On the Water - The State of Being Called "Blue Mind"

Does being on or near the water lower stress? Is there a chemical reaction in the brain when you are near the water? Some folks say they have salt water in their veins, others can't understand how people can live inland, away from the water. There may be a scientific reason for needing that water "fix".  

A scientist and environmental advocate, Dr. Wallace J Nichols, has written a book on the subject that helps explain what goes on in our minds as we are near the water. It's been attracting neurologists and psychologists from around the world.

Brain imagining indicates that proximity to water floods the brain with feel-good hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol actually drop. Scientists have also discovered that the brain prefers the color blue above all others and water increases our ability to focus.      

"Our response to water is deep," Nichols said. "It's human, it's about life and it's about survival." In fact, our bodies consist of about 60 percent water and our brains, a whopping 75 percent.  "So when you see water, when you hear water, it triggers a response in your brain that you're in the right place," Nichols said.

From rafting to kayaking to surfing, water therapy is increasingly being used to treat a variety of ailments, including wounded veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and depression.

"I think connecting public health to a healthy ocean is critical," Nichols said. "It helps you relax, just literally sucks the stress out of your body and out of your mind."

So you really may crave the feeling you get by being on the water.... and can't live without it. It all makes sense now!    Link  HERE and CBS news report HERE