Outdoors for wellbeing #6 – For Love of Water

Today we have a real treat for you, a guest blog from our lovely friend at Forth Environment Link – Jules ????

For Love of Water

An ode to wild swimming

By Jules Ryan

Water is, by its very nature, cleansing, purifying and healing. It possesses an energy steeped in femininity and is the source of all life on earth. Its force is both terrifying and calming and unlike most things nowadays, water embodies that which is unknown, a secret world that man doesn’t quite understand. For me, water is intriguing, playful, dangerous and its power soothes my body and soul.

If you had said to me a year ago that I would be regularly swimming in open Scottish waters, I would have probably rolled my eyes and laughed disbelievingly at you. I was a pool girl, who loved stepping into the sauna and steam room; the comfort and security of fluffy towels and lockers; and the warmth of a hot shower after a gentle paddle. But fast forward a year and you’ll more often than not find me at Wardie Bay, just down from Granton Harbour in Edinburgh, braving the ice cold waters in nothing more than a swimming costume and occasionally a woolly bobble hat (seemingly the unspoken uniform of us “wild ones”).

Why do I do this? Well, like many people have discovered, the benefits of wild swimming definitely outweigh the initial shock. Once you’re over the “**** ME! THIS IS COLD!!” bit, a wave of tranquillity descends with a sense of oneness, openness, stillness and oh yeah numbness (mustn’t forget the numbness)! But joking aside, I have never felt closer to nature, it’s an immersive experience that takes you out of yourself. There is a reason why so many mental health swimming groups have been set up over the last few years. Aches, pains, anxiety, stress, heartache, worries, grief; it all melts away as the water envelopes you. Ailments are quelled and for a brief moment you feel suspended, free and (above all) present. This feeling of being present, of feeling suspended in time and space, is the closest I’ve ever come to a spiritual awakening of sorts. Well, my version anyway and I don’t ever want to give that up.

I suppose the big question is whether this trend will continue or is it destined to slowly fade with the easing of lockdown and the reopening of gyms and public swimming pools. This of course, I cannot answer. I can only speak for myself and right now in this moment, I can’t see a time in the future when I won’t want this therapy in my life.

Water is life, water is medicine, so go on: take the plunge!

Share your experiences

Have you been inspired to try wild swimming? Or maybe you have already done it? We’d love to hear from you!

Check out the other blogs in our #Outdoorsforwellbeing series ????