Into the blue
GET YOURSELF O THE BEACH OR ANY WATER BODY, BIG OR SMALL, TO WASH AWAY FEELINGS OF DEPRESSION AND STRESS
One feels connected when around blue spaces. Artists get creative, depressed people find solace and it pushes you to get up and get going. Not just near water bodies, but life inside water is also therapeutic”
ESHA HINDOCHA, model, fashion & lifestyle, blogger
It can have a delightfully soothing effect on you, enough to rid you of stress, depression and anxiety. A mere look at it can fill you with that feeling of positivity and wellness —- much required during these turbulent times. We’re talking of ‘blue’ space.
The pandemic led many of us into green spaces and we learnt the benefits of being amidst nature. But the pandemic blues are far from over. And we can beat blue with blue.
After green, it is the blue spaces – being around water – that have come as a soother for many to stay mentally healthy. It has been scientifically proven that being around water has a deep connection with the mind, which brings about a feeling of wellness and peace.
“We play golf and at our courses there are lot of huge water bodies and mini lakes. At home, we have three outdoor water bodies full of fish and it’s at that space where we spend the maximum time. It is very soothing,” says Dr Sameer A Mahendra, of Mahendra Dental hospitals.
He says that his blue space (fish ponds) soothes his nerves and takes away all the worries and tiredness of the day. “In the lap of nature, your mind always works and the process dentist.
People can experience the benefits of water whether they are near the ocean, a lake, river, or swimming pool or by listening to the soothing sound of a fountain. Even a shower is beneficial. Merely looking at images of water too makes people feel calmer, find scientists. better thought is positive,” says the
Being in a land-locked city, we Hyderabadis know the value of water. I like to meditate upon the sight and sounds of water. The sounds, be it waves on a beach, rain on leaves or flow of water in a river or a fountain, have the same ability as music or yoga to calm my senses.
— AUGUSTINE XAVIER
Says Augustine Xavier: “Being in a land-locked city, we Hyderabadis know the value of water. That is why places like Dubai, Maldives and Goa are popular with us. I don’t pass up on the opportunity to stay in an oceanfront room or one with a beach view in my travels.”
He says, he takes delight in looking at the lakes of Gandipet and even KBR Park during evening strolls. “I like to meditate upon the sights and sounds of water. The sounds, be it waves on a beach, rain on leaves or flow of water in a river or a fountain, have the same ability as music or yoga to calm my senses. There is something that touches me in the flow of a river. It reminds me of life and that we must keep moving forward,” he says.
A FORM OF MEDITATION
Listening to the gushing sound of water is a form of meditation that has long been practiced in India. Explains Dr Sudhir Kumar, Consultant Neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, “Being near water bodies brings a sense of relaxation and joy. Who does not enjoy a vacation on the beaches of Goa? Just taking a walk by the beach relaxes our minds and relieves stress. Similar feelings of happiness come when we are near a lake or river. The presence of large water bodies energizes our brain as well as body. People tend to jog or walk better when near a lake or riverside, and also do better workouts.”
He says being near the water also enhances the brain’s creativity, as it enables one to focus and concentrate well. “So, if you are keen to create a painting which is a masterpiece, or a new music album, find a quiet room near an ocean and your path will become easier.”
“One feels connected when around blue spaces. Artists get creative, depressed people find solace and it pushes you to get up and get going. Not just near water bodies, but life inside water is also therapeutic,” says Esha Hindocha, a model.
Recalling some magic moments from her recent experience at Maldives, she says the sound of water and blue scenes were truly hypnotic. “Once you get into it, you don’t wanna come out. Living near water bodies, sleeping with
Blue spaces – being around water – that have come as a soother for many to stay mentally healthy. It has been scientifically proven that being around water has a deep connection with the mind, which brings about a feeling of wellness and peace.
I notice an uptick in my mental and physical wellbeing. Contact with Blue induces a meditative state that makes me happier, healthier, calmer, creative and more capable of awe. I was always drawn to water, be it the oceans, lakes, waterfalls, fountains or aquariums
— RAVI KHANDELWAL, Businessman
the sound of waves, is so stressrelieving. Blue spaces are definitely a big mood enhancer and one of the best free psychologists Mother Earth has to offer,” says Hindocha.
Businessman Ravi Khandelwal says blue spaces have helped him de-stress like nothing else. “I notice an uptick in my mental and physical wellbeing. Contact with Blue induces a meditative state that makes me happier, healthier, calmer, creative and more capable of awe.”
The beauty, Ravi feels, lies in how almost all the senses get engaged in harmony at once sight, smell, hearing and touch. Ravi’s trips to New Zealand, Langkawi and Pangong Tso have been conducive to meditation and he cannot wait to get back to such places. “I was always drawn to water, be it the oceans, lakes, waterfalls, fountains or aquariums,” he adds.
Spending time in and by waters wards off depression.
My love of water is pervasive, and that’s the only reason why I travel,” says entrepreneur Bina Mehta of Prakash Lights. “It makes me feel calm.”