by Pippa Best
When you feel lost and overwhelmed, do you dream of an ocean escape? For so many of us, the sea is hope, healing and home. It’s a liminal space in which we can awaken a deeper connection to our intuitive soul knowing. Instinctively, we understand that the sea offers a powerful conduit to healing and soul guidance – even when we’re far from the water.
So today, I’m sharing three of my favourite soul-soothing ocean practices to transport you to the shore. Tend to your aching heart, gather strength, and leave feeling clearer and at peace. Try them individually, or combine all three to create a mini ocean ritual. If you want to go deeper, come connect at Sea Soul Blessings and dive into my new book, the Sea Soul Journal.
The Sea Within – a breathing practice
You can use this practice to support you when you feel overwhelmed, revealing the sea that is always within you. In a moment of challenge, let the ocean visualisation, sea sounds, and gentle shift in your focus and breathing soothe you and bring you into the present.
- Begin by taking a moment to check in. How would you describe how you feel right now in three words?
- Now, pause and bring your attention to the sound of your breath. Allow it to deepen a little. You might like to audibly sigh as you breathe out, encouraging your whole body to join you in this release.
- Listen for the sound of the sea in your breath as you inhale and exhale. Can you hear the sound of the waves drawing back and rolling in again?
- Bring your attention to the movement of your body – and notice how this too echoes the movement of the waves. You might sense the rise and fall of your chest or belly, or the repeated softening of your body as you exhale.
- Visualise or sense the movement of these waves rolling in and rolling out in time with your breath, until you feel a shift within.
- To complete the practice, pause to notice how are feeling now - mind, body, and sea soul. How would you describe what you are feeling now? Have you experienced any changes?
Sea Soul Soothing - an ocean visualisation
Try this healing visualisation practice when you feel unsettled, self-critical or disconnected from your soul self. Or use it as a daily practice to tend to your sea soul, deepening your relationship with the sea and with your inner knowing.
If you need help to sense the connection between you and the sea, begin with ‘The Sea Within’ practice above, then extend this practice to create a healing connection between the sea and your soul self.
- Start by calling in the sea’s support. To do so, you might simply state in your mind or aloud “I invite in the sea’s soul healing, for the highest good of all”
- Gently bring your attention to the space behind and around your heart – or to a place in or around your body where you most easily connect to your soul self. As you breathe, imagine the sea washing in and out of this area, cleansing and healing. As you exhale, sense the sea effortlessly washing anything away that is not serving your highest good. Allow this release to happen gently and without judgement - little by little, wave by wave. As you inhale, imagine that you are welcoming the sea’s gifts. Sense the healing magic of the sea flowing into this area, supporting and nurturing your soul self, bringing your soul whatever it most needs in this moment. Listen for any messages that come to you.
- When you feel sufficiently soothed, take a moment to thank the sea for its gifts. To do so, you might simply place your hand on your heart, sense the gratitude within you, and state in your mind or aloud “I thank the sea for this healing.” Then bring your attention back to your body, to the earth beneath your feet and to the solid support offered to you by gravity each day. Ground into the earth. You might like to speak some closing words, such as “I am complete.”
Sea Soul Journaling – a writing practice
When you want clarity and guidance on an issue or challenge, journal prompts can connect you to sea soul guidance. Use these prompts as a stand-alone practice, or as a daily journaling routine at the start or end of the day.
To deepen your connection with the sea, combine these prompts with the practices above. Introduce the journal practice before you offer thanks to the sea, keeping this soul channel open.
You could also play sea sounds as you write. Listening to the sea will soothe your nervous system and clear your mind. So that you can more deeply connect to your soul knowing, and hear the guidance of the sea.
1. Question by question, write down the prompt below and continue writing to find your answer.
What am I letting go of?
What am I inviting in?
What do I know to be true, deep down?
Try writing your responses without taking your pen from the page. Sense into the flow of the ink on the paper, and allow your words to appear freely, like water, without pause for thought or judgement. Allow this process to reflect the constant movement of the waves. If you find it hard to find an answer, try repeatedly writing out the question until an answer comes, so that you can stay in flow.
2. When you have finished journaling, offer thanks to the sea and your soul self for guidance. You could speak this aloud or write this down.
Then bring your attention back to your body, to the earth beneath your feet and to the solid support offered to you by gravity each day. Ground into the earth. You might like to speak the words, “I am complete.”
The more you explore each of these practices, the more familiar and intuitive they become. As the sea continues to support you - mind, body and sea soul - allow it to also awaken your own capacity to nurture. For as the sea soothes our souls, we reciprocate by healing it in return. You’ll find more practices like these when you dive into the Sea Soul Journal.
