In And Out Of The Lakes
An elemental exploration of blue spaces: tarns, ghylls and forces, lakes, rivers and waterfalls
Happy Friday!
And warm (yes, actually warm!) greetings from Esthwaite Water in the Lake District. It’s so warm, in fact, that I’ve had to seek shade (and WiFi so that I can send this to y’all 💚).
I’ve been in the Lakes for a week now, on what has become an elemental exploration of its blue spaces: its tarns, ghylls and forces, lakes, rivers and waterfalls.
I don’t know about you, but there’s something about submersion in wild waters that transforms the way I feel: from lethargy to vitality. It made sense, then, to write about some of the ways that our waterways bring life to our lives.
For those of you new around these parts, welcome 👋 My name is David and I’m a writer, outdoor instructor and cyclist-at-large with Thighs of Steel. In this newsletter, I write stories that help you and me understand the world (and ourselves) a little better.
Sometimes I find myself pummelled with negative ions.
Everything I Know About Nature Connection, Part 2: Water Is Good
On Monday, Ruth from At Nature’s Pace led us on a Wild and Well Swim Hike to Easedale Tarn.
As we walked, Ruth told us all about the positive health benefits of connecting to nature, especially with the blue spaces for which the Lake District is named.
According to science boffins, wild swimming can:
improve wellbeing and reduce negative mood states such as anger and tension
promote mental health (Foley 2015 and 2017; Denton and Aranda 2019)
promote immune functioning and help treat inflammation-related conditions
More than words, Ruth also led us gently and mindfully into the water — no small feat when my usual response to immersion in a mountain lake is somewhat less than mindful.
All shrieking aside, Ruth’s technique of mindful immersion is three-fold:
Walk or wallow into the water at your own, slow and steady pace; don’t jump straight in.
Take time to regulate your breathing as you go: long out breaths; if you’re gasping, then go slower and breathe deeper.
Keep your elbows pressed tight to your sides and hands folded together, like you’re in prayer. As you get deeper and warmer, you can slowly unfurl your arms like a swan taking flight.
Ruth also showed us how to warm up after swimming using Wim Hof’s genuinely energising horse pose. Oocha-ooh noises optional.
Other tried and tested warm-up techniques include:
running up steep slopes
hugging someone
hot chocolate
~
As an aside, it seems that living by the coast simply makes you a better person.
In 2020, a team from the universities of Exeter and Plymouth did a survey of 24,000 people in England and found that those living less than 5km from the coast were more likely to:
do their recycling
buy local and seasonal produce
walk or cycle rather than drive for short journeys
be a member of an environmental organisation
~
Finally, as I wrote last time, the wondrous qualities of our blue spaces mean nothing if we cannot legally access the damned water.
This truth underpins everything I know about nature connection: We need access if we ever want to dream of reconnecting.
It’s all very well for those who live somewhere like the Lake District, but what about the rest of the country?
Public access to waterways is highly restricted in England and Wales and that needs to change if we are all to rediscover our deepest connections to our ecosystem.
If you can, join the Restore Nature Now march in London on 22 June and call for responsible access to nature.
Three Tiny Big Things
1. In And Out Of The Kitchen by Miles Jupp
All four series are now available on BBC Sounds. Binge listening of surely one of the finest pieces of radio comedy ever produced. Bring your own mini quiches.
2. Ultimate Gingerbread by Jamie Oliver
For a semi-authentic taste of Grasmere.
3. Wild Service Book Club
A series of video interviews with the authors behind the excellent Wild Service collection of essays on the right to roam, the right to reconnect and the right to serve nature.
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Big love,
dc:
Just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for introducing me to In and Out of the Kitchen. A perfect radio comedy.