With the hot, lovely summer we’ve been having, more and more family and friends are enjoying the ocean waters around the Sunshine Coast. And not only is it relaxing, there are wellness benefits too.
Personally, I’ve been finding release and joy simply by surrendering to the sea and floating off the shore. I’ve been swimming in the morning and swimming in the sunshine and swimming by the moonlight (highly recommended by the light of the super moon, especially!) I go in when it’s calm and warm and less often, when it is cool and stormy. And always, afterwards, I feel less tension, soothed and calmer.
So what gives?
Technically, the term “taking the waters” has been used to denote specific hydrotherapy treatments in spas, hot springs and wells. According to the Medical History of Waters and Spas, in the time of Hippocrates, the healing and healthful powers of baths were being touted widely. During the Roman Empire there were nearly 1,000 therapeutic baths available to citizens of Rome. In addition to being warm, the water of these baths included minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.
By the time of the Renaissance, taking the waters also simply meant a relaxing water-based retreat. And today, thalassotherapy, popularized in France, is a sea-water-based treatment used to promote physical and emotional wellbeing. It’s a combination of the Greek words thálassa which means sea and therapeía which means healing. At French spas, thalassotherapy often consists of a series of baths, showers and massages.
Although they’re not nearly as warm as Roman baths or thalassotherapy spas, our natural ocean waters also contain magnesium, potassium, iodine, calcium, and more than 50 other healthful elements found in the body. These elements and minerals can be depleted by daily life, nutritional deficits and stress.
Fortunately, our skin is permeable, allowing for subtle transference and absorption of these beneficial elements, even when we simply float or swim in the natural ocean. In addition, the slight pressure of the salt water on our bodies increases circulation and relaxes muscles. That’s why we sometimes feel a bit tired after a swim, even if we’ve just been floating around rather aimlessly. Our bodies are actually getting a little workout. Interestingly, exercising in the water is said to increase our fitness output by up to tenfold. Staying afloat while running or exercising also relieves pressure on our joints.
So, whether you call it taking the waters, hydrotherapy, thalassotherapy or simply going for a swim — enjoying the natural beauty and healthful properties of the ocean along the Sunshine Coast is definitely worth considering for personal wellness any time of the year, and especially now.
