: everything. Yeah, exactly. And I don't buy into the idea that we are, gonna engineer our way out of these troubles.

We're not doing that. we need to listen to ourselves and to each other, [00:23:00] and to our intuition in our hearts, and we need to listen to the other beings on this planet. And we need to listen to the whisperings of mother nature, because that's really where the wisdom and solutions are.

Robyn: I think that there's so many people that we could be exposing to What the bigger the grand, the awe, because to your point then it does.

 Gives you a whole different perspective, it really grounds 

Wendy: you 

Karen: when you understand that you are connected. If you are 80% water, you are connected to that water that is on the planet, There's no distinction between one and the other. And I think that perspective makes such a difference to people when they understand, Oh, that's why I love the smell and the feel and the taste and the experience and the visual of water.

It's because I am part of it. And that gives you a whole different perspective on the ecological impact on the planet. At least that's how it's impacted me. 

Wendy: Yeah, Absolutely. And it also gives you the understanding that you're not alone. Yes. [00:24:00] As much as people. This culture can be extremely isolating for so many people.

And really, , we're not alone. And the pandemic has shown us how very connected we all are. And that's, even though we were isolated, we're connected by the little microorganisms, we all are. 

Robyn: That's right. 

Wendy: I want to acknowledge, I know that I've been, and I'm so grateful for all the opportunity I've had to spend in these places because it's not the norm. And at the same time I hope it encourages people to, to get out in whatever patch of dirt there is because Exactly. 

Robyn: You are where you are cuz those are the choices you made that was the priority for you. And that's where you are able to experience that type of grandeur on a more regular basis. But to your point, it could literally be owning, a plant in your house. And most of us, especially in North America, we can shower easily, So it's even just taking that shower 

it's changing your perspective. 

Wendy: It is, it may be sitting in a [00:25:00] patch of grass or taking your shoes off and touching the grass, or, cultivating your own food, like starting to grow. This is a bit of an aside, but if we were to take all the lawns in this country, we have something like 90 million acres of irrigated turf grass in this country, and we're talking about food and security.

So if we were to like all start growing Victory gardens, growing our own food, we wouldn't have a food problem. Wow. so that act of though getting out and actually, putting your hands in the dirt and watering and tending a plant and watching it grow, that's all part of it.

Yeah. 

Robyn: And speaking of water, you also wrote a book called Taking on Water, How One Water Expert changed her Inner Hypocrite, reduced her water footprint. Can you talk about what that means to reduce your water footprint and why people should be paying attention to that? 

Wendy: Yeah so your water footprint is all the water you use directly and indirectly in your life or in your company or your community or a [00:26:00] nation.

And so it's parallel of the concept of a carbon footprint, which people are more familiar with. It comes from all the things that we bring in. So all the goods and services that we bring into each of our lives. And I'll just throw out some figures cuz they're stunning.

 I'll ask you if you could guess what you think the average US consumer's water footprint is In gallons? In a year. A thousand. 

Robyn: I would say, say a hundred thousand, 

Wendy: 750,000 gallons of water per person, per year. Holy Yeah. So in your home, Most Americans use about a hundred gallons per person per day. So that's something like 30,000 gallons a year directly. So for showering, eating, cooking, cleaning it's some, it's seven, orders of magnitude more. And that comes from the water embedded in each of the products and services we consume. So if you think about, and so the, 80% [00:27:00] of the globes water . Consumption goes to agriculture. , so that is food and fiber.

So when we start to think about eating a pound of beef takes 2200 gallons of water to produces a pound of beef. And a cotton T-shirt, it's 750 gallons of water. And that's from growing the cotton. So if you wanted to reduce your water footprint, 

Some of the biggest levers are reducing your meat consumption, reduce, reuse, recycle. So you don't need five pairs of blue jeans. We can reuse or buy from a thrift store or take care of our things also, what's very interesting about this too, is we essentially have a global trade in virtual water.

, So as a wealthier nation. We're outsourcing a lot of that. , buying cotton from India. and the farmers there are paying the price of dewatered aquifers and the stresses of that. And then we're buying it as blue jeans on the shelf here, and then also 

Karen: the quality of the water is impacted.

So it's not just like the bulk of it is there that we're [00:28:00] using, but that we're putting back into the earth as a result of the paint and the blue jeans and everything 

Wendy: else, right? Oh, absolutely. And in fact, the water footprint calculation, it's a whole metric. there's a whole method it's complex, but it incorporates gray water.

So the implications of, some of this water use in terms of water quality. 

Karen: It's a lot to think about, and I think the key for people listening is to realize that we all can impact it, even in doing the everyday things, the day to day things, the little things that you were just talking about, like eating a little less meat or buying a few less pieces of clothing, or how often we are washing our cars and all of that.

There's so many things that we can do to impact it cumulatively. 

Wendy: Yes, absolutely. You can start to feel entirely overwhelmed, right?

 It's the corporations or it's governments that don't have the right regulations and on. And I'm just one person, what am I supposed to do about this? But in fact, exactly what you're saying, Karen, is that each [00:29:00] one of us has the capacity to make these decisions and in aggregate we actually drive the markets which drive these decision levers.

So we do have great power. In fact, If everyone, I had some figure, and I'm forgetting what it was, but if everybody in the United States , bought one less pair of jeans, we'd save, I forget what the number is, 90 million, gallons of water so cumulatively these things matter.

 And it's why we are seeing a movement like an organic food. Consumers are demanding it. Yeah. So more we all understand and take responsibility in our own worlds and then learn enough to speak about it, then we can start influencing the world around us too.

Such a great point.

Robyn: Speaking of the world, you were just chosen to go on an expedition. With people I believe, that are from all over the world. It's the Sea Women Expeditions, Arctic, Norway. Can you talk a little bit about that and what you'll be doing?

Wendy: Yes. I'm super excited. I was invited to join this 34 member. It's all women [00:30:00] 34 indigenous and non-indigenous women. They're polar explorers, scientists, videographers, writers, artists from all over the world. And we will be going the Arctic, Norway. and we're starting off having a a women's leadership.

training. And then we'll be on an expedition ve vessel and doing a bunch of science, looking at collecting environmental DNA, samples of the water column, and acoustic sampling of whale noises, sounds, and the behavioral responses of orcas to the presence of snorkelers.

 The overall goal of this is to encourage women and girls in stem and steam, which includes art. So we actually have some art projects also that will be happening as a group and to include the voices of indigenous peoples. and introduce all of this into understanding, what's happening in the Arctic under a changing climate [00:31:00] regime.

And then to bring all these voices together to be a part of building what happens in the future in these regions. And your 

Robyn: fundraising for this too, so people can actually be a part of it 

Wendy: They can, And thank you for saying that. , it's all volunteer and self-funded, so we're each responsible for raising $10,000. And we have environmental groups and individuals supporting each of us See, Women Expeditions is also raising funds.

So it's really powerful. And for me personally it integrates so much of what I do as a scientist, as an artist, I was selected for my work in science communication and working with women. And so I'm super excited about that. I'll be volunteering my skills. I'm really passionate about the quiet voices in all these conversations. The voice of the planet, the voice of women, the voice of the underserved of the indigenous, because it is those places that really hold the [00:32:00] wisdom.

I think that we need to move forward from where we are right now. Said. 

Robyn: Totally. 

. 

And can you tell everyone, listening about your, different offerings. There's an awakening course. You offer water retreats and water circles so that women can reconnect to themselves by tapping into the wisdom of water. So how can people participate in them?

Wendy: Yeah as an individual, anybody can come check out my website and join into my awakening course, which is self-guided. Curriculum and has three modules and works you through some of what we've talked about today. . You can do a year long journal subscription that helps you get centered and grounded into some of these practices.

And then I love to work with groups of women. So if any of the listeners have groups of women that they are a part of or they're leading or they're, connecting with, and this can be anything from existing women's circles, to book groups, to, families, businesses where they're looking to bring this kind [00:33:00] of experience to a group of women.

I can create an individualized offering for these. Groups of women, and that can range from anything like monthly water circles. I'm doing a few of those right now with some groups where we meet monthly , to a retreat offering or a workshop or, even guided work through the journaling and things like that.

, I've ran this fabulous retreat last year in Costa Rica and I'm currently working on some ideas for some other sort of retreat like things, but this time focused on water and wild. So they may be hiking or, spending some time in the wilderness or on water and I'll have a sign up on my website for people that are interested in those kind of offerings.

So if anybody's interested, they can reach out to me and we can start a conversation about any of those things. 

Robyn: And what do you do within the water circle? What does that consist of, on a high level? 

Wendy: On a high level?

Yeah. It's a gathering of women in circle and we always have some opening practice and a meditation and there, some [00:34:00] water's part of these sort of sacred rituals, And then we will oftentimes have a water meditation and then dive into one of these concepts that we talk today.

If it's a theory of resonance, for instance, we start to work with that idea. And on the retreat, what would've been added to that is. A private sound bath, so that you actually get the somatic experience of what resonance means in your body. . 

Robyn: That's helpful. What we like to do is really bring to our listeners things that they may never have thought about. And they may never have heard of something called the water circle. So that's why I just wanna make sure people have an understanding of what you're talking about, because we most likely are reaching someone today that needed to hear that, and it really does click with them.

 Karen and I always talk about this, it's like these unlockings for people and you are probably a conduit in an unlocking, for somebody right now who's never thought about water that way. And it's yes, I'm in, I wanna do that. 

Karen: Yeah. And [00:35:00] as we talk about mind, body, spirit, it strikes me too, is water is the thing that transcends all of it, It's not like you have to lean into one aspect of water or another because it does tie everything together. So it's a beautiful place to start, even if you're just starting a spiritual 

Wendy: practice.

Karen: Starting with water is such an easy one to begin with, that appreciation of the water and letting it immerse yourself and all of your senses and that experience that in itself as a whole wellness.

Wendy: Absolutely. And that to me is one of the things I love about this focus is that it's not threatening to people. Some of these spiritual things, these practices or modalities can feel intimidating or so different that people don't really know how to connect to it or it feels uncomfortable.

But we all know about our connection to water, whether we're paying attention to it or. Yeah. 

Robyn: And also we may have talked about this prior to this conversation, but one of the things that [00:36:00] we've talked about with one of the healers that was on our podcast Hope De la Mora, was she was talking about how she talks to her water every morning.

 And throughout her day, And that I know personally is a ritual now that I have started and I talk to my water. I say, I love you to my water, and then I know when it's going within my system, I'm filling my system up with more love.

That's just an easy, as you said, not intimidating. I can do it in the privacy of my own home , and then I can even do it, in my mind, if I'm out and I can remember when I'm taking a sip of water, I'll try to remember to do that. I just think that these are easy ways of utilizing that power of water and are also the power of our own thoughts as well, because I love this idea of remembering that we are made up of so much water, so we're just talking to ourselves. 

Wendy: . We all need more love in our lives.

We sure do. . 

Karen: I wrote some words down as you were talking, and I just think they're worth repeating because it. Help you connect the dots in so many ways to how [00:37:00] water does affect us. I wrote down amplifies, connects, integrates, nourishes, purifies, generates transports, unifies. Think about that.

It is such a living source in our lives. It's not something outside of us . And I think it's just such a beautiful way to look at it. It just brings 

Wendy: it, it just gives it a whole new perspective. Yeah. 

Robyn: Thank you for actually capturing that, Karen, and thank you for inspiring all of that

wendy, thank you. Thank you for doing what you're doing. 

Wendy: Oh, thank you both. What you're doing is amazing too, and I'm really happy to have been invited here. 

Robyn: We are excited just to hear more about the expedition and to have more conversations like this with you, Wendy. 

Wendy: Absolutely.

Robyn: And to find out more about Wendy, her work offerings, speaking opportunities, her book, and to Donate to the Sea Women Expeditions Arctic Norway 2022, visit drwendypabich.com.

That's D R W [00:38:00] E N D Y P A B I C h.com. Wendy's also offering 50% off of her awakening course, or five women for the price of four for her awakening course and water circles.

You can join now with the code seeking center, all one word. Thank you so much, 

Wendy: Wendy.