I love waterfalls!
One of my favorite places to go is the Columbia River Gorge, an area with the highest concentration of waterfalls in North America. There are over 90! I love it there and I will hike uphill for miles to see the waterfalls.
All my life I’ve loved the rain, going to the beach, having a water fountain in my yard, and taking showers. They all make me happy. Now I know why – negative ions.
Negative ions are produced by falling water and create changes in our levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that relieves stress, increases energy and reduces depression
“Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy.”
WebMD. Pierce J. Howard, PhD
The WebMD article goes on to say “The air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions — Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.”
Want to get negative ions?
- Take a walk by a river or stream.
- Walk in the rain.
- Go to the beach.
- Run in the sprinklers.
- Have a water fight in a pool.
- Hike to a waterfall.
- Sit by a fountain.
- Buy a negative ion generator for your home.
- Or . . . just take a shower.
(I didn’t list “wash dishes by hand” or “scrub the floor on your knees” because I believe adding detergent to water MIGHT create positive ions which we all know are not mood elevators . . .)
(PA)
References:
“Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes” By Denise Mann, WebMD, June 2, 2003.
The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain, by Pierce J. Howard, PhD
Biopsychology of Mood and Arousal, by Robert E. Thayer,
MAXyourMIND 
The Columbia River Gorge was one of my favorite places to visit when I lived in Portland, OR.
It is a truly magical place, that I was fortunate enough to have access to for the years I was there. If anyone has an opportunity to visit, I would highly recommend it.
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Remismom,
It is one of my favorite places, too. I have been there twice. I saw a picture of Multnomah Falls and knew I had to go there! There are so many great waterfalls. We even hiked uphill over a mile to see some of them. It was worth it. Peggy
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I really enjoyed reading this aticle. I keep and ion generator in my studio, where I teach mindfulness modalities and Trauma-Management Yoga. Jaime
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That is wonderful! I have been thinking about getting an ion generator! Any advice?
Peggy
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My favorite place in the world is also full of waterfalls….Yosemite. In the Spring water from snowmelt is falling everywhere. Getting close to the big ones will get you wet if you forgot your rain gear. It’s easy to feel good there!
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Barb,
I love getting wet standing next to a waterfall. I have a great photo of one of my daughters doing exactly that.Yosemite is a wonderful place!!
Peggy
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Going there this weekend. I’ll think of you while I’m there taking in all those good ions!
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Barb,
You will have a great time! I want to go, too! It is beautiful. Enjoy the ions. More about negative ions coming up in a new post Thursday. See if you are one of the 30%!
Peggy
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I’ve always been attracted to water and especially love waterfalls, fountains, and small burbling creeks. Now I know why – my inner psyche is dragging me to where it feels good. Thanks for this great post.
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I know–I thought my love of water was because I grew up in the desert. It does feel good to be around moving water of any kind.
Peggy
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