August 22, 2017
You might be the one in your circle who can never get enough beach time in the summer. Or maybe you spend your breaks listening to ocean sounds or bookmarking your favorite beach getaways. While you may not have put much thought into the how and why of your beach daydreams and memories, you know that they always brightened you up.
Recently, I teamed up with NBC News to get a better sense of how the beach affects our body and mind. It turns out that, not only do we anticipate relaxation when we head to the beach, but that we also respond to the different sensory experiences while we are at the beach. Our physiology shifts in response to the sights, sounds, and sensations we encounter at the beach. In fact, these responses heighten the relaxation experience we expect.
These effects extend as far as shifting the frequency of our brain waves to the point of mild meditative states, which have their own valuable benefits as well. Our body also enters into a parasympathetic response which helps to bolster our resilience to the daily stresses and fight-flight-freeze responses we are constantly bombarded by in our routine.
A beach excursion offers a great opportunity for building on the Mindfulness practices you may be cultivating. With so many ways to focus on our sensory experiences such as sight, touch, scent, and hearing while already in a more relaxed and positive state, we can give ourselves an opportunity to more readily connect more deeply with ourselves through enhancing the body-mind connection.
Not only that, but we have a ton of “people watching” opportunities at the beach during a time where most people are also in a greater state of relaxation and bliss than in our regular routines. This may be linked with why brain areas connected to empathy, memory, and reasoning get a boost. If you’re not feeling up for taking notice of the people around you, you can still enjoy the animals at the beach for this same benefit too!
As quickly as the summer has been flying by, you still have time to go out and get yourself some much needed ‘Vitamin Sea!’ Don’t forget to let me know where you gave yourself the permission to give your brain and your body a boost! Read more HERE for full details on how to reap the most benefits of ‘Vitamin Sea!’
Curious what I can offer you to help build the life you love? Get in touch!
Get access to more valuable content weekly here!
