A friend pointed out that I was following in the long tradition of going to the sea for medicinal purposes. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians all found health benefits in sea water. In the mid 17th century British and French doctors began to prescribe sea-bathing for any number of ailments. They believed the cold-water shock to the system was an invigorating, healing stimulant, and the seaside air, good for the lungs.
With this in mind, I trusted in the sea and opened myself to it, wandering the shores, breathing briny, seaweed-scented airs, and jumping into the cold Baltic Sea. As added benefit, the Björkö landscape is rich with dense forests that are almost equally restorative for the walker.
On the WAP24 residency most of the artists I met had chronic health conditions too. I don’t think this was coincidence. We are drawn to walking as an art form because we can create and restore health to the mind/body in the same act. We walked the forests (‘forest bathing’), dove into the cold water, and shared our stories of personal healing rituals.
I returned home feeling much better than when I left, and I’m very conscious of my separation from the sea and forests… life in my city, the pressures of daily life, and my resolve to do the best I can to continue my practice of walking creatively and medicinally.
