BREATHING SPACES
Co-Creating Well Being of Body, Mind, Heart, and Planet …..One Breath At A Time
Words From The Sea – Breathe With The Oceans
The ocean a wise and ageless teacher of breath
reminding you to free your breath to flow as
easily and naturally as the waves
washing onto shore,
washing back to sea.
Easy, liquid wave of breath-
soothing, sensual rhythm
of your own inner being. – Lea Houston
Growing up in San Diego only 5 blocks or so from the beach and ocean has deeply imprinted the feel, sight, smell and tastes of this world inside of me. It is a place that I am always drawn to, and if truth be told I really need to know that I am close enough to be able to drive to the coast in one day or less.
There are many on this planet that have never been to the ocean, or are even a days drive away, but all of us share the powerful impact that the oceans have on our very existence – our beginnings in fact – the tides, the weather, food source, diversity of life forms, and a necessary element for the health and balance of our planet and our ecosystems. All of this and a beauty, power and majesty that cannot be equaled!
About 15 years ago or more now I traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii. It had always been my dream to swim with the dolphins. I brought this intention with me to a rebirthing retreat that I was attending on the Hilo side of Hawaii. On the first morning of the retreat the facilitator and I woke up very early and were drawn to go to the beach to swim before the beginning of the day. Driving to a nearby beach, where we were told by the locals that the dolphins came to play, we carefully negotiated our way down the cliff side as first light broke across the water.
The waves were daunting and quite a barrier to get past, but our intentions were strong to be in the sea to start our day. Once past the breakers, I stopped to tread water closing my eyes and asking for the dolphins to come to us. My intention was so strong that I could feel the interconnection.
Within 5 minutes, way far in the distance it seemed, I saw movement. My eyes were riveted on this movement attempting to discern exactly what was moving towards us…until I realized that it was them – an entire pod of dolphins in fact – and they were moving towards us very quickly leaping up in the air as if to greet us and welcome us back into the fold. 
At this point there were tears streaming down my face as they came to us and made us one of their pod. As we played together on their terms I wished that I could make the sound that they did in response to their seemingly absolute delight at being in our presence. They touched us with their love, their sense of play, and their wisdom – and confirmed my belief that all forms of life are intimately interconnected.
As my companion made her way to shore telling me that it was time to go back, there was a deep reluctance to part from these creatures of the sea. As if they knew that it was time the pod distanced themselves a little from me as if to make it easier for me to leave. As I emerged from the sea the feeling of having been “made love to” permeated every fiber of my being.
Climbing the cliffside I found that my friend had gone to the car already – but I had one more thing to do before leaving. Standing on the cliff ledge I closed my eyes, held my hands at my heart, and thanked these magnificent beings for coming to be with me. As I opened my eyes the entire pod was in a “V” formation in the ocean before me as if to say goodbye and thank me for engaging with them!
Needless to say this remains a peak experience of my life. Some years later I had another completely different experience with dolphins in the wild on the other side of the Big Island, and that too remains as a deeply felt opening within me.
Telling this story reminds me of the magic and mystery of the sea and all the creatures that are within. Many moments of my life have been spent beside the ocean running, sitting by a bonfire, writing poetry, walking, body surfing, boggy boarding, or simply just being and breathing to take in the elements and the life that lives there.
We all know that our oceans are in trouble, as many ecosystems on our planet right now. Our deep interconnection with the oceans demand that we pay attention to bringing them back into balance – and stop the practices that upset the natural diversity and wholeness. This is a breathing space that we cannot do without!!
Dear friends of mine – Lea Houston and David Bayles – have recently created a site called Words From The Sea. Their story is below and I invite you to watch the video and see how a conscious business is unfolded. David, as a professional photographer, has taken the gifts from the sea foam and created a beautiful art form that reminds us of the the magic, diversity, and abundance that are the oceans. In addition, a percentage of any profits made from these ready to hang art pieces is given to organizations that are working on behalf of education, preservation, and restoration of these life giving waters.
I invite you to see what Lea and David have created here….and to remember that our oceans and the ecosystems that thrive from and with them are a breathing space for us as humans – one that we cannot do without!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Words-From-The-Sea/130955040285076?v=wall
OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:
BREATHING SPACES 
Recent Comments