Here is the next of the beautiful, inspiring, special contributions coming in to the #MandalasForMarinke remembrance project. I am grateful for each and every amazing contribution. You are invited to join; learn more here.
Beautiful Crochet Mandala
Here’s a terrific red, yellow and orange version of Wink’s standard 12 round free crochet mandala pattern. The crafter says, “I love the mandalas that Wink made. The more colors – the better! Makes me smile. My mandala is full of warmth, like the over-abundant sunshine here in Arizona.”
Meet the Maker
This crochet mandala comes from PenelopeCooper who is “a 58-year-old female who learned crochet from her Mom back when I was just a kid”. She adds:
“Participating in this project was an easy choice. I like to reach out whenever I can. I do not personally suffer from depression, but I do believe that crochet is a great outlet for healing.
Wink tried to allow crochet to take her to a better place. I was sorry to hear that it just wasn’t enough for her.”
Words by Wink
In March 2015, Wink wrote:
“As some of you know, things have been rather stressful around here lately. I’m going through some pretty rough stuff at the moment, but I am starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.
When I feel down, or out, or lost, or lonely: I go outside. There is something about being in the woods that completely calms me, brings me back to my center, and generally relaxes me. I think it’s the Japanese who call it ‘forest bathing’, and I completely understand why they call it that!”
About Depression
One purpose of this project is to raise awareness about depression so each post will end with some facts, thoughts or quotes about depression, suicide and/or mental health. Today I wanted to make sure that you know that there’s a correlation between dehydration and depression.
The Journal of Nutrition published research in 2012 showing that even mild dehydration can cause changes in cognition and mood. This means that you can experience symptoms of depression when what you really need is to drink water. And I suspect (based in part on personal experience) that someone with depression can feel more easily frustrated and overwhelmed when adding dehydration on top of the mental health issue.
Dehydration can be both a sign of depression and a symptom of depression. WaterCures.org shares:
“Dr Batmanghelidj, MD, in writing on this topic used the analogy of grass that lacks water. He likened the dying grass to the early stages of depression. Depression is much like the dying grass that lacks water.
No wonder, since our brain is 85 percent water. We need water to survive and we need fresh water to maintain healthy function of all of our nine trillion brain cells.
In reality then, depression is a symptom of chronic fluid and electrolyte imbalance. Here is where the analogy Dr. B used failed. He said it was as simple as adding water to the brown grass to make it green. It is not that simple.
Simply dumping water on the brown grass will no more make it green than will drinking copious amounts of water reverse our dehydration.
We have two oceans of water inside. One inside and one outside our cells. When we drink water, it is readily available for the ocean around the cells within a few days of drinking it. Yes, we cannot quickly rehydrate a dehydrated body.
Well, we cannot rehydrate quickly unless we add something that will encourage the transport of the water, from out side to the inside of the cells. Unprocessed sea salt does just that. It is the electrolyte that enables the water to transport to the cells.
Without adequate water inside our brain cells, our brain cannot do all the complicated functions that it accomplishes on a daily basis. It will do what it has to do, keeping us breathing and heart beating. It will shut down the things that are less necessary, like the part of the brain that makes us us.
Thus, depression.
Deepening on where in the brain we are more dehydrated, various types of depression may arise.”
And another site on water health explains that, “Depression and dehydration are linked for several key reasons, especially in relation to the production and metabolism of serotonin, tryptophan and essential amino acids in the body and brain.”
All contributions to Mandalas for Marinke are welcome and will help raise awareness about depression while honoring her work in the same way that this great contribution has done today. Details to join here.