“Hark, now hear the sailors cry,
Smell the sea, and feel the sky
Let your soul and spirit fly, into the mystic...”
Since its valentines day I thought I could get away with a little cheese! Great song though and something we can all probably relate to, right!? There’s something about being by the water that has a calming effect on us, we feel more at ease and thoughts flow more freely. I know I feel much more grounded, and anxiousness subsides. Sometimes this is only a temporary feeling until I have to get back to my to-do list, but more often than not, that feeling lasts throughout the day, and inspires a positive perspective shift in one way or other. I crave that feeling, and on my days off I always do my best to get to the ocean. So why is that?
The part that we know well, is that it’s visually pleasing. Oceans are beautiful- the colors, the reflection of lights, the wildlife we see around them. The sites are impressive and breathtaking… but what else?
The part that we maybe don't think about is that it is a form of meditation. A break from sensory overstimulation- phones, computers, air conditioning, TVs, radios, lights, etc. The simplicity of it permits a level of mental clarity, and focus because there is less stimulus coming in. We can take this further and think of the rhythmical sound of crashing waves, which act like white noise that help to cancel out environmental noises, and distractions.
There’s more to it than meets the eye and ear though. Negative ions are produced in abundance around mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. They increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, which is responsible for our experience of mental clarity, and sense of energy. Negative ions are also believed to stimulate production of our happiness neurotransmitter, serotonin, which contributes to feeling greater energy, better mood, and overall stress reduction.
So there it is, as simple or scientific as you want to be… the ocean is where its at!