Sea soul blessings

If you’d asked me five years ago if I could ever imagine appearing in a national magazine double page spread in my swim gear for a vitality make-over, the answer would have been a definite no. The idea of doing that in December would have seemed even more ridiculous.

But cold water swimming has a way of changing your life… from the inside out. So today, I’m sharing my experience of finding my beauty in the sea – and in the pause.

Sea swimming changes the way you think about yourself, the way you view your body, the things you think are possible…

It puts everything into perspective. It draws you towards being bigger, bolder, braver. Being more of yourself, no matter what.

It teaches you that you can step into the cold water of fear (of how other people might perceive your imperfections, or whatever fear that may be) – and swim.

So somehow… by taking small brave step after small brave step, I found myself appearing in my full glory in Good Housekeeping magazine this month, talking about my experience of sea swimming – and how that inspired me to create Sea Soul Blessings to share the sea’s magic with others.

Seeking beauty: a vitality make-over

Last year, I came up with the idea of a ‘vitality make-over’ as an alternative to the more traditional make-over magazine piece. A piece about discovering our own beauty, via the revitalising experience of doing the things we love.

I wanted to share how sea swimming made me feel – strong, alive, connected to my essence – beautiful. In the hope that this would encourage more people to see their own beauty, offering a different definition of beauty norms.

And of course, I wanted to spread the word about Sea Soul Blessings too – as I know what a positive impact that using these simple cards and the book have had on so many lives.

When I suggested the idea, I didn’t really think about the fact that it might mean being photographed in my swimsuit in a national magazine, or how much courage that might require…!

But a few months later, having had a lovely chat with Bryony, who captured my story, there I was, heading over to St Ives, questioning what on earth I’d got myself into – and calling on the sea to give me the strength I needed to do the next brave thing.

Experiencing the physical sensations of fear – the tense tummy, the chattering teeth, the quickening breath – I remembered to pause – and to offer myself some encouragement and kind words. I reminded myself that I’d done brave things before, and I’d been OK. I reassured myself that I’d be in good hands with the very lovely and talented Nicola Montfort, and her partner Laura, the fabulous St Ives Mermaid. Both of them are also sea swimmers, who absolutely understand the power of ‘blue mind’ time in and around the sea.

And before long, I was racing in and out of the waves on a cold and rainy December day, being photographed by Nicola. Cold water crashing over my head and splatting my hair flat on my face, foam dripping from the end of my nose… wondering how and why I’d ever claimed that I’d look beautiful when I came out of the water. Yes, I might have felt beautiful inside, but how on earth was anyone else going to see that from the outside…?

Using mindfulness and self reflection to move forward

When I first saw the photos, I had to take a deep breath – and another mindful pause.

Listening to my inner chatter, I could feel myself caught between two conflicting responses…

There was the old one, the one trained by the daily barrage of beauty ideals to see the ‘flaws’ – to base my sense of self worth on how closely my appearance met, or failed to meet, an unrealistic set of beauty standards, breaking my body down into its component parts to criticise. This was a voice I’d known for years…

And there was the newer voice, the more compassionate part of me that could see my power, my courage, my joy, that feeling of aliveness that I get from being in and around the sea. This was the voice that had come up with the idea of a vitality make-over in the first place. The voice I’d been cultivating for the past five years. That was the voice I wanted to listen to.

Fortunately, all that time spent in the sea has taught me that in moments of challenge, it helps to come into the present moment. To pause and listen with curiosity to the stories I’m telling myself. To notice what I’m feeling and where those emotions are located in my body. To take a mindful step aside to find a broader perspective that allows me to question my ‘auto-pilot’ thinking. To witness it all, and offer myself some love.

I know that I can’t get rid of the negative voice completely, but I can be kind to myself when I hear it. And I can choose to bring more of my attention to the other more compassionate voice. I won’t pretend that this wasn’t difficult at first – it’s still difficult sometimes. But the more we find a way to do that, the easier it becomes.

Learning to appreciate your body

And even though it isn’t always easy, my experience is that practicing mindful presence and self compassion really does make a difference to how we feel about ourselves. And sea swimming – as I discussed on Pat Kelman’s lovely podcast, The Joy of Swimming – changes your relationship with your body.

That time spent in the water, being brave, has taught me to appreciate all that my body can do – its resilience, its ability to push through the waves, to feel the thrill of the cold and keep going. I’m proud of my body for all that it’s helped me to achieve, and to explore.

And having had weeks when I couldn’t physically get into the sea after breaking my foot and ankle, I discovered that I care more about my legs’ capacity to walk me into the water than how my thighs look, or whether anyone’s judging my bum.

The sea has helped me to see the beauty of my body – for how it allows me to do the things I love.

Finding courage in the sea

The other huge gift I’ve found in the sea is courage. That daily dip reminds me of my bravery – it sets me up for a day of being courageous. That’s the courage that led me to create Sea Soul Blessings. To appear in a magazine in my swimsuit. To step out of my comfort zone on a daily basis. And to keep trying to find kindness for myself when that feels too hard.

While a swim in the sea gives me a vitality make-over from the outside in, self compassion and courage do the same from the inside out…

That internal vitality make-over means that in this photo, I can see a woman doing what lights her up – and sharing that passion with others, in every way she can. And that, to me, at this stage of my life – whatever that other voice in my head may try to claim from time to time – is beauty.

Thanks so much to the team at Good Housekeeping, and to Nicola Montfort for her amazing photos. You can read the article in the March edition of Good Housekeeping, and they’ve kindly allowed me to share it here.

I even get a mention in the editor’s letter and there’s another flash of me in my swimsuit on page 3 (yes, just me, Kate Garraway and the editor of Good Housekeeping hanging out in the opening page of the magazine…!) . It sounds like I may even have inspired Gaby Hudart to step into the water too… how amazing is that?

Sharing my vitality make-over on social media

Once I’d seen the magazine, the next brave step was to share the news and the photo on social media – and the response was amazing! I’ve been overwhelmed by the love and encouragement that so many of you have shared with me on social media. Knowing that you feel proud, inspired, and that you are very much a part of this journey with me, is the most wonderful feeling.

I hope my step into courage inspires you to see your own beauty. To pause, listen to your inner dialogue, and question some of those ‘auto-pilot’ perceptions. To move through what scares you towards what lights you up. To explore your own vitality make-overs. And of course, to step into the sea…

What next?

Well, each brave step leads to another. If my brave step for December was braving a cold wet swimsuit photo shoot, my January brave step was launching my first ever monthly subscription for sea souls: a year of sea and kindness.

And just like the response to my Good Housekeeping adventure, I’ve been so thrilled by the feedback for a year of sea and kindness. I’m loving the process of creating a delicious mixture of sea meditations, new writing, journal prompts, self compassion practices and other tools to help bring more reflective mindful pauses into your day. And it’s a thrill to be able to send all sorts of inspiring sea treats out to you through the post.

I know how powerful and transformative it can be to connect to how the sea makes us feel; to create that mindful space to listen to those internal stories; to explore what we want and need; and to speak kindly to ourselves – so that we can take the next brave step forward. I’d love you to join us.

You can try our first set of treats as a single package if you’d like to dip a toe in first (now available in our shop). Or sign up for a month or two. I’m also offering you the opportunity to choose your subscription rate, based on your current financial situation – as I don’t want the current challenges to prevent anyone from participating.

In February, we’re looking at the power of pausing. Pausing to listen to ourselves, to gather strength, to set an intention, and move towards greater self kindness.

Find out more at seasoulblessings.com/subscription. Come take a small brave step into a new adventure with us, and reconnect to your whole beautiful self.

Good Housekeeping Vitality Make-over photos © Nicola Montfort.

And here’s Nicola, hiding behind her camera, in her element…