Weekly Half Mermaid Journal Edition 3
Quotes we loved:
“Write hard and clear about what hurts.”
Ernest Hemingway
“The water does not care what shape you are or what age you are, or what ability you have. It just asks you to be there”
Gilly McArthur in the ‘She who Dares, Wins’ podcast hosted by Michelle Hands.
Journaling question we are pondering:
Journaling question we are pondering:
“What does the open water help you let go of, what do you not care or worry about when you are in the water? If the water gives you permission to let go of these, even for a short period of time, why have you not given yourself permission to do so?”
This week’s blog post:
Wild Swimming is an act of rebellion #mood
I wrote this a while back when I first started swimming at dawn. It was a time when I was struggling with where I was and where I was heading, and how empty my life felt despite all things I was grateful for - health, family, career, modern privileges.
This piece still feels like a release. A release of the anger I was feeling at my own sense of emptiness and of the courage building in me to finally start seeking a path meaningful to me.
Journal update:
Last week I shared that we are considering a few more options, including printing the journal locally here in Australia and best courier solutions. Part of the reason for this is to mitigate the increasing costs to ship the journal from Australia to our friends in the UK, Europe and US. The weight of the stone journal is a contributing factor, as is that as a small venture in its early stages, we don’t have the volume (yet) to access reduced shipping rates. Either way, the work continues as we try to find the best solution.
One new thing we learnt this week:
Last week I shared that we are considering a few more options, including printing the journal locally here in Australia and best courier solutions. Part of the reason for this is to mitigate the increasing costs to ship the journal from Australia to our friends in the UK, Europe and US. The weight of the stone journal is a contributing factor, as is that as a small venture in its early stages, we don’t have the volume (yet) to access reduced shipping rates. Either way, the work continues as we try to find the best solution.
One new thing we learnt this week:
As one of many people around the world who like to start their day at dawn in the open water, sleep and good sleep habits are key to sustaining early mornings. I seek out good advice on this topic and listen intently when Dr. Matt Walker is offering information. In an episode of the Huberman Lab podcast * he stated that the best position for sleep is the horizontal one, which in of itself is common knowledge. But what is it about the horizontal position that induces sleepiness? The answer: Temperature. The position enables our body to move blood around the different regions and decrease the core body temperature, pushing warm core blood to the surface areas, resulting in a huge thermal dissipation. This increases the likelihood of sleepiness.
Which got me thinking about the horizontal position we swim in for hours .
*Guest Series: Dr. Matt Walker: How to structure your sleep, Use Naps & Time Caffeine.
What we are listening to:
Episode 823 “Change your Brain” of the Rich Roll podcast
Rich Roll interviews psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen on all things brain health. Inspired by images of his mothers brain, Dr. Amen’s approach is evidence based utilising imaging technology for the diagnosis and treatment of certain conditions. The conversation offers much breadth and depth on topics including childhood trauma and the impact on the brain, Dementia, Alzheimer’s & ADHD, lifestyle choices and interventions for optimal brain health, guidance for parenting in the digital age, and of course, you guessed it … the BENEFITS of JOURNALING, of writing out how you feel. I loved how he advocates for writing in “honest and accurate” ways. The podcast is a great listen and I hope you find it helpful. You can find the episode in the link below:
Till next week….
Swim. Coffee. Journal. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
Half Mermaid, PO Box 4012, Doncaster Heights 3109, Melbourne Australia