'Blue Mind': Mental health benefits of being near water

The new book "Blue Mind" by Wallace J. Nichols draws a scientific connection between oceans or lakes and our health and happiness. Ben Tracy reports.

[patriciaedwards]

I have lived on the water for the last five years. It has changed my life!! Every day is a pleasant, interesting, calming, peaceful soothing experience!!

[PatrickCallahan-vz]

I walk on the beach and/or swim in the pool every day. Often times I swim in the Gulf of Mexico. I love living on the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast ❤❤❤

[zap_collection]

For anyone who doesn't live near water, you can try laying in a field of wild grass, looking up at the sky.

If you have no wild grass fields, you can sit beneath a tree, or ideally many trees, and listen to the sound of the wind pushing through the leaves and watch the shadows move across the ground.

I'm not a professional, nor am I a doctor, but I do derive great pleasure from nature, and I can tell you that all these things "feel" the same.

The most important thing, in my opinion, is that you do these activities when your skin is in direct contact with the earth.

Most people engage with clean water environments barefoot, so there isn't much to be said there. Also, salt water is a good conductor so going barefoot probably isn't even necessary.

When on dry land, it's a good idea to take off your shoes and walk around your chosen area before lying down or seating yourself.

Again I stress this is only my opinion, but water itself isn't the active ingredient in the healing described here. I believe it's just describing reconnecting with the earth. However, the ocean is absolutely the most direct way to reconnect almost immediately, when done with the right intention. I agree it's definitely the easiest way, because it's very physical. And everyone understands physical sensations.

The waves come at you in a predictable way, eluding to the cyclical pattern of nature. However, it's difficult to predict whether or not a small ripple in the distance will remain the same or triple in size before it breaks.

Your feet in the sand, barefoot or not, are fairly powerless against large waves that can easily knock you over. But try standing still, and even the smallest of waves will cause your feet to sink slowly below the surface. The only way to keep your footing is to constantly advance forward, despite the waves pushing you back.

At first it's a struggle, but once you make it past that breaking point, the waves no longer push against you. In fact, they begin to do the opposite. You feel as though you are floating comfortably along the surface, as you are slowly being pulled out further and further away from the shoreline.

At some point you either need to reverse your course and FOLLOW the waves, rather than go against them,
Or,
Allow yourself to drift off out to sea.

It doesn't matter what environment you choose to do this activity in, the pattern is always the same, but the ocean one is the most dramatic and immediately recognizable.

With the right intention, you can achieve this same thing virtually anywhere you choose in nature, as long as you give yourself enough time.

Every living thing contains water, not just humans. We aren't special. Neither are the oceans. Or the lakes. We just think they are. The same way we see ourselves as different from cats and dogs.

Nature itself is the body of water, YOU are your own body of water, and that's all you need.

I wish you all the best on your journey, my friends. May the earth be with you.

[flop]

My Mother's ashes travel the world in water.

[dkilla]

When I was in the Masters program I wanted to create Architecture that connects people to water

[mikemueller]

“You don’t need a trophy wife when you get next to the water.”
😂😂😂