Paddle Boarding and the Nature Pill Effect
You may have that friend that you label as a nature buff. This person will always be heading out somewhere on the weekend to get their fix. They may even invite you along a lot of the time. Chances are this person is into paddle boarding. You might be a skeptic that prefers their fix of the couch on your down time. However, paddle boarding is actually really good for you. You can get health benefits from it that you don’t even know. In this article we will be exploring why the next time that you are invited to paddle board, that your answer should be an inequivocable “yes.”
You’ll Take “The Nature Pill”
Surely you will want to take in the sights of being out on the water. You will also get yourself into a flow state as well in as little of 20 to 30 minutes of paddleboarding. This is a state of being that a Harvard scientist calls the relaxation response. Your blood will actually increase your blood level to your brain. At the same time, your muscles and organs actually slow down. If that sounds relaxing to you, it’s because it really is. Imagine being out there totally at peace. You start to think clearer. Actually, you are thinking clearer and it’s not just all in your head. Take this nature pill and you will see.
Do a Good Deed for Your Mental Health
In counselling, they talk about mindfulness a lot. You may have heard about it and wanted to try it. It’s a bit different than traditional Yoga meditation. Instead of sitting in your room with your legs crossed, you can practice it anywhere. Mindfulness is really about being in the moment. You don’t think of anything else. You focus on what is. You don’t judge your thoughts. You simply acknowledge them and then let them pass.
What better place to notice sensations than out on the board? You are standing there and you are feeling the water beneath you. You are balancing and you are breathing. There is a lot to be said about what you can experience on a paddleboard in the middle of a lake.
Also, you will be accomplishing a goal. SMART goals are also very popular in psychology nowadays. They teach them in hospital settings as part of recovery. Smart goes are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-limited. Is there a better way for you to accomplish a goal than to be out there living the dream with your nature friend. Even if you go alone, you get the full benefits of paddle boarding, with maybe a little extra time for yourself.
Utilise Science Further To Your Benefit
There is also the benefit that you get out there of deep breathing. You will set off the vagus nerve, which activates healthy hormones like cortisol. You are accessing a mystery of science because people don’t quite know what is beneficial about cortisol. They just know that it is something good. Take your time and get this effect.
Conclusion
You don’t have to commit to an entire day like your nature-loving buddy. All you need is a lake and the gear. You might want to give yourself a lesson too before you head out there. Paddle boarding is more than a sport. It is a therapeutic practice that you are able to engage in. So get out there and start to experience the majesty and mystery of nature.
