I’m starting a new project and here it is. Ocean Flow. I have no idea what is going to happen but what I do know is the time is now, and if you have ideas it’s better to share them!
The planet is in trouble, the oceans are in trouble. Climate change is happening and it’s happening now. It’s the biggest challenge we have ever faced. We know this. But, what can we do about it and how can we make a positive difference?
I believe the biggest thing we can do is connect; connect with each other and our home; the environment, nature, wild places, mountains, forests, woodlands, the oceans, rivers, lakes, the sea! Why? Well, put simply, to experience beauty, awe and wonder.
This is why I am starting Ocean Flow. The oceans are the lifeblood of our planet, they make up nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface. Without them we wouldn’t be here. It provides us with the oxygen we need to breath; every second breath we take comes from the ocean. The ocean is therapy, it’s a healing space, it brings great joy, happiness, love and hope.
Photo credit: Inge Maria (Unsplash)
So, what is Ocean Flow? It’s an idea, a concept, a hope and a vision of a more beautiful, compassionate and connected World. It is an ocean connection experience to inspire action towards positive environmental and social change.
The long-term vision is to facilitate and co-create an immersive, relaxing and revitalising experience and physical learning space or retreat grounded in mindfulness, connection and flow. See more here. However, in the short to medium term this could be a pop-up bite-size half-day, 1, 2, or 3-day course facilitating connection to the ocean and each other.
To meaningfully and effectively tackle climate change and make a positive impact in the World, I believe we need to be the best we can be. We need to strengthen our relationships. We need to look in before we can look out. We need to listen, really listen, listen with empathy and compassion. We need to be inspired by hope, love and kindness, by the positive story we tell ourselves, and the positive vision we can achieve. And by combining “being” present with “doing”, i.e. action. This action starts with connection, or put another way, connection leads to action.
A couple of years ago I read the book “The Nature Principle” by Richard Louv who is best recognised for his previous book “Last Child in the Woods” and coining the concept and term “Nature-Deficit Disorder” to describe our lack of connection with nature, particularly focused on children. This was at a time when I was undertaking a MSc dissertation at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, Wales, exploring the relationship between nature connection, kindness, happiness and pro-environmental behaviour. A quote from “The Nature Principle” has always stuck with me:
“We cannot protect something we do not love, we cannot love what we do not know, and we cannot know what we do not see. Or hear. Or sense.”
Photo credit: Tony Brassell (Unsplash)
It is this connection through the sensory experience which I am interested in exploring more, i.e. seeing, hearing, listening, feeling and being, which leads onto “doing” but in a mindful, purposeful and beautiful way. So, now I am focusing on exploring this connection in more detail but specifically centred on the ocean.
“Putting people in nature fosters love, and love motivates a change in behaviour”
So, what’s flow got to do with all this? Taken literately the definition of flow is “to move” or “proceed from a source”, for example a river flowing out to sea. However, here I am also using it to refer to another meaning, e.g. to be in a “state of flow”, or in the zone. Looking at this in more detail and drawing on the discipline of Positive Psychology and the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (the Father of Flow), flow can be described as “being fully immersed in a feeling of energised focus, full involvement and enjoyment in the process of an activity”.
Taking this further and thinking back to something I explored as a participant on the Wavemaker Collective earlier this year (an incredible experience); we (the wavemakers) discussed the notion of “does the World really need this?”. For example, I am really contributing, or does the World really need what I am doing. This is a difficult question to ask ourselves and an even more difficult to answer, especially in an honest, open and courageous way. However, even to think about this is a radical act. Almost immediately, and later reflecting on this, it made me think maybe it’s more important to ask, “do I really need this?”, and shortly afterwards I came across the quote:
“Don’t ask what the World needs, ask what makes you come alive then go and do that, because what the World needs is more people who have come alive.” (Howard Thurman)
To tackle climate change, environmental and social change we need to come alive and be in a state of flow.
You may be thinking “yeah, but what does this actually mean in reality, or what’s actually happening now?” I’m a firm believer of doing rather than talking. Actions speak louder than words. And one of my favourite quotes is “there’s no point talking about the future, if it doesn’t lead to action today”. So, with that in mind, in late November and December I’m planning on exploring my own connection to the ocean by cycling around the coast of Devon and Cornwall and swimming in the sea everyday experiencing first-hand the wildness and healing power of the ocean.
Why Devon and Cornwall? Because I grew up in the South-West of the UK on the border of these two counties so where better to start than by exploring what is on my doorstep and seeing with new eyes. I’ve recently made a bamboo bike and I’m keen to test it out! There’s also something about these “edge” places, the coastline, where the land meets the sea, or the sea meets the land, something wild and magical. It’s where things seem to happen.
The plan is to connect with people and projects making the World a better place. Connecting with and learning from these change-makers and sharing their positive stories of change will aim to inspire hope and positive action. This will be through developing and creating an Ocean Flow podcast – a platform for showcasing these inspiring projects through the medium of storytelling. I’ll be living single-use plastic free on the trip, where possible eating local, seasonal or food that would have otherwise been wasted, and camping or staying with people along the way. Another reason for doing the trip is to explore “the kindness of strangers” as I believe if you put yourself out there and be open with kindness and compassion people will respond in the same way. If anyone knows of any people or projects in Devon and Cornwall, ocean-related or tackling climate change or social change then please let me know!
And after this, who knows where it will lead….
So, to finish, this is a journey and I hope you can be part of it. I’ve learnt to ask questions, be bold, ambitious, curious, push the boundaries, go for it and not hold back. Furthermore, to do this in a participatory, collaborative and creative way. See Ocean Flow’s full approach and values here. I hope we can learn together and this can be co-imagined, co-created and co-developed with you. If you would like to be involved, have some ideas, advice, see how we can work together, working on something similar, or would like to reach out and chat, please let me know.
There’s just something about this fresh, salty goodness! Let’s dive in!
