If I care for the river, the river cares for me
Below, we share a collection of ideas gathered from our participants and team to help care for our external and internal rivers. Remember, the river is part of an ecosystem, a network of interconnectedness sustained by planetary balance.
WE CARE FOR EXTERNAL RIVERS WHEN…
You save water!
- Use a glass of water to brush your teeth and shave.
- Take short showers.
- Use the shortest cycles on your washing machine and ensure the tank is full before starting a load.
- Wash your car, patio, and driveway with a bucket instead of a hose.
- Save water by placing a weighted bottle in your toilet tank to reduce the water used per flush.
- Turn off lights when not in use.
- Use rechargeable batteries. If you don’t have them, remove batteries from devices not in use. When they’re depleted, find a collection point—don’t throw them in the trash!
- Be mindful of what you consume: if you don’t truly need it, don’t buy it. Everything discarded eventually ends up in rivers and, later, in the ocean. Let’s create a movement of renewal and restoration instead!
You protect water!
- Use lemon, vinegar, or baking soda to remove stains and clean your home. Chlorine is a powerful and highly polluting poison.
- Use biodegradable detergents; phosphates in foamy detergents poison water.Use natural shampoo—what goes on your skin penetrates your internal rivers (veins and arteries).
- Make your own soap from recycled cooking oil or glycerin. Dumping oil down the drain pollutes water and is hard to remove.
- 1 kg of baking soda purifies 10,000 liters of water. You can use it in pools.
- Check your faucets for leaks and fix them immediately.
- Avoid using artificial intelligence tools unnecessarily—they have a high negative water footprint.
- Protect river ecosystems: care for forests and páramos to ensure water flow. Plant trees and vegetation that support the water cycle.
- Join community clean-ups (mingas)! Our friends from Rescate del Río San Pedro organize bi-monthly clean-ups Follow them on social media!
You recycle!
- Wash fruits and vegetables in a bowl, then use the water for your plants.
- Collect the cold water from your shower while waiting for it to warm up.
- Harvest rainwater for indoor plants, floors, toilets, or laundry.
- Spray your plants with recycled soapy water as a fungicide.
- Recycle any materials considered “waste” to prevent them from reaching rivers. Avoid single-use plastics or materials that don’t degrade easily.
- Contact your local recycler or drop off waste at the nearest recycling center.
- Recycle your clothes! Donate or repair items in good condition, or buy second-hand to avoid contributing to landfill waste.
- Compost organic waste from fruits and vegetables. Search for a composting service near you on Google.
- Recycle electronics by finding a nearby e-waste recycling service.
WE CARE FOR INTERNAL RIVERS WHEN…
You cultivate love for the planet and your own body!
Recognize yourself as part of nature. Our bodies are biological and natural, needing clean, healthy, flowing, and balanced natural elements—water, air, earth, sunlight, fire, and spirit—to thrive.
Your body operates in cycles, like the planet. It requires movement, change, and renewal. Recognizing yourself as a living biological being connects you to these natural cycles, helping your internal rivers flow better—those you can see and feel, and those you can’t.
Mind what you consume.
Substances or foods high in sugar (desserts or sugary sodas), salt, alcohol, or other toxins remain in your bloodstream for 36–48 hours. This can take longer if you don’t drink enough water to cleanse your veins and arteries.
Excessive sugar, alcohol, or other toxins directly affect the liver and can lead to chronic diseases like cirrhosis.
Similarly, mind what you consume through your senses. What you see, hear, or smell profoundly impacts your psyche, subtly shaping your thoughts and emotions.
Awareness of these subtle impacts gives you the power to decide whether they’re beneficial for you. If you’re not aware, you risk falling into subtle manipulation. The keys to freedom are decision-making, experimentation, questioning, and research.
Stay active!
Physical activity is vital for the proper functioning of all your body’s systems. Just 20 minutes, three times a week, can significantly improve your health.
If your primary activity involves long periods of sitting, taking a 10-minute active break every three hours can reduce short- and long-term health risks.
Cultivate true self-love!
This crucial process begins with honesty toward yourself. The Spirit of the River invites you to participate in our creative processes and workshops, where we develop initiatives encouraging self-reflection, honesty, and sacred connection to rivers and their ecosystems.
We also encourage you to pursue the therapeutic process of your choice with a trusted professional to lead a fuller, more conscious, and more consistent life.