written by Alyssa Wilson, Communications Consultant
As the seasons transition from summer into the cooler autumn months, I have been reminiscing on the summer and the restorative retreat led by the staff and partners of Our Own Deep Wells. This retreat brought together a fantastic group of soulful individuals, creating a sense of community that I felt lucky to be a part of. At the end of July, I joined the friends and team members of Our Own Deep Wells in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where we gathered for 2.5 days of engaging in soulful practices as a tool for collective healing and building sacred friendship.
On the last day of the retreat, before our newly formed community parted ways, I had the opportunity to lead a practice called ‘May You Never Thirst.’ This practice, which delves into the importance of water and its wellness impacts, profoundly impacted our group. It was a moment of enlightenment, realizing water's profound role in our lives and spiritual well-being. Dr. Randy Woodley, a theologian, friend of OODW, and activist/leader in indigenous and intercultural practices, captures the essence of this practice in his book Becoming Rooted: “A spring gently rises out of the earth and becomes a stream, which becomes a river, which becomes an ocean, which evaporates and becomes rain, which feeds itself back to the earth again. Finding its way back to the surface, water repeats this sacred circle of enduring life.”
Deep Wells co-founder Dori Baker uses Dr. Randy Woodley’s words to ground this practice, emphasizing the sacred cycle of water that we, too, are a part of. At the culmination of the morning sessions, our group walked through the cool afternoon air and down to the lake’s dock, where we could see miles of the lake, which appeared to sparkle in the afternoon sunlight. The clear water below us revealed a world of life as we stood on the pier's edge. We could see the tiny tadpoles, the graceful lake trouts, and the occasional bluegill, all thriving in their watery home.
Throughout the week, little stickers on bathroom mirrors boasted, “Lake Tahoe: Best tap water in the world.” So, in appreciation of the water that nurtured us during our time along its shores, we formed a circle, each holding a cup of tap water graciously provided by the lake.
“In between the spring, the stream, the river, and the ocean are we – made mostly of water. Water is constantly entering and exiting us, coursing through us on its sacred circle of enduring life. We are part of the water cycle,” Dori writes. I spoke these words and invited reflections on the small bodies of water in our hands and how the water held us throughout the week: afternoon swims, showers at the end of the day, and filling our water bottles at mealtimes. The water of Lake Tahoe was indeed within us, around us, and abounding as we stood in community with one another.
Photographer Veda Austin studies the intelligence of water and points out what monks and mystics from across religious traditions throughout time have known. Water is not only central to our physical well-being, but it also holds value for our souls. Veda documents water changing when we attend to it. Water, she says, appears to respond intelligently to human interaction. Like Woodley, Austin’s work is also a central part that participants were asked to focus on as a part of this practice.
After providing some silent time for reflection, group members approached someone with whom they had connected during the week one by one. They presented them with the cup, stated their name, made slow eye contact, and said, “May you never thirst,” until everyone in the circle had received their blessing.
Since that retreat, I often stand in my kitchen holding a cup of water, pouring gratitude into it. I think about those who stood in the circle with me on our last day and reflect on the abundant love and compassion amongst us. This practice has inspired me to continue my personal growth and reflection journey, instilling deep gratitude and introspection. I was grateful for the opportunity to lead such a bonding and meaningful practice that truly summed up the beauty of our time together, and I invite you to lead the practice in your community.
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