Bringing the ocean to your yoga practice

In a world of sensory overload the ocean bring us a sense of surrender and a needed break from technology.

Connection to the ocean

Since the beginning of time, humans have been connected to the ocean. When we’re born, our bodies are nearly 80% water. As we age, that number drops to below 60%, but the brain continues to be made of 80% water. In ancient times, we assigned healing and transformational rituals to water and the ocean, and this still occurs throughout the world today in religious and spiritual ceremonies. In Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, the water element is seen as being crucial to balancing the body, as it is too in Chinese medicine. For the longest time water has symbolised rebirth and spiritual cleansing.

Soothing effect

There is no doubt that the ocean has a soothing effect on the soul. We all know the feeling of calm that watching the ocean brings, and the crashing of the waves can wash away, even just for a moment, what may seem the deepest of problems. Studies show that people who live near the ocean report feeling less stressed and have better health than those who don’t. In a world of sensory overload the ocean bring us a sense of surrender and a needed break from technology.

Calming the mind

The ocean has a calming effect on the mind. The simplicity of the view of the ocean can bring with it a release from the seemingly endless fluctuations of the mind and stream of thoughts that our human experience entails. Being near the ocean brings with it a mildly meditative experience and our brains change. It is here that thoughts start to become much more introspective and meaningful and we therefore feel more connected to ourselves and to the world around us.

The ocean and our consciousness

Our consciousness is just like the waves that arise from the ocean, full and true to our universal nature. Each wave eventually recedes back to the universal whole of the ocean just as each thought eventually recedes and the higher consciousness beyond the thought arises. It is here that our true and innate nature exits. For a long time writers have used the ocean as a metaphor for consciousness and spiritual texts have referred to the ocean as a symbol of the vastness of our infinite souls.

Taking it to the ocean

What better way to enhance your spiritual journey and yoga practice than taking it to the ocean. The ocean can be used as a yoga sanctuary, and has the ability take your yoga practice to all new levels. Practicing by the ocean brings a sense of bliss and deep connection to the world around us. This connection then filters off the yoga mat and into our everyday lives, and when we feel more connected to the world around us we act with a sense of compassion and live for ourselves and all beings. As we settle in to practice by the ocean the waves bring us into a sense of release and we start to ebb and flow with the tide and can let go of controlling.