The Sensory Sea

Have you ever found yourself lost in observing the soft flow of the sea? Or the crash of the ocean’s waves? The ocean captivates us and often evokes peace and serenity. In these moments, the brain shifts into a “soft fascination.” We find a mindful and soothing state where we are lightly focused and engaged, instead of being overloaded with information to process.

The ocean creates a blissful barrier between us and the chaos and manmade qualities of the modern world. Simultaneously, the ocean encourages us to step outside of our personal bubbles and connect with the larger world. It can remind us of our greater purpose and interconnectedness with the ecosystem.

Although we are aware of the ocean’s powerful and sometimes dangerous potential, the ocean is a haven that can unlock a possibility and freedom within us. The coastal environment changes from place to place, and even day to day. One day the beach may be wide and flat and the next day the same shore is barely existent with a cliff of sand leading up to the dunes. Still, the familiarity of the coast remains constant. 

Perhaps the phenomenon we feel as we interact with the coast is because of the deep sensory experience the ocean offers us. We truly feel the experience of being alive, of being human. 

A Sensory Reflection of Experiencing the Ocean in Boca Raton:

The strong mid-day sun shines brightly on the water, lighting the ocean to a vibrant bright blue that darkens toward the horizon. Steady gusts of wind churn the current, pushing the waves almost diagonally to shore and carrying fragrant salty mist off the water. 

The temperament of the ocean is far different than last night when the moonlit salty pool appeared to have no movement at all - as smooth as glass, sheltering the mysterious sea life playing below. 

At the foot of the waves, I see white caps sprinkled throughout the entirety of the water. A chill runs through my body as I submerge my body down. The water is frigid and energizing. It is pure and free from strands of seaweed drifting across the body, as it did during the summer. As I hold my breath under the surface, the sound of the wind is now overtaken by the sound of rushing waves above me. Sound waves move faster and it sounds as if waves are coming toward me at all angles, but the vibration of the wave runs through my body, clarifying its direction. 

The sound of my swallow is more audible undersea. I feel tuned into my body as my sight goes dark and my eyes are closed underwater. My foot stumbles on a collection of rocks slick with algae that interrupts the soft sand on the seafloor. 

In minutes I find myself taken halfway down the beach. A wave grows from behind me and sweeps me closer to shore.  

Water sneaks up my nose. I lick the water off my upper lip and absorb the salty taste.

Your Natural Connection

More and more people are migrating to live near the coast, but it is not always feasible to make it to the water on a very regular basis. Ample research has delved into the science and benefits of green space, and more and more research is revealing the benefits of blue space. 

Although experiencing a natural body of water invigorates the scenes most fully, Wallace J. Nichols, marine biologist and the author of Blue Mind, shares that even seeing a fountain in an urban place, feeling water from a shower on your skin, hearing the sound of water, or just seeing imagery of water can be beneficial. How can you create more blue space in your daily, weekly, and monthly routine?

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In the words of Wallace J. Nichols, 

“Get in the water.
Walk along the water. Move across its surface. Get under it. Sit in it. Leap into it. Listen to it. Touch the water. Close your eyes and drink a big glass. Fall more deeply in love with water in all its shapes, colors, and forms.
Let it heal you and make you a better, stronger version of yourself. You need water. And water needs you now. I wish you water.”

This article references the work of Wallace J. Nichols and his book Blue Mind published in 2015 by Back Bay Books