Day 18: #BlueMind Challenge

After 18 days the European leg of the #BlueMind Challenge: The Blue Mind Book Tour is behind us (but we’ll be back "across the pond" for more soon enough).

In the UK, we launched the book at the Blue Mind 4 Summit on the glorious cliffs above Bedruthan Steps in Cornwall, continued through London along the Thames, down the River Arun of West Sussex to Portsmouth, across the English Channel by ferry to Deauville, France, and then up the Seine to Paris.

The tour was full of stunning water, wonderful people, and fresh new insights into why protecting and restoring wild and urban waterways, oceans, and estuaries is so important. (And some soccer/football happened)

In two short weeks we’ll launch the book in the US and Canada with an event at the Santa Monica Public Library.

Blue Mind Blockers

Just as unfettered access to knowledge in the form of books in libraries and information on the web is key to our future, so is access to our coasts and waterways at the core of our well-being as humans. The underlying goal of Blue Mind is to foster a deeper relationship with our planet’s water by protecting and restoring access. Access can be blocked in three main ways: privatization, pollution, and perception.

The first two are likely clear to you. If you can’t even get to the water its cognitive and emotional benefits are unavailable. And if you can get to it but it’s damaged or destroyed by pollution, those benefits remain inaccessible, or worse, the water can make you sick (and sad).

The third “Blue Mind Blocker” is more subtle. You may have clear access to clean water but you may not know it. Or you may be restricted by your culture in one way or another. "We don't swim" is a phrase heard around the world.

Recently, I’ve seen young people at the beach restrict themselves from the water because they couldn’t leave their smartphone unattended…so they ended up sitting in the sand on their apps. Maybe Apple's forthcoming iWatch will at least be waterproof ; )

Sharing Blue Mind Around the World

These #BlueMind Challenge emails, the Blue Mind book and the reviews (see below), the Summits, the deep conversations, the music and art, and the sharing of millions of blue marbles around the world are all about expanding access to Blue Mind, breaking apart the “blockers”, and getting more people near, in, on, and under the water. Because that's how love always begins.

We are very glad you are along for this important voyage. We love what you do and how you do it. We truly enjoy working together.

Please do share your thoughts, share these messages by using the buttons up top, join the book tour as it meanders and makes its way, and please do recommend, lend, and gift Blue Mind books, eBooks and audiobooks to those who can use them.

Pass along blue marbles with some words of gratitude to those who can use them. Use #bluemind and #100daysofblue if hashtags are your thing.

Finally, A Few Words From Our (Generous) Reviewers

"The soothing effect of water is both an ancient and intuitive concept, and by 'adding water' to your travels this curative effect is enhanced even further." - Wanderlust

"If we can figure out why the sea makes us happier, we can save it." - Outside Magazine

"If simply being near water boosts happiness, being immersed in it may be even more powerful. The effect is akin to that of meditation..." - Psychology Today

"The nexus of wellbeing and proximity to water — ocean shores, lakes, even fountains — holds promise as an area of multidisciplinary study..." - Nature

"Beyond the physical gains you'll make, there is also a burgeoning body of research that proves proximity to water can reduce stress and improve mood." - Self Magazine

"In this profound study, Biologist and researcher Nichols shares the many ways in which water positively impacts not just our lives, but also our minds. With many citations for the scientifically curious, and numerous anecdotes that entertain, Blue Mind will interest a broad audience, from fans of water sports to ecologists." - Publisher's Weekly

"VERDICT: It is impossible not to engage with Nichols as an author; his irrepressible sense of wonder and passion for his subject are simply inspiring." - Library Journal

"Blue Mind examines how being in and around water affects our emotions and cognition." - Spirituality & Health Magazine

"A fascinating, fact-based report for aquaphiles and those at one with the tides." - Kirkus Review

"Using a combination of anecdotes and hard data, [Nichols] makes a persuasive case for water's healing power." Elle Magazine