Nichols believes we should all channel the putative blue in our heads, using water to detox our digital enslavement. (Although it would rather spoil the effect if we really did all turn up there.) 'The Slow Coast could be a place for you, too, to get your Blue Mind on,' he prescribes. His is the blue of the Pacific and the so-called Slow Coast, '50 miles of cool, peace and quiet – just a jump south of San Francisco', where he and his fellow Californians take 'unhurried' walks, 'chill out' and 'catch some waves'. This handsome man – pictured in his author photo up to his neck in the sea, more Keanu Reeves in his surf-god pomp than lab-bound scientist – is the very embodiment of his theme. It's also, almost accidentally, a sort of autobiography. To be filed under 'popular psychology', Blue Mind is a study in water and why it makes us happy. I don't think this is the sort of blue Wallace J Nichols is writing about. I looked at my hands and arms, and they were indeed a pale indigo. My friend Mark, whom I had persuaded to join me, looked at me with wonder. A couple of years ago, after one of my daily swims in the sea, I emerged from the freezing, out-of-season Cornish waters shivering more than usual. It is the enabler of our leisure and, in many ways, our last resort.

But using blue mind theory, you can create your own in your backyard.O cean plants supply 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, and the sea provides much of the food we eat. Just pop by the water, pay your respects for a bit and head home. You don’t have to meditate, or skip rocks, or do a workout. Think affordability and accessibility: what’s the closest body of water you can get to on a bike? Can you go alone for a half hour? Can you leave your phone at home? If it helps, try dismantling the “event nature” of heading to a body of water. Once cortisol drops, we find it easier to lean into our brains - to think without fretting. There’s a reason it’s easy to do nothing at the beach. Instead of combing through studies, though, we encourage you to visit bodies of water this summer with intention and savor the sensory details on offer.įor instance: Nichols speaks about the “predictability” of waves crashing on a beach, how that sound (familiar, gentle, a little hypnotic) can induce a relaxed state. Think: “feel-good” hormone release, decreased heart rate, mindfulness. Research on natural landscapes, blue spaces and beach exercise all highlight the positive transformations that the body experiences near water. Temporary proximity to water - and especially clean water, hence Nichols’ use of the word “blue” - is a form of stress therapy, capable of inducing a meditative state. If you’ve spent any amount of time near water, you’re familiar with what he’s talking about.

Blue mind science