Waterfalls & the Healing Power of Negative Ions

Mossbrae Falls in Dunsmuir, California U.S.

In the Autumn of 2023, I finally got to make my first pilgrimage to Mount Shasta, including visiting all of the nearby waterfalls. I'd only been near waterfalls during trips to Hawaii prior to this. The moment I approached, something inside me shifted—like an invisible current woke up a sleeping part of me. I can still see it: the roar of the water like ancient drums, the mist on my skin and the air humming with energy. It was more than beautiful—it was medicine. I remember thinking, this is it. A sanctuary, I could see myself living here. A natural cathedral where earth, water, and spirit meet, right in the midst of an ancient forest.

Now, during my long summer spent in the shadow of Mount Shasta, I keep finding myself back in the falls, several times a week.

There’s something really magnetic about the moving water. It doesn’t just reach my eyes or ears—it reaches my cells. When water tumbles and crashes over rock, it creates these tiny, invisible particles called negative ions that can lift your mood, clear your head, and spark your energy. You can’t see them, but you feel them—like breathing in pure life. My body exhales, my spirit lifts, and I’m often left with this quiet joy that lingers long after I’ve stepped away from the mist. In Southern California, I got my fill at the coast once or twice a month.

Here I am at Faery Falls, a hidden treasure in the Mount Shasta area.

Here I am at Faery Falls, one of my favorite hidden spots near Mount Shasta. It’s tucked away past the ruins of the long forgotten Ney Springs Resort (from the 1800's), surrounded by deep green forest. At the top, a smaller cascade spills into a mineral spring pool—a place where the water feels alive, charged with that same healing energy that’s drawn people to sacred springs for thousands of years. The Pacific Northwest is full of waterfalls, and I'm excited to visit the plethora of falls in Oregon when we go there for the Winter season.

A little about ions — In our everyday world, we’re swimming in positive ions—from screens, fluorescent lights, traffic, Wi-Fi, and endless noise. Despite the name, they’re not exactly “positive.” They leave us tired, tense, and overstimulated. The more sensitive or neurodivergent you are, the worse the positive ions impact our nervous systems. Negative ions are nature’s reset button. They live in places bursting with life—waterfalls, ocean waves, mountain forests, thunderstorms. When we breathe them in, our bodies remember their natural rhythm again. Science backs it up too: negative ions can help increase oxygen to the brain, support immune function, ease blood pressure, calm digestion, and even help us sleep better.

But honestly, the deeper magic isn’t something you can measure—it’s something you feel. It’s the way your heart softens, the way you breathe easier. Thich Nhat Hanh said:

“Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile.”

Standing near moving water, that calm just happens.

Sure, salt lamps bring a cozy glow to our homes—but unfortunately, they don't offer any measurable negative ions and nothing compares to the real thing. I'm still not letting go of my half dozen salt lamps. Standing there, breathing in that invisible life force, we remember that healing doesn’t have to be complicated. It lives in the simple, elemental places: under a tree canopy, beside a river, or right in the mist of a mountain stream.

So if you’re feeling weary, restless, or ready for a deep exhale—go find water that moves. Let it teach you how to breathe again. Let it remind you that you’re part of something alive, present, and luminous.

A favorite retreat atop Faery Falls is the sulfur rich pool. Refreshing and re-energizing to dunk in it

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