Ahhh, Rejuvenation!

June 30, 2024

These rejuvenate me at a waterfall. See if they do the same for you:

  • The sensation of cool, falling water, especially on a warm day, is delightful. Carefully stand where you can dip your hands into the spray and wash your face in the liquid goodness.
  • Sit on a handy rock by the plunge pool and let the waters cleanse and cool your weary feet.
  • Kiss the mist! Savor the water droplets as they caress your face and lips.
  • Carry a hammock or lightweight lounger and take the best nap you’ve ever had.
  • Try an umbrella. I use mine both for balance on slippery rocks and to feel the water thrumming on my little roof.
  • My personal waterfall epiphany occurred as I stood in my skivvies under a falls in the Adirondacks.  If it is safe to do so and you are dressed for a total dunking, just let go and be “baptized” by the falling water. 
  • Embrace cold water!  Scientists point out benefits to your circulation, reduction of inflammation, mental alertness, even an increase in libido! Let a cold shower in a waterfall be that slap in the face that feels so good. And, if dunks in cold water are your cup of tea, carry a submersible thermometer to see just how much you can take.
  • Let the falls be your cool mist vaporizer. Stand in it, close your eyes, and  deliberately take deeper and deeper breaths. Inhale the essence of the falls right into your core. Walk away clean, cool and cleansed.   
  • Can you imagine camping at a waterfall? In WNC, many waterfalls have campsites nearby. Just think of it – being lulled to sleep by the soothing whoosh of the water, washing your face in the morning in nature’s own outdoor shower, or enjoying a refreshing dunk after a hot day of hiking. 
  • The teeny, tiny falls! One day I climbed high up a mountain valley in search of a falls prominently mentioned on a map. The roaring cascade, as it turns out, was about three feet tall with as much water as a garden hose. But I was hot and bushed so I sat down by it to drink some Gatorade and eat a snack. I wasn’t even going to honor this disappointing trickle with a photo. But, as I sat there, relaxing in the cool silence, listening to the fall’s pleasant gurgle, I realized it had given me all that I needed! I just had to get up close and experience the falls on its terms. Don’t discount the teeny, tiny falls – it might be just what you need some days.

Dr. Tom Kopp

Tom Kopp is the Waterfall Wellness Coordinator at Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina