Last month’s article was inspired by time I have spent walking amongst trees this summer, and this month’s article is inspired by time I spent near the Atlantic Ocean recently.

In much the same way that trees often cause me to experience awe and peace, oceans also often cause me to experience these same feelings.

When I was growing up in a town in Connecticut near the Long Island Sound, one of my favorite places to go was one of the local beaches. It was somewhere that I not only loved going to have fun with friends but somewhere that I also loved to go for comfort when I was sad or needed some time alone. I especially loved the way it looked at night, when I could barely see where the ocean and the sky met on the horizon. That particular sense of vastness always comforted me.

Rather than encourage you to role play as the ocean in the way that I did with trees last month, I am going to give some suggestions of healing activities to do that are inspired by the ocean.

Advice from the ocean

In my last article, I mentioned the brand that I love called Your True Nature ® that makes a line of merchandise named Advice from Nature. They identify the following as advice from the ocean:

•   Be shore of yourself

•   Come out of your shell

•   Take time to relax and coast

•   Avoid pier pressure

•   Sea life’s beauty

•   Don’t get tide down

•   Look to the horizon

•   Explore your own depths

•   Make waves!

In addition to these pieces of advice, I feel that the ocean also offers the following advice:

•   Stay current

•   Go with the flow

•   Keep floating

•   Let yourself sparkle in the sunshine

•   See the big picture

•   We all have both good and bad things happening beneath the surface

•   There is more to us than what is seen on the surface

•   Some days seem bluer than other days, and that’s okay

Immerse yourself in the piece of advice that most appeals to you

Looking at the above lists, which piece of advice feels the most pertinent in your life at present? Once you identify it, choose one or more of the following ways to incorporate it into your life:

•   Practice deep breathing while focusing on the piece of advice as you would do with a mantra (e.g. say “go with the flow” in your head each time you inhale and exhale)

•   Create a drawing, painting, or other piece of art to represent the piece of advice, and either keep it with you or somewhere easily seen where you spend a lot of time

•   Create or buy a piece of jewelry or a keychain that represents the piece of advice so that you can be reminded of it often

•   Create a movement or dance that represents the piece of advice so that you can really feel it in your body (e.g. sway softly side to side while reminding yourself to “go with the flow”)

Try this ritual to give your worries to the ocean

As a drama therapist, I often talk about the healing nature of rituals. Here is a simple ritual you can perform at the ocean (or any body of water that has waves or a current so that there is movement away from you).

Go to the water’s edge. Pretend you are holding your worries in your hands, and then imagine throwing those worries to the sea. Each wave that recedes takes your worries further and further away from you. Picture the power of the waves causing the worries to eventually disintegrate.

Try this guided imagery to wash away your worries

One of my favorite ways to practice relaxation is through guided imagery. Here is one that I created and use with my clients that incorporates ocean waves.

Find a quiet place. Make yourself comfortable by lying down or siting in a relaxed position. Close your eyes, or relax your gaze. Take a few deep breaths.

Imagine yourself lying or sitting in the sand on a beach. If you do not like the idea of being directly on the sand, picture yourself on a blanket or towel. Whether or not you are directly touching the sand, imagine that you can feel its softness and warmth beneath you. This is is soothing to you. You feel supported by the sand beneath you. You also feel soothed by the warmth of the sunshine and the gentle breeze that is blowing. Take a few deep breaths while you savor relaxing here.

Picture yourself standing up, walking to, and stepping into the water. It is cool and refreshing. You wade in the ocean and stop when the water is waist deep. Your feet are shoulder width apart and are firmly planted in the soft, sticky sand there. You feel very stable standing there, even when gentle waves roll into you. Each wave that comes rises towards your chest and then recedes down your torso. As each wave comes to you, imagine letting it take your worries from your body as it recedes. Inhale deeply as each wave rises, and exhale deeply as each one takes your worries away.

Do this for as long as you need to. When you are ready to end the guided imagery, open your eyes or shift your gaze and bring yourself into the present moment. You may want to wiggle your finger, toes, and limbs to help bring yourself into the present.

Contact me

Feel free to share below if you thought of any other pieces of advice from the ocean. If you did any of the activities, how did it go? Did you have any insights that you would like to share?

Feel free to contact me for a free 15 minute consultation if you are interested in working with a therapist in the Reisterstown / Baltimore area that incorporates creativity and nature into sessions.

* This article originally appeared on the Psychology Arts website, which is no longer active.