Researchers are finding water environments can heal.
Being in nature can bring about all sorts of mental and physical health benefits. In fact, the Japanese feel it’s so important to be near trees, they have a name for it. It’s a practice known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, designed to recognize the importance of breathing in fresh, clean forest air, the scent of pine trees and natural decay, while witnessing the sounds of squirrels rustling up trees and birds calling to each other from branch to branch in a carefully orchestrated exchange.
Forest bathing is about steeping your senses in the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the green trees. But what about wide expanses of water? Does the ocean, or a big lake, do anything for your soul?
Many people can immediately answer this question with a heartfelt, “yes”. And now there’s even science to back it up.
The call of the ocean
According to a recent report on BBC.com, being immersed in marine activities can bring about many positive changes. A charity in the UK called Sea Sanctuary is practicing what is now being called “blue health” to boost people’s emotional wellbeing. The idea is that being around sources of water like the ocean, a lake, or even a river, serves to heal your mental space and can help treat symptoms of anxiety and depression.
The charity also works with therapists and social workers to help its patients. They’re finding the blue of the ocean off Cornwall is helping police officers with PTSD and others who have trouble calming their mind to return to a space of peace.
The history of “blue health”
According to Kat Campbell, a health psychology researcher from New Zealand, blue space is healing. “Blue spaces provide us with distractions that take our mind away from the day-to-day hassles of life,” says Campbell.
“The sound of the crashing waves, the smell of salty air, the crunching of sand beneath our toes…The sensations relax our bodies and tell our minds to switch off.”
The power of blue space is so strong some experts now believe humans are naturally predisposed to benefit from it. We’ve evolved benefiting from living near water, a key element to our survival. Water has provided us with a source of food and drink, and some say spending time near water can allow us to feel like we’re “coming home”.
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A plethora of benefits
Researchers at the University of Sussex conducted a study almost ten years ago, involving 20,000 participants. People were asked to record their feelings at random points in time, and it was found that participants were happiest when in natural blue spaces. These environments were found to lower the risk of mortality, as well as the risk of developing anxiety and stress. Blue space can also reduce obesity, premature death, and cardiovascular disease.
Modern urbanization has pulled us to living in cities, which has its benefits. This has also led us away from our exposure to nature and some think an increase in mental health disorders. Some say there is growing evidence to suggest that, just like other living things, humans are intrinsically linked to the natural environment.
Even just looking at natural scenery has been found to change blood flow, reduce blood pressure, and alter human brain activity. There’s also the fact that in natural environments, we’re exposed to microbes that can help train the human immune system and contribute to the growth of good microbial communities throughout our body.
Get to the waterfront
So, if you do nothing else on your holiday break this year, get to the water’s edge and have a good look. If you can spend time in a wetland or by a lakeside, even better. Sometimes rejuvenating our mind and body takes an invisible action that can make a big difference. Enjoy the seaside and breathe in a moment’s peace.
photo credits: ArtInDigital/Shutterstock.com
