I am fortunate enough to have recently relocated to an island which boasts a beautiful stretch of soft, sandy beach. This relocation is the result of a lot of work, planning, preparation, highs, lows, and was worth it all as this truly is my dream come true. I am somewhere new to me, yet because of the ocean I feel like I have returned home. I do believe John F. Kennedy said it best,

“All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea – whether it is to sail or to watch it – we are going back from whence we came.”

This is my truth and I am eternally grateful to be living it.

Every day the beautiful sand and ocean beckons me, and I answer their call by taking long walks alone. Do you want to know what happens during these solitary, chit-chat free strolls along the shoreline? I stop thinking. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. What I mean is that after I have been strolling for a while my mind stops racing. I stop making a mental grocery shopping list. I cease analyzing a recent pant purchase. ‘Am I really going to wear those neon orange capris? I mean, I wore neon in high school in the ‘80’s. Should it remain in my past?’ I take a break from worrying about my sister’s seizures. As I become more present and aware of the pelicans flying and the sandpipers racing to and fro my mind truly clears. The waves break on the sand and I watch some of the pebbles get dragged back into the ocean as the tide pulls out. This same action seems to pull my thoughts right out to sea.

Each wave crashes and drags a worry away, yet returns to me beautiful treasures in the form of shells, sand dollars and sea glass. This is not a fair trade, I realize, but time spent with Mother Nature always reminds me of her superior knowledge and powers. I am a dot on the sand and she is the beach. I sweat one drop at a time yet she is the ocean. I crack a smile while she lights the world with sunshine. There is something humbling and reinvigorating about my time spent at the beach. As I return home with wind whipped hair, sandy feet, and a few more freckles to add to my collection, I enjoy my clear-headed natural high from all that delicious salt air.

So what can you do at home if you do not live near the beach but are looking for a chat-free, totally clear your mind workout in a beautiful outdoor setting? I highly recommend the YouTube channel GymRa Fitness. I have tried a couple of their verbal cuing-free workout videos which have beautiful waterfront settings. The videos have calm music and written instruction making them very easy to follow.

SLIMMER, STRONGER BODY PILATES FULL WORKOUT

A 55 minute total body Pilates workout focusing on arms, abs and butt. It is filmed in front of an infinity pool overlooking the ocean. A Pilates Toning Ring is used during some of the exercises. I felt strengthened, lengthened, stretched, and calm after this workout.

KETTLE BELL ABS, BUTT, THIGH…TOTAL BODY

A 56 minute kettlebell workout designed to tone your total body. This workout is filmed on a bluff overlooking the ocean. A pair of kettlebells is used during the video; however, one kettlebell is used for the majority of the exercises. This workout session left me feeling like I had a fabulous toning workout head to toe.

If you like their YouTube channel workouts, you may want to check out Gymra.com in order to sign up for their affordable online personal training options. And, yes, I kept those neon orange capris because, ‘This little light of mine. I’m going to let it shine.’