Half Mermaid Journal Edition 15
Welcome to the 15th Edition of the fortnightly Half Mermaid Journal.
If you are new to the journal, a warm welcome!
Thank you for joining us and we hope our offerings serve you well!
Quotes we loved:
”If the ocean can calm itself, so can you. We are both salt water mixed with air”Nayyirah Waheed
“You must remember that your story matters. What you write has the power to save a life, sometimes that life is your own”
Stalina Goodwin
Sunrise, Seaford, Aug 2024
Journaling questions we are pondering:
Is there something in the past you have not forgiven yourself for? What or who is stopping you from accepting and forgiving yourself ? What is the cost of not forgiving yourself?
This week’s blog post:
How open water swimming deconstructed my body image beliefs
We shed our inhibitions and beliefs on the shore because getting in the water and feeling alive is a practice we now hold as more important.
One new thing we learnt this week:
Linking in with our latest blog post, according to the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care “The number of young Australians (16 to 25 years) reporting Body Image Distress has risen by 33 per cent since 2009, with 77 per cent self-reporting body image distress in 2015.” (1) The Butterly Foundation reports that “53.6% of people rarely or never speak positively about their appearance” (2)
The statistics are just as concerning in the UK where the Mental Health Foundation reports “ Among teenagers, 37% felt upset, and 31% felt ashamed about their body image. Just over one-third of adults said they had ever felt anxious (34%) or depressed (35%) because of their body image.” (3)
We are all affected by this, to various degrees and at different stages of our lives. Let’s be more kind to each other on this and all matters. Just like the water is.
Sunrise, Point Leo, July 2024
What we are listening to:
Absolutely loving the conversation between Dr. Martha Beck and Dr. Andrew Huberman on “Accessing your best self with mind-body practices, Belief Testing and Imagination”
The title does not do this justice. They face into and re imagine societal constructs and the internal thought process in the creation of beliefs and values, truth making and understanding through mind and body. One of my favourite excepts from the conversion:
“ My whole body, is far more sophisticated, has spent far more time being tinkered with by evolution, than my human ability to think in language’ (why we need to trust our bodies more)!
Love this!
You can find this Huberman lab episode here, and in all major platforms.
What is new at Half Mermaid:
Latest Podcast
The fourth episode of the Half Mermaid podcast is an absolute treasure of a conversation. I loved talking with Maryse Meale, a wonderful human I am grateful to have met in the Seaford swimming community. We talk about so many real things: What pulls us to the water, how the water releases what the body holds on to, body image, community, tips for cold water swimming and so much more.
I hope you listen and enjoy. You can find it here and on Spotify.
A new love affair!
Yes! It is now official! Half Mermaid has partnered with Creation Cacao to bring Ceremonial Cacao to the swimming community worldwide; AT A DISCOUNT!
If you know me you also know I am an absolute lover of coffee. When I was younger I would have 3-5 a day. But the older I get I find my body is not processing the caffeine like it used to. I like tea but find I need something else to keep me going in the afternoons. I had tried ceremonial cacao on a few occasions and sometimes we would make it and take it with us on our swim trips. I loved the taste and texture of it and felt really good for having it. So when the opportunity came up to share this wonderful ancient Mayan and Aztec superfood with the swimming and dipping communities I had to take it up. It is an absolute perfect way to compliment swim and journaling me time.
Here is why I love it:
Its rich, chocolatey and sugar free goodness keeps my afternoon sweet tooth cravings away.
I love the simplicity and ritual of making this ancient brew.
It is nutritionally rich, including magnesium, which helps with my muscle cramping, manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium and fibre.
Improves mood, brain function, enhances performance, reduces blood pressure, improves blood flow and reduces risk of heart disease and inflammation.
You can read more here and try Ceremonial Cacao out at 10% discount though the link below
We will share more about Ceremonial Cacao in the coming weeks, including how to make the best cuppa and other recipes.
We are also super excited to be sharing our Ceremonial Cacao at our “Journal, Dip and Ceremonial Cacao” events - More on this soooooon!
Thank you to all that bought the Half Mermaid Introductory set of journaling prompts! We so hope they serve you well.
If you haven’t and are are still curious, you can find out more below.
This is our very first set of journaling cards as an introductory set of prompts titled “The Water and Me' is available.
These cards are a perfect way to start a deeper enquiry into your open water, wild swimming or dipping practice. Powerful questions will help you explore your relationship with your body, your breath, your inner dialogue and more.
You can find our more here.
And we still have some hoodies left from the original Half Mermaid batch!
If you are a half mermaid too, you will love layering up after your swim or dip with this hoodie.
High quality materials (whilst saving approx. 7.2 500ml plastic bottles from landfill) make for a super comfy and warm hoodie that…well looks so good you can wear anywhere! We love it and we hope you do too.
You can find our more here.
On a final note!
Next week we will be sending a quick survey to everyone, with questions about what you love and what you would like to see more of; and other things you may be interested in. We would you really appreciate your feedback so that we can grow in a way that serves this community well.
Thank you for coming on the journey with us!
Till next time….
Swim. Cacao. Journal. Live. Love. Repeat.
Important note:
Half Mermaid is not a licensed mental health service and not a substitute for professional mental health assessment, treatment or advice. The journaling prompts and guides offered, are general in nature. If you are struggling, please see a healthcare professional or call the mental health support line in your locality.
Half Mermaid, PO Box 4012, Doncaster Heights 3109, Melbourne Australia