Newsletter 26.7.26
I’m on a beautiful island called Lefkadas, near Ithaka (the name of one of my favourite poems, so beautiful, evocative – and a good reminder of how to live fully). It’s hot! My kids and husband are sleeping like teenagers, as seemingly everyone else. Even at 8am there’s barely anyone around. I’m loving quietly making my coffee, slipping on my shorts and creeping down to the beach on my own. First thing in the morning, the sea is almost completely still, clear and array of barely describable colours. Clear by the shore and then translucent green-blue – like frosted sea glass. Barely a ripple further out in the lapis lazuli mid depths and then in the deep, indigo silk, becoming almost obsidian out at the hazy horizon. At the shore, the wavelets lap rhythmically on white pebbles. I’ve been tuning my breath into the ebb and flow of these little waves. It’s not perfect, but it’s a lovely way to anchor my awareness deeply into my breath. I’ve been imagining the flow of water back and forth, like the breath of the ocean. As though each wavelet up the beach is an exhale of the ocean, stretching the water away from its home. Each time the waves flow back into their home body of water, like an inhale, the ocean filling itself back up. I’ve been playing with imagery of this and I love it. It also works the other way around, the inhale moving up the beach, the exhale moving back to the sea. I know Greek mythology disagrees with me, but I always imagine the ocean, like the earth, as female.
If you’re near the sea anywhere in the world this summer, perhaps you’ll enjoy spending a few moments tuning into your breath and connecting with the ocean (and your own inner currents) in this way. Best in calmer waters!
If you’re intrigued, traditional ujjayi breath, sometimes known as ocean breath, or even Darth Vader breath (!) is a lovely way to set an audible rhythm to your breath for physical or meditative practices. It is considered calming and soothing to the nervous system because it slows the breath down by a slight constriction in the back of the throat – hence the sound – like ocean waves or Darth Vader.
Give it a try by starting the exhale with an open mouth, making the sound you would make if you were to fog a mirror. It’s a haaaaaa kind of sound. Sounds (a bit) like the ocean. Or Darth Vader. Notice the slight narrowing of the back of the throat. Once you feel fairly comfortable with that exhale, try doing it on the inhale. Tricky but not impossible. You might find it easier to try with the mouth closed and inhale through the nose, then exhale through an open mouth. Or try both through the nose. Try breathing in this way for a couple of minutes and see what you think. Or, if you like my idea, try visualising gentle beach waves, calmly ebbing and flowing and match your breath to this idea of ‘ocean breathing’.
Look out for my new posters and programmes coming to your local area and your inbox in a couple of weeks.
Massage resumes w/c 3rd August and the Monday & Tuesday are already fully booked – book for the rest of that week and until the end of August here.
Love and rest,
Katie xx
PS Tell me, have you seen the new movie, The Odyssey? I love a Greek epic and am looking forward to seeing it when I’m home. Let me know what you thought!
Also – if you want a greater sense of that connection with yourself, remember to sign up for this free zoom: “Breath, body and a little psychology” – co-led by me and Dr Kristin Bohn, 8 – 9pm, Weds 16th September