For our sixteenth Sea Soul Community interview to deepen the connections between all us sea-lovers, we’re talking to Lynda Wiseman.
Instagram connected me to Lynda (@SpiritualSeaSwimmer) – I love how she often shares her thoughtful interpretations of her daily blessing cards and life. In this interview, Lynda shares her experiences of sea swimming in Scotland’s North Sea, her family and her faith – and her fabulous sea photos to revitalise and refresh us!
Tell us a little bit about you…
My name is Lynda Wiseman, I’m 54 years old and I live in a small town on the coast of the North East of Scotland, called Macduff.
I work part time as a clinical administrator and I swim in the North Sea nearly every day, no matter what the conditions…..
I’ve been married to Robin for 28 years and we have a small Christian group called The Shore Fellowship, in Macduff. I have 5 children and one grandchild and a dog called Cyrus.
What does nature, and the sea in particular, mean to you?
“In my spiritual journey I have found that immersing myself in nature, through walking and open water swimming in particular, has developed a real belief that I am an intrinsic part of this whole beautiful thing called the world… As I swim in the sea I feel that I am at one with the water and the wildlife I see, smell and touch. It gives me such an energy.”
How do you feel on a good day?
Oh my goodness, on a good day I am so positive and full of grace for people’s mistakes and negativity. I am deeply interested in everything, feeling the love in all things and I’m open to change and possibilities. I’m amazing 😀
How do you feel on a bad day?
On a bad day, I’m mellow and a bit defensive having a tendency to overthink things.
Bad days are good as they make me realise how I need to dig deeper and actively consider what I need at that moment. Maybe space or time out, maybe a change in direction albeit a small one. Maybe I just need to stop thinking and listen or read ….
Who or what is inspiring you right now?
My husband, just now as we have been going through a challenging time and his choices to communicate, love, dig deeper and expose his vulnerability have been wonderful.
My children as I have watched their response to the whole racism issue with #blacklivesmatter.
They make me so proud as they stand up for injustice in this world, not afraid to protest and face objections.
What do you worry about on a typical day?
I worry that I am not enough, that as I reach out to move forward in life, I may end up failing and looking foolish in the eyes of others.
Where do you find joy?
The list is endless… Listening to my children make music, create things and love…. When Robin takes my hand….when we eat fabulous food and drink wine…..when I connect with someone through the words that I’ve written…..
“I find joy when I’m near the sea and it makes me aware of how wonderful this world is, what power it holds, and how that power is working for good in my life and the lives of us all… such a gift…”
What do you love to do, read, watch or listen to?
I am a member of an online community called the Liturgists and I love to listen to their podcasts.
They have been such an education and inspiration to me about all aspects of life, challenging me to live better and have better spiritual practices.
They have a series of meditations that have been truly life changing for me, giving me a new way to express my love of God.
I love to watch any documentaries where people are overcoming adversity or challenging themselves. Also Any subtitled Scandi drama…I’m practically fluent in Swedish now (Ha ha!)
I do enjoy reading but usually anything fact based, then I can’t argue with weird storylines or rubbish endings….
What makes you cross?
I don’t do cross very much, I go straight to being upset and tears.
Actually, if I thought someone was being abusive verbally or physically to anyone, that can really push my buttons. I’ve been known on a few occasions to confront a man who is being abusive to his partner…
How do you look after yourself?
Oh, I have become very good at this over the last few years.
I can buy things now, that I really feel I need and will get good use out of… like my Dryrobe or new swimming gear. Before this I would be loathe to spend money on myself…
“I am better at giving myself time to meditate, read , rest – something I always felt guilty about.”
What would you most like to change about your life?
Actually, nothing just now. I honestly have the best life and I know it’s going to change but I trust that when I’m in that future stage of life, I will be just as content.
I suppose it will be nice to get a new back door eventually but even that can wait…it still works as a door. It’s still functional 😀
What have you learnt about life that you wish you’d understood earlier?
“I’ve learnt and am still learning that worrying about what’s ahead is totally unproductive and the more I can live in the moment, the better my mindset is….it’s a daily practice for me but has been so worth it.”
How would you describe Sea Soul Blessings in 3 words?
Challenging… Loving… Peaceful
How do you use your Sea Soul Blessings?
I started using them randomly, picking one a day but then felt I was missing some, so now I choose one and then put it into a pile that can’t be chosen again till I’ve gone through them all.
I choose one at the beginning of the day, usually before I go for a swim and take the reading with me into my day, often sharing it and my thoughts with friends or family.
“I started using my Sea Soul Blessings at the beginning of Lockdown and shared my journey through cards, swimming and musings online. It was a great experience and I made many wonderful connections through it.”
If someone was thinking about trying Sea Soul Blessings, how would you encourage them?
I would tell them it is a beautiful and simple way to bring depth of love into our lives, to challenge ourselves to think and meditate on how and why we do things.
To find out more about Lynda, follow her on instagram. Find more of the Sea Soul Community interviews over here.
And if you’d like to read more from Sea Soul Blessings, sign up for the Sea Soul Newsletter, full of sea wisdom, self compassion, special offers and news.
So inspirational. Connecting with nature can have such good effects on us physically, mentally and spiritually and I love the photos!
Yes, I completely agree! Connecting with nature has had such a powerful impact on me too. I’m so glad you enjoyed Lynda’s interview – she’s a very inspiring woman.