The sea is like a metaphor for the human condition.
On the outside it can appear turbulent, fierce, chaotic, with moments of calm. Beneath the surface, there is stillness, life, an underwater inner kingdom that is majestic and vast. A kingdom mostly undiscovered and unknown.
What would we discover if we really explored our inner world.
The tissues, cells, organs and THE SPACE IN BETWEEN.
Breathe.
One conscious breath to go within.
One breath and we can swim beneath the water.
New Year’s Day swim
New Year’s Day swim. Greeted by the most spectacular sunrise with frost covered scenery. Frosty, white, shimmering and the radiant sky of oranges and reds with icy blues.
Warmer tones of yellow and orange on the horizon, signalling the New Year awakening of the sun.
Watching sunrise from the Water’s Edge.
The sun watching the Earth rotate and in turn lighting up the island of England, Wales and Scotland.
Submerging in water, water and skin communication…
A shower is a refresh, a purification, a lightness. The feeling of being clean with clean skin and clean hair, is calming. I noticed more irritability when unwashed then I do when I am clean!
Is showering/ bathing a spiritual ritual too?
There is a presence when I am washing my skin, running warm water over every millimetre of exposed flesh. Why does a bath feel so comforting? Having water carry you, surrounding the physical body.
Is it an unconscious recollection of being in the womb?
Is it an unconscious experience of safety, the opposite of being exposed?
Is it a sensitivity stimulation….water on the skin. Water meeting the skin, the transfer of heat from the bath water to the skin. The transfer of your body’s heat to the sea.
An offering. An energy transfer. A connection. A direct and intimate interaction of the skin and water particles surrounding. Once vibrating separately, they now are working with each, through energy transfer and through movement, a dance.
I move, the water moves. The water moves, I move.
There is no other sensation I can recall that is similar to submerging in water.
Zero irritation, the most snugly fit. A weightless freedom.
Water is the source of life, it is an Elixir.
Contact with water induces a meditative state.
Reading/research from Quartz Post
“Water is considered the elixir and source of life. It covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface, makes up nearly 70% of our bodies and constitutes over 70% of our heart and brains, says Nichols? This deep biological connection has been shown to trigger an immediate response in our brains when we are near water. In fact the mere sight and sound of water can induce a flood of neurochemicals that promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation. Thanks to science, we are now able to connect the dots to the full range of emotional benefits of being in, on or near the water can bring.”
Almost all the senses are engaged, site, smell, hearing and touch and this physical immersion in reality makes us feel better. Grounded – or the water sea equivalent for grounded.
Contact with water also helps counter a dulled effect Nichols terms a ‘grey mind’.
I would refer to this as the disconnection. The disconnection from our truth and our magic. When we’re disconnected we are numbed out.
When I get in the water, the mental boundaries shifting and constricting release. Floating effortlessly. In rhythm with the waves and the tidal pools.
Ocean discoveries:
In 19970 Oceanographer Sylvia Earle was the first person to walk solo on the bottom of the sea leading a historic team of all-female “aquanauts”, under a quarter mile of water.
She has watched humanity’s enduring fascination with “outer space” while she has delighted in “inner space”
This distinction between our fascination with outer space got me thinking….
Why are we so obsessed with outer space and everything material outside of ourselves rather than our inner space and what we already have on this planet?
Podcast episode and further information on Sylvia Earle can be found on the OnBeing.org page
Or listen to podcast on Spotify:
Our Connection to the Water:
Further media: video’s, reading, podcasts episodes I have absorbed and Loved:
Stories Of Us Episode 1 on BBC 2
Inspiring stories of how people around the country are leading spiritually and emotionally fulfilling lives in a variety of different ways. Kate takes to the open waters to experience how wild swimming has been a life-changer for some and even a life-saver for others. Meanwhile, Ashley discovers how a little time living as a hermit could ease the pressures of our busy lives
Play – BBC Stories of Us: Series 1, episode 1
HUMAN PLANET – Oceans. Into the Blue
Wim Hof – Cold water legend and expert
Pretty confident you will have heard of Wim Hof? Cold water legend with scientific evidence that backs up his methods.
In case you haven’t heard of him or want to indulge in a little refresher…. here is a podcast episode on one of my fave podcasts. The Good Life Project.
Katy Payne – The Whales Song
Katy Payne is a renowned acoustic biologist with a Quaker sensibility. She discovered that humpback whales compose ever-changing songs and that elephants communicate across long distances by infrasound.
“Whales, like people, are composers. The songs are very complex. They consist of six to eight themes. Each theme has a melodic phrase that repeats over and over again and then changes to the next one”
Podcast episode and further information on Katy Payne can be found on the OnBeing.org page
Or listen to podcast on Spotify:
What is your fave podcast/ books/documentary in relation to the water?
Would love to hear in the comments
EXTRA RECOMMENDATION: Book – Voices in the ocean by Susan Casey! Enjoy!
