Benefits of Visiting a Waterfall

Wellness travel: 4 benefits of visiting waterfalls

Visiting a waterfall can be as refreshing as the sound of the water gurgling down. No matter how tired physically or mentally you are, visiting a waterfall is sure to sweep off all your fatigue.

We all struggle to sleep sometimes. It could be stress, some emotional trigger, an altered lifestyle or even a change of place that stops us from snoozing peacefully. I too felt its wrath recently. I tried visualization, which is a scientifically proven technique to help people fall asleep quickly. I visualized a cascading waterfall I had been to recently and my eyes soon started to droop. Such is the beauty, impact and benefit of a waterfall.

If you have ever visited a big or even a small waterfall, you’ll remember the awe it evokes. Nature presents itself as flowing its beauty in abundance. The picture postcard scenery of a waterfall mesmerises, captures and stimulates all our senses at once.

Not just a visual treat, visiting a waterfall can be a truly uplifting experience.  One can be gifted with an enhanced mood, can shoo away the blues and uplift their spirits. While standing and marvelling at the perfection of nature and its astonishing beauty, one also appreciates how we are one with nature.

Be it the grand and hugely popular Niagara falls on the border of Canada –USA which is visited by 12 million visitors each year or the humungous Dudhsagar falls amid the lush greens of the Mandavi river in Goa, a waterfall attracts visitors aplenty. You can watch a waterfall, admire its beauty for hours without getting a trace of fatigue. One rather feels rejuvenated and refreshed. The benefits of waterfall are enormous. Many people prefer to devote a corner of their lawns to waterfalls if they have the luxury of space, as the gurgling and flowing water naturally calms the senses.

Soulveda lists few of the reasons why visiting a waterfall brings not just huge respite to us but proves to be an uplifting experience too:

Increased mental clarity

A waterfall will stimulate all your senses. Waterfalls look ethereal and we cannot stop admiring at the magic woven by nature. But waterfalls are not just picture perfect, they engage us through their continuous sound of gushing water. In fact, waterfall sounds are one of the best relaxing meditation techniques in modern healthcare. When we are near a waterfall, listening to the splashing water droplets leave us energized. They bring the mind to a state of serenity and tranquillity and a relaxed mind has clarity of thoughts.

Greater emotional stability

The best thing about a waterfall is its continuous yet forceful flow of water. This leaves an impact on us subconsciously; it teaches us that the flow and dynamism is a way of life. Visiting a waterfall relieves stress, diminishing anxiety and bringing in more emotional stability.

As water is an essential part of our sustenance, we feel reassured when we are near an abundant water source. Whether we specially plan a visit to a popular waterfall or tend to find one on the way, it manages to bind us in its spell no matter what.

Further, visiting a waterfall with abundant foliage and scintillating natural beauty shuts the chaos of our minds and  sweeps us off with its playful and miraculous fall.

Soothing to tired eyes

Our eyes are so hooked to devices today that they always seem tired. Always on the lookout for something interesting, these eyes spend an astronomical amount of time looking at tiny screens. The recent pandemic increased our digital dependency to sustain social connections when actual social distancing became a norm. Children, teenagers and adults including the elderly – all increased their appetite for gadgets. Unfortunately, this is contrary to what our eyes seek- open vistas, green avenues, fresh horizons, clear azure skies and crystal-clear water bodies. A visit to a waterfall ticks all these essentials, doesn’t it? Waterfalls truly soothe our eyes and provide us with amazing solace.

Unfortunately, screen addiction has also led to lowered activity levels, less outdoor time and an increased sedentary lifestyle for most humans. Going to a waterfall not just negates the harmful effects of sustained device usage, it also lends a healthy break from such a lifestyle. Heading to a vacation near one is always a great idea.

Oneness with nature

When you visit a waterfall, you cannot stop yourself from appreciating the perfection of nature. The water makes its way down through mountains and gradients to fall and create a water body on its own. A perfect ecosystem is created supporting abundant flora and fauna. When you visit a waterfall, you discover oneness with nature. Simply put, spending time at a waterfall connects you with nature and its myriad bounties.

Living in urban dwellings and concrete jungles often takes us away from nature. When you visit a place as naturally endowed as a waterfall, you make that connection again. It’s easy to know when the waterfall gifts you with wellbeing – you feel your breathing becoming deep, your muscles relaxing and any stress or anxiety melting away.

“Water is the driver of nature.” These beautiful words by the great artists Leonardo Da Vinci truly reflects the importance of water in our lives. And a waterfall is nature’s beautiful painting which we can admire and appreciate with our eyes, mind and heart alike!

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