Imagine this scenario: You have a day off from work. Your friends are waiting outside because you have decided to spend a few hours at the beach. Running towards the waiting car excitedly, you scream and bounce with joy, unable to contain your eagerness to begin the day without the usual stress and anxiety that come with a work day. But halfway through the road trip, amidst all the chatter all around, you realize that you don’t have your phone with you. Inward panic ensues. You are torn between going ahead without your phone and wasting precious time to get it because— wait… there isn’t even a good enough reason to get it. You don’t like to take pictures, and neither do your friends. Nobody, not even your boss, calls you on your days off. But why do you feel so naked without your cellphone beside you?
Nowadays, people all over the world cannot live without their mobile phones. This has become a source of knowledge, enjoyment, communication, and addiction. Contrary to public belief, we have become too connected. Wherever we are, we can be reached through any kind of application. We can be tracked down by strangers. We are lured by the all too familiar notification beep. We stop in our tracks just to ease our curiosity as to who might be sending a message. We have become too reachable and available, slaves to the constant dinging of our social media applications.
One way to start breaking away from the constant, and often damaging, effects of the modern world is to be one with nature. Going to the beach is a good start. Leaving our mobile phones behind is the second step. Inhaling the sea breeze and listening to the waves crash into the shore while lying on the sand is good not only for our physical well-being, but also for our mental health. Our body is rejuvenated by the sea; our mind, by the absence of harmful distractions. When we breathe deeply, we inhale all the goodness of the ocean and exhale out all our worries. Seawater releases all the toxins built up inside of us and soothes us with minerals that boost our energy and brighten our mood. Add the sun into the equation and we have a perfect balance of skin benefits, happy hormones, and vitamin D! This regenerative effect results in a calmer, relaxed, positive human being, ready to tackle any amount of workload the day after. Experiencing this is like poetry in motion.
Another activity which is highly recommended anywhere, but is suggested to be done with the tranquil sound of the sea, is meditation. Whatever the type of meditation one is into, the ocean is the majority’s choice of site. But the location is only secondary to the intention. Although this breathing exercise greatly helps in clearing our minds and treating our illnesses, its whole purpose is to bring peace to our world. This calming concentration makes us less irritable, more productive, and at the same time, if widely practiced, reduces the chances for aggressive behavior, therefore, decreases possibilities of wars and misunderstandings. It is very simple to do, too, but quite difficult to maintain. Clearing the mind of all thoughts has proven to be a very effective method to heal our ailments and improve our overall way of life.
In addition to healing our physical and mental states, it is emphatic that we do the same for our emotional condition. Although meditation already plays a huge role in achieving emotional stability, giving extra time to pay attention to what makes us feel the wide variety of emotions that we already do makes a big difference in our transformation to emotional maturity. Being far away from any WiFi networks or mobile signal allows us to totally analyze what makes us angry, insecure, or afraid. Understanding ourselves completely while sitting in silence with nature all around us is an ideal way to spot our imperfections and at the same time, realizing the root of all our feelings and the ways we are provoked to act in a certain manner which we usually regret later.
Nature is the answer to all our troubles. Sitting in silence, whether contemplating our purpose in this earth, or just listening to the sound of our every breath, does the trick. When we combine both, we become ready to face every reward and disappointment this wonderful world has to offer. We must remember that our existence in itself is a reason to celebrate.
