{"id":39387,"date":"2024-08-13T13:09:08","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T11:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5992ca89-b7e7-46dd-a85f-c0a2ad77e4a6"},"modified":"2024-08-13T14:26:41","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T12:26:41","slug":"the-worlds-best-cure-for-mind-and-body-is-all-around-us-its-water-say-scientists","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/the-worlds-best-cure-for-mind-and-body-is-all-around-us-its-water-say-scientists\/","title":{"rendered":"The world\u2019s best cure for mind and body is all around us \u2013 it\u2019s water, say scientists"},"content":{"rendered":"

New research reveals the profound benefits of being in and near water for both mind and body <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 13 August 2024 at 11:09 AM<\/p>

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As research affirms the multiple mind and body benefits of being in and near water, Sam Pyrah helps you tap into the transformative power of \u2018blue spaces\u2019<\/strong><\/p>

Spending time in \u2018blue spaces\u2019 is associated with many aspects of mental health and wellbeing. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Dusk falls. I would normally be at home, drawing the curtains against oncoming darkness. But tonight, I am floating in the English Channel, gazing up at the moon, her edges as sharp as a paper cutout. The water is silky against my skin; neither warm nor cold. <\/p>

All day I had felt adrift, but the business of bare feet on pebbles \u2013 the sharp shock of getting in \u2013 pulled me into the moment. When I stepped into weightlessness, I left my worries on the shore, alongside my clothes. \u201cIsn\u2019t this incredible?\u201d I call to my friend Vix. She knows; she gets in the sea most days. I\u2019m beginning to understand why. <\/p>

As I tread water, I\u2019m aware of my smallness in this vaster body. Unexpectedly, I feel not cowed, but freed. By the time we get out, shivering and giggling, it is almost too dark to see. Yet in my mind, everything has shifted back into focus.<\/p>

Water has a profound effect on our bodies and minds, triggering a cascade of positive physiological, neurological and psychological responses that put us in a mildly meditative state<\/p><\/blockquote>

There is something about water that affects our psyches deeply. Spending time in \u2018blue spaces\u2019 (outdoor aquatic environments, including lakes and rivers, as well as oceans and beaches) is associated with many aspects of mental health and wellbeing, including lower levels of stress and anxiety, a more positive mood and greater life satisfaction, according to a review of 35 scientific studies. In another review in 2020, blue spaces were found to be particularly important for promoting social connection.<\/p>

Marine biologist and ocean advocate Dr Wallace J Nichols calls the state of mind we experience when we are in, on, near or under water \u2018blue mind\u2019 (a new edition of his book of the same name will be published in December to mark its tenth anniversary). <\/p>

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There is something about water that affects our psyches deeply. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWater has a profound effect on our bodies and minds, triggering a cascade of positive physiological, neurological and psychological responses that put us in a mildly meditative state,\u201d he says. <\/p>

Although any natural environment \u2013 such as forests, mountains and wild meadows \u2013 provides a wellness boost, the Blue Health research study, spanning 18 countries, found that blue environments are more psychologically restorative than any other. <\/p>

Dr Mat White is a health and environmental psychologist at the University of Vienna \u2013 and one of the key researchers in the field. Fourteen years ago, he and colleagues found that in many studies researching the appeal of green spaces, the most highly rated scenes also contained blue features \u2013 such as lakes, rivers and coastlines. <\/p>

\u201cWe think it was no coincidence that the greater the proportion of water in the image, the more favourably it was rated,\u201d he says. <\/p>

Perhaps it\u2019s only natural that we feel good when we are close to water. \u201cWe have a physical memory of what it means to be at home in water, both in a literal sense \u2013 the nine months we spend suspended in amniotic fluid in the womb \u2013 and in terms of how we evolved as a species,\u201d says Dr Easkey Britton, a marine social scientist, surfer and author of Ebb & Flow<\/em>. <\/p>

But it isn\u2019t just our biology. \u201cThroughout history and across cultures, we have imbued water with meaning and value,\u201d says Nichols. It holds true today \u2013 think about the premium placed on the price of a hotel room, or home, with a sea view.<\/p>

\u201cPeople seem to be drawn to coastal and other water margins as a social space,\u201d White says. \u201cIt may be related to some evolutionary advantage, with water bodies and margins being central to human habitation, migration and cooperative practices for millennia. But positive memories of childhood beach holidays and water play are likely just as important.\u201d <\/p>

Personal experiences clearly shape what water means to us. \u201cWater memories are some of our most powerful, because of water\u2019s multisensory qualities,\u201d believes Britton. \u201cIt leaves a powerful imprint.\u201d But you don\u2019t need to get wet to experience the healing power of water. \u201cYou could be walking along the coast with a friend, jogging on a river bank or just sitting beside a tranquil loch,\u201d says Britton. \u201cIt is possible to connect to water, in some form, wherever you are. Doing so can feel like a kind of homecoming.\u201d<\/p>

How to find your blue space<\/h2>

Choose a \u2018sit spot\u2019 <\/h3>

A sit spot is a place in nature where you can be by yourself for five to 10 minutes. It could be the pond in your local park or a coastal cliff. \u201cIt works best if you choose somewhere that you can visit regularly,\u201d says Britton. Over time, you will begin to notice the changing mood of this particular body of water at different times of the day and year and through this, build a relationship with it.\u201d <\/p>