• Something infinitely powerful emerges when the practices of water immersion, of any type, and journalling come together

  • Water offers a sanctuary where we can reconnect with our body and nature, where we can slow down and be in the now. It is a place where nothing else matters. Where earthly demands and constraints have no hold. Being in the water is about finding the self we lost, long time ago when we were told who to be and how to behave.  It is about recognising there is a side to us, a part of us that is free, un restrained, wild, natural, undefined waiting to find expression.

  • Journalling is a practice of self reflection, of giving shape and making sense of all that your mind and heart is internalising over time

Journaling and the open water

Being in the water has long been touted as a healing practice for both the mind and body. Journaling too, as a practice followed by so many throughout the ages in different forms has been a way to reflect, to make sense of ourselves and the world around us.

The benefits of combining these two practices can be life changing. Water by its very nature relaxes us, helps us focus, awakens senses that have been numb for too long, evokes primal and deep realisations our modern lives have long silenced.

Journaling, using the written word, to examine the experience, how our body feels and reacts, what emotions are evoked, how our mind responds. Water immersion can reveal a myriad of threads about ourselves that are worth exploring. And if the practice takes place over time with consistency, these threads take shape, form patterns and help us explore our being in ways no other medium offers.

Cycles in how we think and feel can be laid to bare in a journal over time. Cycles around us, seasonal, tidal and astrological can be mapped to our experience. Changes and patterns from our moods to our bodies to the environment around us can be seen over time in a journal.

The journal helps us make connections we would have otherwise been blind to; and what enables the deepest of enquires and connections to take place is the practice of being in the water and nature.

Water immersion benefits:

Our health and wellbeing comes from how we connect, how we make time and space for ourselves. The simple act of BEING in nature is the cornerstone of our experience and medicine for our bodies. Our eyes yearn and rest at the sight of the horizon where the water meets the sky, our ears tune in at the rhythmic beat of the waves and the whispers of the ocean, our toes dig deep in the sand to feel the earth. Water provides the ultimate ecotherapy .

Water, especially cold water, is a place where nothing else matters. As the body begins to process the cold embrace, our physiology changes dramatically. We have no choice but to be present, with all senses demanding our full attention. As a result, earthly demands, the incessant noise and distractions of daily life lose their hold on us. We have no choice but to be present and process the experience.

Water immersion can take the form of exactly that, immersion. In fact all over the world throughout the millennia, people have practiced dipping in the sea, rivers and lakes to this day. In her book, ‘Why we Swim’ Bonnie Tsui shares the story of the Cave of Swimmers, the first known record of swimming in the Stone Age, which took place somewhere in Sahara’s Gilf Kebir plateu when it was once a lake. As humans, we have sought out the water, not only for survival purposes but because we we are intrinsically connected to it and love being in it’s presence. Swimming, whatever the skill level, surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking are just a handful of ways that people continue to enjoy being in or around water.

Swimming through the seasons, especially in winter, can offer many physiological and psychological benefits. These range from improvements to our cardiovascular, metabolic and immune health, to increases in our energy levels, the health of our microbiome, to relief from pain and inflammation; and more evidence is emerging it may even reduce risk of degenerative diseases like dementia. Read more about the benefits of cold water immersion and swimming here.

Many people all over the world take to the water as a daily ritual, others as often as they can or feel they need to. All share in reflection how beneficial they find this practice to be. For me, the days I start with a swim or a dip are different to all others. Those days, my mind is more present, my outlook more hopeful, what I think is possible becomes infinite and my body carries an inner energy that feels pure.

If the sea, river or lake is accessible to you, make it part of the your life. Even better, find those in your local community that already do and join them. Find a friend that is interested and dip or swim together. It is a life changing practice.

Always make sure you follow the safety advice for swimming and dipping, all year round.

Journaling Benefits:

Writing regularly in a journal or diary is a practice held by many throughout time. Famous philosophers, explorers, scientists and myriads of anonymous people, have found comfort and themselves in the words and pages of their journal. The oldest ever know journal, resembling a diary is the Diary of Merer , an ancient Egyptian logbook whose author described the transportation of limestone from Tura to Giza.

Unfiltered journaling becomes a funnel for our stream of consciousness. Putting our thoughts to pen and paper not only helps get them out of your head (metaphorically speaking), more importantly it helps give shape to amorphous emotions that tend to overwhelm us. It helps us name, make sense of what we are feeling which is key to then understanding. This can help alleviate stress and anxiety.

Journaling over a period of time, helps in recognising patterns and trends in thinking and behaviour and make connections that otherwise would be lost in our day to day life. These connections could be between our behaviour and triggers, how we feel in the water and in other spaces, how we use language outside our comfort zones, our sense of confidence and ability to complete something difficult. So as we get to know ourselves we become more comfortable with who we are, including what we feel makes us different, come to accept ourselves and others with more understanding and empathy.

There are many different freestyle and structured ways to journal. Guided journaling helps focus attention to specific areas of life we want to examine. As we go through different phases in life, the focus of journaling can change to reflect and complement what is needed at the time.

All you need is pen and paper. How long you spend writing is up to you. There are days I only have five min to bullet out, in single words, what is in my head. Some days I will make a cup of coffee and spend an hour pouring out what is in my mind and heart. Other days I use great questions. Questions designed to bring pause and help me see a different perspective. I love great questions. Tony Robbins phrases it is perfectly in his book Awaken: “The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of the questions you are asking yourself”.