May 14, 2026
Blue Mind: Your Brain on Water
<p>Season two of Calm With Me begins at the water’s edge. In this episode, neuroscientist, yoga teacher, and scuba diver Dr. Meredith Calvert explores the science behind “Blue Mind,” the deeply restorative state our brains enter around water. From childhood memories of England’s rugged coastline to the neuroscience of soft fascination, dopamine, serotonin, and nervous system regulation, this episode dives into why the ocean has such a profound ability to quiet the mind and bring us back to ourselves.</p><p>You’ll learn how blue spaces influence stress, attention, and emotional well-being, and why calm may be less about forcing relaxation and more about giving your nervous system the right environment to settle naturally. A grounding, science-informed invitation to slow down, breathe deeply, and practice meeting the wild.</p><p><strong>Mentioned in this episode:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Want to experience Blue Mind for yourself? </strong></li></ul><p>I built the SeaCalm retreat around exactly this. My yoga & scuba diving retreat in is an immersive week-long experience designed to help you slow down, breathe more deeply, and reconnect with yourself, through movement, breath, and the ocean. Not just a yoga retreat, not just a dive trip. It’s a restorative prescription for Blue Mind: a full week of soft fascination, feel-good neurotransmitters, and turquoise water as far as the eye can see.</p><p>No yoga or scuba experience needed. Just curiosity, and a willingness to let the ocean do what it does best.</p><p>Find out more: <a href="https://meriyoga.org/seacalm2026">https://meriyoga.org/seacalm2026</a></p><ul><li><strong>Shrines of Science blog</strong> - <a href="https://www.meriyoga.com/blog/blue-mind" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Blue Mind: How the Ocean Heals</a></li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://wildcalmretreats.com/">WildCalm Retreats</a></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Follow me on Instagram:</strong> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meriyogasf">@meriyogasf </a></li></ul><p><strong>Time Stamps:</strong></p><p><strong>00:00 —</strong> The shift near the ocean</p><p><strong>01:20 —</strong> A seaside childhood</p><p><strong>01:50 —</strong> 'Just a little bit of fear'</p><p><strong>02:15 —</strong> Wallace J. Nichols and Blue Mind</p><p><strong>02:30 —</strong> The neurochemistry of Blue Mind</p><p><strong>03:10 —</strong> Soft fascination</p><p><strong>03:40 —</strong> The dose response of time spent near water</p><p><strong>04:10 —</strong> Moving water</p><p><strong>04:25 —</strong> Change your environment, change your nervous system</p><p><strong>04:50 —</strong> 'Immerse yourself in soft fascination'</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Scientific references:</strong></p><ol><li><p>Britton, E., Kindermann, et al., (2018). Blue care: a systematic review of blue space interventions for health and wellbeing. Health Promotion International, 35, 50 - 69.</p></li><li><p>McDougall, C., Hanley, et al. (2021). Neighbourhood blue space and mental health: A nationwide ecological study of antidepressant medication prescribed to older adults. Landscape and Urban Planning, 214, 104132.</p></li><li><p>McDougall, C., Hanley, N., et al. (2022). Blue space exposure, health and well-being: Does freshwater type matter? Landscape and Urban Planning, 224,104446.</p></li><li><p>Murrin, E., Taylor, N., et al., (2023). Does physical activity mediate the associations between blue space and mental health? A cross-sectional study in Australia. BMC Public Health, 23.</p></li><li><p>Pasanen, T., White, M., et al., (2019). Neighbourhood blue space, health and wellbeing: The mediating role of different types of physical activity.. Environment international, 131, 105016.</p></li><li><p>Pearson, A., Shortridge, A., et al. (2019). Effects of freshwater blue spaces may be beneficial for mental health: A first, ecological study in the North American Great Lakes region. PLoS ONE, 14.</p></li><li><p>Tang, H., Lee, A., & Hung, S., (2024). Does built environment and natural leisure settings with bodies of water improve human psychological and physiological health?. Landscape and Ecological Engineering, 20, 547 - 558.</p></li><li><p>Wright, K., Eden, S., et al., (2024). A qualitative exploration of the contribution of blue space to well‐being in the lives of people with severe mental illness. People and Nature, 6 (2), 849-864.</p></li><li><p>Yin, J., Ramanpong, J., et al. (2023). Effects of blue space exposure in urban and natural environments on psychological and physiological responses: A within-subject experiment. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 87, 128066.</p></li></ol><p><br></p>
