Day 19 - Ocean

It is no secret that I love the water. Maybe because some part of my subconscious remembers the first 9 months of life in my mother's womb. Maybe because I grew up on the shore of Lake Ontario. Maybe because of happy memories of searching for sea glass and seashells along the water's edge. Maybe because I found refuge at the ocean during COVID. Probably for all of these reasons and more.

I have an interesting relationship with the ocean. When I was around 17, my family would camp at Assateague Island. My favorite part was beachcombing and walking along the beach. I clearly remember one bright afternoon playing tag with the ocean, running in and out of the waves. Although I sensed the mighty power beneath the surface, I was filled with awe and wonder at connecting with this enormous body of water in such a simple and childlike way. It was indeed a moment of beauty and transcendence.

The next summer, I got caught in an undertow and was pulled further and further out. It was one of the scariest moments in my life although I would have been rescued if needed as my panicked family had alerted the lifeguards. I finally emerged battered and bruised several minutes later. I learned to respect the ocean in a whole new way.

Nearly 30 years later, I would learn to swim and not just doggy-paddle in a bay not too far from Assateague so I could complete a triathlon. That was a major accomplishment. These days you'll mostly find me meditating at the ocean. Here I connect with myself and creation.

Recently, I tried to capture this experience in words.

Beach Meditation

Pebbly pink sand scrunches between my toes in the light of dawn

I’ve returned to this sacred place to find myself

Gravity holds me to this earthly home, this place where I belong

Rooted in the present moment, I stand firm, connected to the world

The sea ebbs and flows, its sound matches my breath

Rivulets of water recede and return, washing over my feet

Blessing, cleansing, healing with the morning tide

An invitation to open my heart to the flow of life all round

The sun shines and baths me from head to toe

Once again the light of a new day enfolds me

Its brilliant rays fill the sky and shimmer on the sea

I am loved beyond measure

Ocean breezes tickle my skin

Whispering in my ears, inspiring my dreams

I breathe in, the wind breathes out,

We are the meditation

Surf and breath, sky and earth,

Gift of light, dance of life

Earth, water, sun, sky encircle me

We are one and I am whole

Practice Options

• Use your imagination to create your own beach meditation, borrow mine, or return to Day 10 - Beach Breathing with Compassion.
  

• Be moved by Eva Cassidy's The Water is Wide.

• Reflect on this quote from Rumi, "You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the ocean in a drop."