Telling The Water-A Turkish Tradition of Emotional Release & Healing

Telling the Water: An Old Turkish Tradition of Emotional Release

In Turkish folk culture, there is a quiet, intimate practice known as suya anlatmak — telling the water.

When worries feel too heavy, when words cannot be shared with another person, people would turn to running water and speak instead. A stream, a river, a village fountain, or even water flowing from a tap would do. The water listens.

The phrase suya anlatmak literally means to tell it to the water. It is an old Anatolian folk practice, especially common in rural villages, used when a person carries worries they cannot speak aloud — fears, grief, shame, longing, or secrets. Instead of telling another human, the person entrusts these feelings to water.

The belief is simple and profound: water listens, carries, and cleans. Once the words are spoken, the water takes the burden away. This is something that can still be practiced today — even in the shower — where water flows freely and privacy allows honesty.

Why Running Water Matters

In Turkish belief systems, flowing water is alive. Running water is thought to:

• absorb emotional energy

• cleanse spiritual heaviness

• carry fears away rather than letting them stagnate

Still water holds. Moving water transforms. This is why people were told: “Tell it to the water, then leave it there.”

Once spoken, the worry no longer belongs to the person. The water receives it — without judgement.

This tradition comes from a deep trust in water as a living, cleansing force. Flowing water is believed to carry away emotional weight, unspoken truths, and inner tension. Once released, the burden belongs to the river, not the body.

When People Traditionally “Told the Water”

People would turn to water when:

• they felt overwhelmed or anxious

• they were holding a secret

• they feared speaking aloud to others

• they felt spiritually heavy

• they needed relief without judgement

Children were often encouraged to tell the water when they were sad or frightened — a very tender form of emotional care that allowed feelings to move rather than be suppressed.

The Spiritual Symbolism of Water in Turkish Culture

Water (su) is sacred across Turkish traditions.

• In folk belief, water is said to have memory

• In Sufism, water represents surrender and divine flow

• In shamanic roots, water is a bridge between worlds

There is a well-known Anatolian saying:

“Su akar, yolunu bulur.” Water flows and finds its way.

To tell the water is to trust that your burden will also find its way out of you.

How the Practice Is Done (Traditionally & Gently)

There are no strict rules — simplicity is key.

• Stand near running water

• Speak softly or silently

• Say what you cannot say to anyone else

• Pause and listen to the sound of the water

• Walk away without looking back

There is no need to repeat it. The release happens in the telling.

In a world that often demands answers and solutions, suya anlatmak offers something gentler: release. It reminds us that not everything needs to be fixed — some things simply need to be let go.

Even today, telling the water can be practiced as a form of emotional healing and grounding.

Speaking your worries to water is an act of trust — in the Divine, in nature, in the flow of life and in your own ability to heal.