Growing up, the sea meant freedom to us at Drift. Spending hours on the shoreline, fascinated by the tiny animals being washed up, frolicking in the waves - not even thinking about getting cold - and simply enjoying the fresh air all offered a respite from land-based challenges in our young lives, and we built a connection that still thrives over 40 years later.

We knew we were onto something when Drift began offering retreats for folks to reconnect with the sea, because it wasn’t just us that felt something shift as soon as we had the Big Blue in view. When Wallace J Nicholl’s book “Blue Mind” came out in 2018, two years after our first pilots in Jersey, we had a body of evidence and a clear voice explaining why we should all make more time for the Ocean.

Becs gearing up for some Blue Juice by Robbie Dark

“Blue Mind” is grounded in cutting-edge studies in neurobiology, cognitive psychology, economics, and medicine, and made real by stories of innovative scientists, doctors, athletes, artists, environmentalists, businesspeople and lovers of nature. It encapsulates everything that makes us feel good when we go surfing or for a cold water dip, and even touches on the nature-connection that inspires our activism through Mother Earth Foundation and Citizens of Surf.

So what exactly is Blue Mind? It’s a state of being, and it describes the mildly meditative state people fall into when they are near, in, under or on water.

“We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken.” Wallace J. Nichols, Blue Mind

Reading Blue Mind was like having an “aha moment” on every page. Of course we feel soothed by the sounds of the waves as it reminds us of our Mother’s breathing whilst we were in the womb; of course we feel called to immerse ourselves in water as it’s how we experienced the world for our first 9 months. On an evolutionary level, all life came from the ocean, crawling in and out over millions of years until many mammals remained aquatic so they could do both (hello seals!). And even as we sit here, taking in words on a computer screen, 50% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by microscopic marine plants in the Ocean, which are the foundation of the marine food chain. It’s kind of mind-blowing but obvious at the same time.

We understand that not everyone feels a positive pull to the Ocean, especially if bad things have happened there or its an unknown entity. Through surfing, we’ve also faced many challenges - anxiety, doubt, shame and fear have surfaced. There’s no escaping the raw emotions that the Ocean triggers, there are inherent risks with entering the sea and its like our body know that. But it can also show us the way to process the difficult stuff. Like swell, there is always a peak with strong emotions, a rise and a dispersion, and often we can ride out the storm with resources like social support, yoga, meditation, therapies and somatic practices.

“I wondered whether water is a mirror for our darker emotions as much as it is an engine for our happiness. Water quiets all the noise, all the distractions, and connects you to your own thoughts.” Wallace J. Nichols, Blue Mind

That connection to something deeper inside of us has also been an incredible source of inspiration and clarity. It has guided our creative projects, helped channel our passion for Mother Nature and has helped us design and develop the Drift concept. We have orchestrated our lives so we can be close to the sea and feel the benefits of Blue Mind on a daily basis.

Nat taking in the Atlantic from Portugal’s coastline by Renée Sara Joppe

We could go deeper into Blue Mind Theory here, but instead, we simply encourage you to read the book, and to then embark on your own Blue Mind adventure. What’s wonderfully simple about Blue Mind, is that everyone has their own unique relationship with the water. You don’t have to connect with the Ocean in any other way that feels right for you. It could be walking next to it, gazing at it, watching films about it, swimming, surfing or creating art about it. Just explore that.

Here’s some further prompts: How do you feel when you think about the ocean, when you touch it, when it pushes you around, when it holds you and you float on the surface. Can you connect with the different moods of the ocean - can you feel its wildness, its calmness, its power. Can you feel safe when playing with the sea?

Can you bring that sense of other-than-humaness into your life to support you. And if you want to take it to the next level and spend more quality time with the sea and in a way that brings in community, then come and join us on a Drift retreat. It’s what it’s all about!

“As long as we stay connected with all of the many, many blessings that water provides, and continue to keep that love in the forefront of our minds and hearts, as long as we remind ourselves to hope, then our stories will help connect others to water and encourage them to do what they can to help care for this beautiful Blue Marble world.”
― Wallace J. Nichols, Blue Mind

We’re so grateful that Wallace J. revealed the remarkable truth about the benefits of being in, on, under, or simply near water through his book, and brought these teachings into the mainstream.

We hope you can take a little drop of Blue Mind from this article and feel called to deepen your connection to the sea - check out the video below to hear about Blue Mind in Wallace J’s own words.