What is a Blue Mind?

I read last year a book titled Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols. I was very curious about it as you may well assume based on my love of baths as a place for self and meditation.

There was in the forward a quote by Celine Cousteau who is the granddaughter of Jacques Cousteau where she states that “research data showing that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken. Healthy water is crucial to our physiological and psychological well-being, as well as our ecology and economy.”

We have all heard and read about the health benefits for our bodies of drinking enough water but have any of you thought that there are also psychological ones as well. I know I am starting to feel landlocked again and the time is long overdue to visit the ocean.

Here are a few interesting facts from this wonderful book, but not too many. 😊

“Ours is an aqueous planet. Water covers 70% of the earth’s surface and from space our planet resembles a blue marble. It is estimated that 80% of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of the coastline of an ocean, lake, or river.                                                                              

Ocean plankton provides more than half of our planet’s oxygen – another vital reason to keep the ocean clean.

When we are born, our bodies are about 78% water, As we age that number drops to below 60% BUT our brain continues to be made of 80% waters.

We are inspired by water- painting it- walking by it- playing in it- swimming in it- bathing in it-photographing it- smelling it-hearing it-creating memories of it. Water can give us energy- mental refreshment. Tonic of cold water splashed on your face.

Water is something people can watch for hours- waterfalls- fountains- waves ebb and flow on a beach. One of metaphors associated with creative thinking is “fluid” being in the flow.”

For me, the most wonderful relaxing sounds are waves crashing on the beach. Standing in the sand with the waves ebbing and flowing over my feet as I literally sink into the beach is so relaxing. Many meditations on You Tube show pictures of water, beaches and the ocean.

As Alan Watts said- “You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.”

We come from a place where we grew in our Mother’s womb, floating and listening to her breath and heartbeat. We came out of this watery environment and since this is our history is it no wonder that waters are what calm us and settle us back into ourselves.

How is the health of your Blue Mind? Isn’t it time to reconnect with your watery self and fill that tub and ease yourself into it and listen to your own breath and heartbeat?