I love everything about this, but mostly the "I did this!".
Midlife genuinely does shift our perspective in so many ways and the impossible becomes possible. The pull of the sea though, there's something magical there for all ages x
I agree there is something magical about the sea but it took me a long time to appreciate it.
I wonder if it’s something to do with, despite being born and brought up in the UK, my family and heritage is Czech. For my family, from a landlocked country, a seaside holiday was an anathema - and we never went on them when I was a child.
Perhaps it’s also why if I think of nature, I am called to mountains and forests, rather than beaches and ocean….
What a wonderfully honest reflection on how midlife can shift our perspective and encourage us to stop watching from the shore. Your description of the cold sea offering a total nervous system reset really resonates, and I hope your future trips to Pembrokeshire bring many more rejuvenating dips! For me, it's the Maltese cliffs.
I’m so pleased my post resonated Daphne. I do love Pembrokeshire and I’m sure I will be swimming there again. In the meantime, as an aside, I’ve been watching a tv show recently and the location was stunning - I looked up where it was filmed and it was Malta. Wow! What a landscape!
I loved this! While reading, I had one of those little synchronicity moments. I’ve always felt a pull toward the water, but lately I’ve been feeling a very specific pull to actually get in it and swim. Coincidence? Maybe. But I kind of love the thought that I’m connected to all these other women stepping through this same threshold of life and somehow finding our way to the water for a little relief, peace, and aliveness. There’s something beautiful about that.
Lindsay, words cannot express how happy this makes me! Let me know if you do make it in. Truthfully, I can’t imagine ever being a true cold water enthusiast who swims all year round, but I am enjoying it very much right now (I have continued now that we are home - at a local swimming lake).
There is indeed something beautiful about being connected to all these wonderful women through water. 🌊🧜♀️
You have inspired me to try in Tresco! I was thinking a needed a wet suit or something but I don’t do I!? 😂 however I know there are jelly fish in Tesco - and it’s very Rocky…. Or am I just talking myself out of it!
You definitely don’t need a wetsuit - and actually that would defeat the whole purpose of a reset! I used to think exactly the same - in fact I even bought a shortie wetsuit (never worn). Now I think the faff of a wetsuit would put me off. I’m very much a dip and done girl! Wear the swimsuit to the beach and head straight in 🤣
I love this. I never used to really go into the water before I was 50. Oh I paddled or did a quick dunk if pushed, but as soon as I discovered the many benefits of wild & cold water on my menopause symptoms, I was hooked. Now I swim at least four times a week. Keep swimming, you’ll continue to reap the benefits 🧜♀️
Thanks Louise - I live in Bristol so sea swimming is not immediately accessible, although not impossible either (there is a tidal lake at Cleveden). I am a member of a local swimming lake - we’ll see. At the moment I can’t imagine myself becoming a “winter dipper” but never say never!
I know Cleveden well. Are you a member of Henleaze? I swam there in May on one of this scorching days. I was over for uni and the city was suffocatingly hot. Such a relief to get into the water
Yes I am! I was at Henleaze yesterday and will be back there today. It’s such a special place. The temperature yesterday was 22c so it barely counts as cold water right now!
I live in NI and swim in the Irish Sea, it’s still around 13 degrees so still considered ‘winter swimming’. I was in Devon last weekend, the water was sublime 🧜♀️
From what I understand for women to get the physiological and nervous system benefits of cold water dipping, around 15 degrees is the sweet spot - anything below is diminishing returns (unless of course you love it)! No need to go to 8 degrees at all! 🧜♀️
I relate to this too. I am past midlife and started open water swimming in a lake near me which had open water swimming session complete with life guards
I love swimming in the sea too but always slightly cautious of the poo problem and am also scared of big waves 🌊
I have even started filling my bath with cold water and sitting in it when I get too hot and I would really like a cold pod in my garden
I don’t like big waves either - and am terrified of rip tides - but fortunately the water in Pembrokeshire (mostly) and certainly where we swim is officially rated as excellent. And the water was so calm all the time we were there.
Having just hosted a day retreat with a wild swimming pond I’m tempted to factor this into our next move! Slightly more ambitious than a cold pod… 🩵
I can so relate to what you write here Monika. I have been ‘water resistant’ for most of my life. It’s like a switch flicked when I turned 50 and now I need to be in or near the water as much as I can! 💙
So Interesting Sharon! Did you go as far as to move by the sea?! I have never really entertained that idea - always happy to leave the coast as a holiday destination - but this year I did find myself imagining how living by the sea might be! I notice a lot of women I engage with here on Substack happen to live on the coast… 🌊
No I don’t live by the sea … yet! But I have said to my husband our next move needs to be near water, whether that be by a river or by the sea. I agree, very interesting!
Ooh how interesting. We are contemplating a move as well, and I’m just working out all the things that would be nice to have!
In an ideal world, having just hosted a yoga retreat at a venue with a wild swimming pond, this is what I would choose… let’s see how hard I can manifest that! 😅
I love everything about this, but mostly the "I did this!".
Midlife genuinely does shift our perspective in so many ways and the impossible becomes possible. The pull of the sea though, there's something magical there for all ages x
Thank you so much Nicki 🥰
I agree there is something magical about the sea but it took me a long time to appreciate it.
I wonder if it’s something to do with, despite being born and brought up in the UK, my family and heritage is Czech. For my family, from a landlocked country, a seaside holiday was an anathema - and we never went on them when I was a child.
Perhaps it’s also why if I think of nature, I am called to mountains and forests, rather than beaches and ocean….
Yay!!!! Welcome to the joys of cold waters🥶🏊♀️❤️
You are my inspiration Emma! 🌊🧜♀️🩵
What a wonderfully honest reflection on how midlife can shift our perspective and encourage us to stop watching from the shore. Your description of the cold sea offering a total nervous system reset really resonates, and I hope your future trips to Pembrokeshire bring many more rejuvenating dips! For me, it's the Maltese cliffs.
I’m so pleased my post resonated Daphne. I do love Pembrokeshire and I’m sure I will be swimming there again. In the meantime, as an aside, I’ve been watching a tv show recently and the location was stunning - I looked up where it was filmed and it was Malta. Wow! What a landscape!
I loved this! While reading, I had one of those little synchronicity moments. I’ve always felt a pull toward the water, but lately I’ve been feeling a very specific pull to actually get in it and swim. Coincidence? Maybe. But I kind of love the thought that I’m connected to all these other women stepping through this same threshold of life and somehow finding our way to the water for a little relief, peace, and aliveness. There’s something beautiful about that.
Lindsay, words cannot express how happy this makes me! Let me know if you do make it in. Truthfully, I can’t imagine ever being a true cold water enthusiast who swims all year round, but I am enjoying it very much right now (I have continued now that we are home - at a local swimming lake).
There is indeed something beautiful about being connected to all these wonderful women through water. 🌊🧜♀️
I’ll definitely keep you posted ☺️✨
You have inspired me to try in Tresco! I was thinking a needed a wet suit or something but I don’t do I!? 😂 however I know there are jelly fish in Tesco - and it’s very Rocky…. Or am I just talking myself out of it!
You definitely don’t need a wetsuit - and actually that would defeat the whole purpose of a reset! I used to think exactly the same - in fact I even bought a shortie wetsuit (never worn). Now I think the faff of a wetsuit would put me off. I’m very much a dip and done girl! Wear the swimsuit to the beach and head straight in 🤣
You so have. Honestly, if I can do it anyone can. What’s the worst that could happen? X
Jelly fish sting 😭🫣
Ah yes, ok. Erm. Don’t have a counter argument to that one! 😭
Ok I’ve got this!!!!!
I love this. I never used to really go into the water before I was 50. Oh I paddled or did a quick dunk if pushed, but as soon as I discovered the many benefits of wild & cold water on my menopause symptoms, I was hooked. Now I swim at least four times a week. Keep swimming, you’ll continue to reap the benefits 🧜♀️
Thanks Louise - I live in Bristol so sea swimming is not immediately accessible, although not impossible either (there is a tidal lake at Cleveden). I am a member of a local swimming lake - we’ll see. At the moment I can’t imagine myself becoming a “winter dipper” but never say never!
I know Cleveden well. Are you a member of Henleaze? I swam there in May on one of this scorching days. I was over for uni and the city was suffocatingly hot. Such a relief to get into the water
Yes I am! I was at Henleaze yesterday and will be back there today. It’s such a special place. The temperature yesterday was 22c so it barely counts as cold water right now!
Excited for your cold water adventures! It’s a bit too warm for me right now in Dorset! Lovely of course but I like the challenge of winter 🙏
You’re a winter dipper!? Kudos to you!!! 💪🏻 🌊
Yes but pretty sure the Irish Sea is much brisker than the English Channel!!! It’s positively balmy here right now.
My friend Sinead swims in the outer Hebrides all year round! But she’s from Ireland. She must come with strong weatherproof genes 💫
I can’t even go there to those temperatures.
8 degrees is my min.
I live in NI and swim in the Irish Sea, it’s still around 13 degrees so still considered ‘winter swimming’. I was in Devon last weekend, the water was sublime 🧜♀️
Yes I’m in Dorset. The sea is so warm right now. 19 degrees!
19 degrees feels almost mediterranean!
From what I understand for women to get the physiological and nervous system benefits of cold water dipping, around 15 degrees is the sweet spot - anything below is diminishing returns (unless of course you love it)! No need to go to 8 degrees at all! 🧜♀️
Love this!! ❤️
🤣😘♥️
I relate to this too. I am past midlife and started open water swimming in a lake near me which had open water swimming session complete with life guards
I love swimming in the sea too but always slightly cautious of the poo problem and am also scared of big waves 🌊
I have even started filling my bath with cold water and sitting in it when I get too hot and I would really like a cold pod in my garden
How wonderful to connect!
I don’t like big waves either - and am terrified of rip tides - but fortunately the water in Pembrokeshire (mostly) and certainly where we swim is officially rated as excellent. And the water was so calm all the time we were there.
Having just hosted a day retreat with a wild swimming pond I’m tempted to factor this into our next move! Slightly more ambitious than a cold pod… 🩵
I can so relate to what you write here Monika. I have been ‘water resistant’ for most of my life. It’s like a switch flicked when I turned 50 and now I need to be in or near the water as much as I can! 💙
So Interesting Sharon! Did you go as far as to move by the sea?! I have never really entertained that idea - always happy to leave the coast as a holiday destination - but this year I did find myself imagining how living by the sea might be! I notice a lot of women I engage with here on Substack happen to live on the coast… 🌊
No I don’t live by the sea … yet! But I have said to my husband our next move needs to be near water, whether that be by a river or by the sea. I agree, very interesting!
Ooh how interesting. We are contemplating a move as well, and I’m just working out all the things that would be nice to have!
In an ideal world, having just hosted a yoga retreat at a venue with a wild swimming pond, this is what I would choose… let’s see how hard I can manifest that! 😅
Ooh, a wild swimming pool sounds divine! ✨✨✨
Doesn’t it? 🧜♀️