In the Blue Zones, 5 areas in the world where a majority of people live to be centurions, one of the key learnings is the importance of movement in nature.
On the surface, ocean swimming meets the mark. Others among us turn to a run through North Head, or a soft sand walk north whilst watching the first orange light hit the tops of the Manly pine trees. For me, nature at its wildest is when the most joy is released. The chaos of the mind is silenced and distracted, and our bodies and souls align with the world we are immersed in.
Take Thursdays rainy, wild, wind torn morning. The lure of 4 to 5 foot waves set my alarm, never needed. A wave is a glorious thing. A pulse of the oceans’ heart sets it rolling, and when it trips on the sandbanks near the oceans edge, it tips and turns into a ramp of powerful energy. To catch it, you feel the suck as it draws breath and you kick into its teeth, launching a slight downward angle, a rush to oblivion. Airborne. Wings. Twisted and tied by the artificial world we inhabit, joy is found as nature swallows us whole. Spitting and rolling. Joy is often buried deep. You do not need to change to be accepted into this world.
Drinks said to me a few years ago, the mornings you feel like staying in bed are the best ones. The messy ones are those with the brightest shining lights. Because they are real. Never discount your truth. The southern hill blocks the ice. You become in touch with your joy. As Jim says every morning, get up, get out. Another friend says keep showing up. Even when teeth are bared, or doubt enters our thoughts. Fear is our enemy today. The answer lies with love. Simply a love for self and the world that embraces us when we let it.
Another key attribute of a Blue Zone is community. And in time I believe that there will be a 6th Blue Zone. A suburb of Sydney. A marine sanctuary. Where souls and minds and bodies are as protected as the marine life that revels in its shallows.
Baby Spice’s Pitch report
Ohhhhhh myyyyy 🌊 what a morning
The water was WARM 🥹 with just a teeny whisper of post-rain chill 🌧️
Visibility? Average but compared to yesterday’s blindfolded dog-paddle, it’s magnificent 😍
A few cheeky waves rolling in with a whole lot of pull at the point 🌊 Sneaky clinging to a rock like a shipwrecked Victorian lady 🏴☠️
The Baker emerged from the depths of his pantry like a culinary Poseidon 🧁✨ hazelnuts, dates, a sprinkle of mystery. No recipe, just pure love.
Meanwhile… Sneaky was positively radiating sidled up next to Birchy 😏 comments he is fully-clothed for the photo 🥵 the confidence? Astronomical. The clothes? Still on (for now).
Millie went full emotional rollercoaster 🎢 goggles vanished to the ocean gods, she declared all hope gone, composed her farewell speech… and then Merman casually plucked them from between the sets 🧜♂️ Hero.
And the Guv… dear sweet oversharing Guv 🙈 hasn’t stopped talking about his red undies.
Wonders (loudly) how one politely shares a hot water bottle shower with Frangi. The logistics alone… 😳
Thanks for the swim and coffee (and epic waves) Team. Remember don’t let your true love run cold!
Love from cobloggers Baby Spice 💕 and Rusty the Fish 🐠
PS to Chippo and Mel, who are finding their own Movement in Nature, enjoy your Balinese adventure x0
