Ever Wondered Why You Feel Restored After Time on the Water? I Took a Deep Dive
When
children are tucked into bed and their laughter fades to soft snoring, I walk
out to the lake. There is a quieting of the water that causes a quickening
within my soul. Have you ever lay on a dock and watched meteors blaze across
the sky? Those moments remind me there is something bigger than daily life.
There is something infinite and often intangible that is made tangible in those
moments of beauty. Early mornings with a soft, silent mist are joyously
disrupted by the noisy arrival of waterfowl. I sip my coffee and marvel at the
magnificence of Mother Nature and feel immensely at peace and tremendously
blessed.
Did
you know the human brain and heart are composed of 73% water? The very things
that make human life feasible, that make human consciousness possible are
dependent upon that most magnificent compound. Rightfully so, humans have long
viewed water as life and have seen it as restorative. Yet have you ever
wondered exactly what happens: Why your breathing becomes deeper and why the
cares of the world melt away when near a lake or river?
It
turns out, so have scientists, so they have conducted research.
Marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols wrote an entire book about the science that demonstrates how recreating in or near water can make people happier, more connected and healthier. In fact, he argues that it promotes happiness and mental health. Nichols himself noticed how peaceful he became after scuba diving and began to realize that water equaled more than fun for the human psyche – it made rest and healing more possible.
“Research has shown that being near, in,
on or under water can provide a long list of benefits for our mind and body,
including lowering stress and anxiety, increasing an overall sense of well-being and
happiness, a lower heart and
breathing rate, and safe, better workouts,” according to USA Today.
When life gets busy and stresses mount, I
try to remind myself that spending some time by the water is more than just a
fun way to pass the time with my family. It is vital to our health. It makes us
less stressed, more productive, and maybe, hopefully, a little kinder to
ourselves and to each other.
I look at the faded photos from when I was a child, the sun reflecting off the water behind my family and say a quiet thank you to my parents, for understanding what we needed before the research was there to back it up.