Earlier this summer I had the wonderful experience of meeting Vincent Woods out in Strandhill and walked with him into Shelly Valley where I host weekly Beach Yoga sessions during the Summer season. We talked about all the benefits of being outdoors and close to the ocean and was delighted when in August the full interview was released and my favourite nerdy insights into the benefits of ocean time were included in the final cut.
You can listen to the interview here, I share my insights at about 14mins in😉
Below is the science in a little more detail, a snapshot of the thoughts and perceptions that occupy my matrix as I go about my daily doing ;-D
Ocean Vibes
Through many years of teaching classes and one-to-one sessions outdoors I have loved the anecdotal feedback of the benefits people feel from outdoor sessions compared to indoors. This really landed last year when on our first adventure outdoors after lockdown. Although it had been mild and sunny all day in Strandhill, at 7.30pm, when we were mid beach yoga session, the skies opened up and rained torrentially down on us. I attempted to stop the class but was told quite firmly by the group gathered ‘no, keep going’! I was eventually allowed to call a halt to our madness when the hailstones and thunder started!!. There were squeals and laughter as we all scurried off the beach, but despite the joviality I was quite concerned that people didn’t catch cold or regret coming out. I messaged everyone after and the feedback was jaw dropping… ‘that was amazing thank you’, ‘I felt so alive’, ‘energised’, ‘invigorated’, two girls from the group had even gone into town after to get Icecream, despite my orders to get home and dry asap!!
Natures Ions
I put the positive vibes down to the joy of our first group gathering, but later that week I glanced across an article that I’d read before about natures ions and the how they benefit us. But this time it caught my attention because it listed the environments in which ionisation of the air is more concentrated. Starting with On the Beach with pounding waves, then in torrential rain and more so in the thunderstorms! Waterfalls and forests were also high on the list but considering we had 3 top ion producing environments that evening I felt inspired to find out more about what these ions do in our bodies to have such an uplifting effect.
The benefits of ionised air are accepted, so much so that larger office building will often have ionisers built in to help keep staff alert and focused. As it turns out pretty much every aspect of our physiology requires hydration and ionisation.
Nature on Your Nerves
Our nervous system is a complex electrical communication system in our bodies. Electrical impulses travel in water. And in the gap between nerve cells, messages are carried from one cell to the next across and ion bridges. When we are de-hydrated or ion depleted communication breaks down in the body. Any break in communication can cause a loss of energy and can cause cells and organs to not receive the maintenance or nutrients they require.
Healthy Cells
This perspective and belief was deepened upon further reading into what actually happens at the surface of every cell, not just nerve cells. According to Bruce Lipton in his book, ‘The Biology of Belief’, the activity and healthiness of our cells is determined by what is happening in the environment surrounding our cells. Biochemical messengers, i.e. hormones, neuropeptides etc. arrive at the surface of the cell, and react with receptor sites to generate a signal that is passed into the cell. It is known that during prolonged periods of stress that serotonin receptors can become dormant. When this happens it is possible for serotonin to be released in the body but for the cells to not recognise it. As serotonin is our primary ‘happy hormone’ if our serotonin sites are dormant we will have difficulty experiencing and maintaining a sense of wellbeing. When we have healthy active serotonin receptor sites, moments of joy come more easy and moments of stress are easier managed. So the question then becomes how to we ‘wake-up’ the dormant serotonin receptors? And this is what brings us back to the ocean.
Good Vibrations
As mentioned above the pounding waves of the ocean release ionised particles into the air, so when we breath deep whilst walking the beach or sitting on a bench, we are enriching our bodies with ions which enhancing communication and receptiveness of our cells.
We also have the sound vibrations that come from the ocean. To some it may just sound like white-noise, one continuous cloud of sound. However within the sound there are vibrations from high notes to low, all being played together at the same time. What is wonderful about these vibrations being released from the ocean is that you do not need to hear it with your ears. The vibrations are felt by every cell in our body, reactivation dormant receptors and enhancing your bodies ability to receive positive vibes.
An Ocean Exercise : Teach them how to Dance
When you’re next spending time by the ocean, sit or stand still and listen.
After a few moments focus on tuning in to the high pitch sounds, take your time and keep listening. After a little while it may sound like distant whistling.
Then spend some time tuning in to listen to the low deep bass like notes. You’ll hear a deep rumbling that you may even feel in your gut.
All pitches are present all the time, from high to low and everything in between. What is wonderful about these vibrations being released from the ocean is that you do not actually need to hear it with your ears. The vibrations are felt by the cells in your body, your skin, muscle, tissues and bones. These ocean vibrations can stimulate your receptor sites to oscillate and dance, enhancing your bodies ability to receive positive serotonin vibes.
The next time you go out into nature, know that simply being present and breathing is benefiting you and the more often you do it the better the effect.
I’m a bit disappointed to to say that that I have not yet had another Yoga-Thunder-Storm Experience, but I do delight in seeing a torrential rain shower, knowing that afterwards is a good time to get outside and breath in natures therapy.
