The ocean is one of my greatest loves. Ever since I was about 3 years old, the ocean has felt like home to me. Warm sand between my toes and endless rolling waves fill me with a sense of perpetual peacefulness.
I recently spent a glorious week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with my family, soaking up the sun and saltwater for many hours each day.
For some, a trip to the ocean might mean multiple hours lying on the beach, resting in stillness. For my kids and I, time at the beach is a more active, whole-body experience, and we spent HOURS daily in the water!
As we swam and played, the kids and I would float on our backs and release all of the tension in our bodies to the ocean–allowing ourselves to feel completely held and supported by the water–and I found myself reflecting on the steadfast wisdom offered by the waves.
The shoreline is a dynamic, ever-changing place—with sandbars continually forming and dissolving right under our feet. The closer to shore we ventured, the more powerful the waves became…and the sand, polished with constant motion, became much softer, too.
Swimming in the ocean is a little like submitting yourself as one of those grains of sand, getting tumbled, cleansed, and polished by the ancient, motherly waters of our planet for a short while. It’s a fantastic way to return to our origin, to recognize the feeling of washing away our past or our troubles, and emerging, renewed.
The water has its own rhythms and (un)predictability, and as one person, alone, you participate in a song and dance that’s already occurring…surrendering to the eternal ebb and flow of the tides.
Any preconceived notion of how playing in the ocean “should” be tends to lead to losing your footing or getting smacked in the face by a wave. Being in the ocean is about the act of surrender much more than it is about control or physical strength.
Surrender might be a word that carries negative connotations in our fast-paced, go-getting society. Why surrender, when you can take action (any action!) to forge ahead and blaze new trails??
The ocean teaches us that there is resilience to be found when we surrender.
When we enter the depths mindfully, fully allowing our bodies to merge with the patterns of the sea…we notice that it gets easier the deeper we go—but that doesn’t mean everything is comfortable or predictable. Surrendering to the water doesn’t mean you’ll avoid getting smacked in the face by a wave unexpectedly!
Mindful surrender does not buy us ease…but it does allow us to become more flexible and resilient.
It grants us the ability to gracefully surrender to the currents of life, to trust that they will continue to carry us forward. After all, even in the midst of turbulent waters, you’ll find it’s still calm under the surface.
The waters of the ocean are where life on Earth began, and even now they impart a powerful message for us that when we seem threatened by overwhelming forces, it’s sometimes best to simply surrender to being present.
In a state of mindful surrender, of letting go of things that don’t serve us well, we tap into a wellspring of inner knowing, peace, and clarity that will carry over into our lives, far beyond our time spent at the beach.
