Can the Sea Help You Grieve?

Waves on beach with "The ocean heals the heart, mind and soul" overlayed on image

Whenever I’m at the ocean, either driving by or lucky enough to spend some time on the warm sand, I have a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. This got me thinking that the sea, with its vastness, its mysteries and beauty, might just be the perfect place to go when your soul needs to heal. I did a bit of research on the subject and found an interesting article by Sonia Zadro on the website Wellbeing.com. It was entitled The Healing Power of the Ocean.

Below I’ve summarized some of the tips she recommends to engage with the ocean to help you heal. In the first of this two-part blog series, the focus is on ways to utilize the ocean’s calming properties when you are actually at the sea, something we in Southern California have the opportunity to do. Zadro recommends that you:

  1. Engage in your senses.  Just for a moment or two focus only on what you notice with your eyes.
  2. Then listen. What do you hear? The waves on the shore, the calls of the birds, children laughing.
  3. What do you smell? A barbecue, the salty air, suntan oil?
  4. Then lastly, what do you feel with your sense of touch? Are you cooled by a breeze, covered with gritty sand, warmed by the sun?

Once your sense are engaged, you will most certainly find yourself relaxed and in a mood to reflect on the thoughts in your mind and feelings of your heart; a place of peace to open up and let yourself grieve. As you gaze across the water and contemplate the grains of sand beneath your feet, you may find that the grandeur of it all may be just what you need to help you heal.