As someone born in a seaside town in the south of Italy, I?ve a special relationship with the sea and water in general.Now that I live in Amsterdam, where there is plenty of canals and an average of 187 rainy days per year, I can?t really complain in terms of water, yet the feeling is different from the sunny seaside town of Italy where I?m originally from. Last weekend, we had (again) plenty of rain in Amsterdam and the weekend with my family was getting a bit boring at home. Suddenly, I remembered of a local swimming pool, close to our?home, which has some special activities for families on Sunday morning so we packed our things and made our trip to the pool.

Going in the water felt immediately so good. It was a sort of break from life on earth and felt like embracing a new dimension or a new state of nature. Everything was floating so beautifully and so was I. I felt much lighter and younger and happier than a couple of hours earlier, when I was sitting at home watching the rain from the living room window. According to many traditions, water is an incredible source of life. In psychology, water represents our subconscious self and dreaming to swim in the sea or water in general is a way to connect to our deepest desires and needs. Water also represents our creative energy and the great possibility to be born again. It?s a feminine, motherly, creative source of nature. Imagine that a baby swims in water for 9 months inside his mother?s womb before coming to life.

Water has marked many rituals of passages in different?traditions and religions from Christianity to Hindu. So again way water is so good for you? Let me tell you why it?s good for me (to start with) and maybe you can also relate?

• It?s cleansing not only for the body but specially for the soul;

• It makes me feel younger, fresher and lighter;

• It connects me with my inner child. And what does this mean?

• When I come out of water I feel new ideas coming to my mind, I feel creative and energised again so that all the previous worries seem gone.

I know you?re starting a new week today and probably your Monday looks already packed with several appointments at work or many other things to do... But?tonight, when you are home and your children are in bed, try to take a little break?

If going to a swimming pool is not really an option for you... Maybe then take that soak in the bath tub? If a soak in the bath tub is not possible either... Then simply indulge in a long hot shower. Enjoy every drop of water and the feeling of regeneration that comes with it! Have a beautiful week, Angela