Daughter Drink This Water: A Book of Sacred Love

by Jaiya John

Many believed he was thousands of years old. The women had prayed for an ancient one to come. They wanted to remember. The ancient one came. He was the father of all their fathers. The son of all their mothers. And on that day, in a valley where the sky hangs low, he spoke. Daughter Drink This Water is a sacred Love song. A timeless affirmation for girls and women in particular, and all people who are nurturing a beautiful life. Reminiscent of Khalil Gibran's The Prophet , Daughter Drink This Water feeds you short, devotional passages in an ancestral voice that penetrates the heart and reveals the divine nature of your phenomenal journey. Covering terrain such as relationships, romance, and inner peace, these words will reverberate in your very cells. Soak in this warm river of self Love, self care, healing, and freedom. Share this soul-full keepsake in your family and kinship circles, as a cherished blanket of memory and meaning. Drink deeply.
Daughter Drink This Water is epiphany and medicine for boys, men, and all souls as well. Especially for fathers, sons, brothers, Love mates, husbands, and friends. That they may behold the sacred in womanhood, and in doing so, heal their own person, freeing the sacred within themselves.

Genres: Poetry, Self Help, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Philosophy, Devotional, Christmas

238 pages, Paperback

Published January 6, 2018

About the author

Dr. Jaiya John was orphan-born on Ancient Puebloan lands in the high desert of New Mexico, and is an internationally recognized freedom worker, author, and poet. Jaiya is the founder of Soul Water Rising, a global rehumanizing mission to eradicate oppression that has donated thousands of Jaiya’s books in support of social healing, and offers grants and scholarships to displaced and vulnerable youth. He is the author of numerous books, including Fragrance After Rain, Daughter Drink This Water, and, Freedom: Medicine Words for your Brave Revolution. Jaiya writes, narrates, and produces the podcast, I Will Read for You: The Voice and Writings of Jaiya John, and is the founder of Freedom Project, a global initiative reviving traditional gathering and storytelling practices to fertilize social healing and liberation. He is a former professor of social psychology at Howard University, and has spoken to over a million people worldwide and audiences as large as several thousand. Jaiya is a former National Science Foundation fellow, and holds doctorate and master’s degrees in social psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a focus on intergroup and race relations. As an undergraduate, he attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and lived in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he studied Tibetan Holistic Medicine through independent research with Tibetan doctors and trekked to the base camp of Mt. Everest. His Indigenous soul dreams of frybread, sweetgrass, bamboo in the breeze, and turtle lakes whose poetry is peace.

Reviews

[Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this but I don’t value the input of a man on how women should feel about/celebrate their body.

I don’t often read books written by men but I wanted to give this book a try considering the reviews and quotes I had seen on Pinterest. There are some interesting lessons and quotes in the book but… there is so much talk about what women should do, should feel, should think… and it’s all written by a man. Don’t know why I would trust his opinions/thoughts over a woman’s.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely *divine* ~ it lives and breathes poetic truth. As I read I feel myself changing and healing at a cellular level.... a beautiful soul-journey for anyone wanting to return to their true nature and release old programs + beliefs.

[erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

a really beautiful book! a bit repetitive at times but i feel so much more enriched after having read this <3 defo enjoyed reading this at a slower pace too but thank you to the author for a beautiful experience!

[Melissa Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are religious part in this book that I didn't agree totally on.
But overall it's a great book, has spiritual messages, messages of self love.
Had been really helpful for me.
If you suffer from negative self talk, this book can really help you.
I would say it's food for the soul ❤️

[Flor Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really sat with this one for a while, took my time in its reading for the meanings to seep in. I love this book

[Teresa A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book to help me in my healing journey and it did not disappoint. John Jaiya has a way of writing that helps one heal by finding peace within. There are numerous gems of inspiration and affirmation to be found—the many highlights in my book are a testimony to that!—but I especially love the way he ends with “savor the miracle that is your soul.”

If you’re looking for a book to help with soul healing, this is one to add to your collection.

[Porsche Vanderhorst · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my time with this text, reading it in the mornings as a part of my inspirational reading. I have a thousand and one highlights and can’t wait to read back through them. This book was a gift from a dear girlfriend. She sent it at a time when I absolutely needed refreshing. The book was affirming, uplifting, thought provoking. Written in a unique style and saturated with calls to be loving towards myself, I will cherish this book and the sentiment and care with which it was shared with me.

[Jordan Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep this one in my purse and pull it open to random pages any time my soul needs a lift. THIS BOOK YALL! This book makes me wish that we still recited prose and poetry at parties like in the old world. I would memorize its contents if presented with a reasonable opportunity.

[oria · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could only read one book for the rest of my life it would be this one. This is the kind of book I have been searching for for a long time! I knew it was going to be a 5 star read within the first 10 pages. It's comfort, its peace, its inspiring, its everything you could need in a book. I'm going to recommend this to every girl I know from now on. I liked it basically if you couldn't tell!

[Fayrosa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Does anyone know what the fuck this guy is actually on about?

There are some beautiful themes of self-love and acceptance but its dense, repetitive and frankly, a bit hokey.

I wanted to love this book, I really did!

[Luca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bad experience imo. It got so repetitive to the point I had to force myself to get through even one page. I’m glad other people enjoyed this though. It’s just not for me :/

[Janeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Your life is a message in a bottle, drifting on the ocean of generations. Let that message be love."
- Jaiya John

Wow, I began reading this book back in 2020 when the whole world was turning upside down, and I picked it up and put it down many times and finally finished it. I'm so glad that I did because I do feel that it has changed my life and brought me a lot of peace. The way Jaiya writes, it's easy to see yourself in every page and think of the ways in which you are hurting and caged and the ways in which you need to heal and liberate yourself. Some of the passages in this book have subconsciously become mantras of how to live my life. Jaiya's message is first the uplifting of yourself, and then the uplifting of your community through living a life full of love and peace. This may sound like a bunch of talk, but there are actual steps and real advice for achieving this mission within the pages. The book is filled with messages of liberation, agency in one's own life, the honest and compassionate examination of the things with which you choose to fill your life, and the relationship between women and capitalist society. It is a self-help (life guide?) book that is spiritual as well as logical. As someone who struggles with anxiety and self-doubt, I will be picking up this book for guidance many times in the future. It is a wonderful blueprint for peaceful loving relationships with yourself and others.

"How to be an oasis for others: Breathe deeply, speak gently. Smile easily. Let all your light out to play. Slow down. Be peace. Tame your anxiety. Listen with your heart. Be all the way with them. Don't rush them. Invite their truth. Don't judge.... to be a spa for others, we first learn to be a spa for ourselves." pg. 200

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely understand peoples perspective that they don’t feel right about a man telling a woman “how to live”. HOWEVER, this guy knows what he’s talking about. I really enjoyed this book. There are some great quotes.
You should know: it’s not a traditional book. More-so a collection of affirmations. At times it’s redundant and I don’t agree with everything he says. Some parts I skipped over completely (I can’t find my copy right now and don’t remember exactly, but I skipped a part that was related to how I should dress or somethingggg superficial like that).

But the parts I do agree with, I agree with soooooo much. It really empowers women and reminds us of our worth/value. I think the author was well intentioned and we share spiritual beliefs.

[J. Magnano · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most profound & poetic books on womanhood of our time. At times, it is redundant. But of course, we need this. Women need to be told 1,000 times over of their value and worth. We've been pushed to the side and walked over far too many times to not need this. Truly, I'm buying this book for all of my favorite people this year. A worthy read that I will reopen often. Thank you Jaiya John for this sacred work!

[Megan Nalder · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books is well outside the génères to which I usually gravitate and yet it felt as though I was reading a handwritten letter from an old friend. At times, the mysticism felt foreign and strange but the gentle prose, reacquainting me with my soul, was a salve. It was certainly variations on a theme, but a theme worth repeating. There were portions that did not résonante with me but those that did were incredibly powerful and beautiful.

[Charlotte Brigham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing, soul stirring, must read…filled with wisdom, inspiration, insight and healing. Dr. Jaiya John’s words are pure artistry that is absolutely breathtaking. I plan to check out all of his titles! #LifeChanging

[Anisah-Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

So empowering and well written! Jaiya is one of the most beautiful writers I have ever come across. It is definitely a must read for every daughter out there. Currently reading another book by him as well:)

[Anna Marie Box · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever spent your whole life searching for the kind of love you seemed to be able to bestow on others, but couldn’t quite figure out how to give yourself then this could very likely be just the perfect book for you!

[Giorgia Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is comparable to sitting with a really good therapist. But better, because it’s also spiritual, and helps you reflect on your own internal compass and true north, your inner guidance and well of ancient knowledge. It’s exactly what the title implies. A drink of water for a thirsty soul.

[Kris Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

soul food for the feminine

A divine read. Lyrical and evocative. This book will fill you up and affirm the beauty within you. Poetry on paper!

[Emily Fink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely something you should take your time reading! Wouldn’t do more than a few pages a day because it’s pretty dense and repetitive. Highly poetic. Some great passages.

[Beatrice Solei · Rating 5 out of 5]

A medicine for the soul

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one you take your time and saunter through.

[Nikki]

True medicine for the soul. Consider the fact that Dr. Jaiya was orphan-born, a Black man in this country, and sees the sacred beauty in the woman.

I recommend this to everyone.

Thank you for the gifts, Jaiya 💕

[Sarah Halko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best book I have ever read. It’s powerful. It’s passionate. It’s poetic. It holds the very reminders we all need to hear and doesn’t hold back. Jaiya John reminds us of who we are, and why we are, and to reclaim our personal power. Although it is a book written for women, everyone can benefit from reading it. It contains messages for both sexes and all ages. There are sections about being an integral man, being a father, growing old, and much more. John writes to us in hopes to remind us that no one else is controlling our life story, only ourselves.

[Resa Simanu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has boosted my confidence in myself and allowed me to see my worth and value.