We talked about greening the mind last week. This week…Blue Mind
“Scientists responded by taking the laboratory outdoors. I met one of these researchers on a 2012 kayaking session in Veracruz, Mexico, where we shared our experiences working with aquatic and marine species and also interacting with people in outdoor spaces.
In his new book Blue Mind, to be released in June 2014, marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols explores the chemical reactions in the brains of water enthusiasts—swimmers, surfers, deep-sea fisherman and so on. Nichols says that swimming has a balancing affect on the stress hormone catecholamine, producing a relaxation effect similar to that found during meditation. He adds that swimming provides the greatest amount of “cognitive reserve,”
the mind’s resilience to damage of the brain (Nichols 2014).
So many benefits from activities outdoors! I take my clients outside when ever I can!