Ocean Healing - By Kate Ottrando
Ocean Healing
“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.” - Kate Chopin
By Kate Ottrando, Student Worker with The WELL
The ocean can be a powerful tool for mindfulness and relaxation. I used to hold my breath whenever I felt overwhelmed. But one day a therapist gave me advice about breathing. She recommended I go to the beach to listen to the sound of the waves. She told me that, “The ocean breathes,” and that hearing the rhythm of ocean waves can help calm me down and regulate my breathing pattern. Sure enough, listening to the sound of each wave gliding onto the shore did improve my breathing. I started taking deep breaths in harmony with the sound of the waves, and my mind and body were completely relaxed. I learned how to breathe deeply and peacefully because of the ocean.
I decided that I would make it a habit to go to the beach and listen to the waves as much as possible. I also discovered some great ocean wave relaxation videos on Youtube. I either go to the beach or listen to these videos to enjoy the benefits of the ocean wave sound.
Sometimes I have the Youtube videos on as background noise while I am studying or cleaning. Other times, I lay down and close my eyes while listening to the relaxation videos. If you’d like to check out the ocean wave relaxation videos, please open the following links:
It will be interesting to learn new scientific revelations about the relationship between water and relaxation as more research on this topic becomes published. My dad recently told me about a book he read called Blue Mind which describes the mildly meditative state we fall into when near, in, on or under water. This book was written by a marine biologist, and it explains that there seems to be a link between water and our peace of mind.
I hope that the relaxing sights and sounds of the ocean continue to bring peace to our community, and that we keep discovering how water can contribute to our mental well-being.