Coastline Ocean Cliff –Labeled for Free Usage
Ocean Bathing
It may be in the middle of massive chaos, but all I ask—a few moments alone, closed eyes and the ability to dip into my bucket of memories and ladle out the balm of serenity.
Today, I’m sitting on that hunk of driftwood, a mere half mile from my home in Half Moon Bay. The scent of ocean air and steady roar of breakers crashing in upon the beach beneath my cliff, compete with squawking seagulls.
In spirit, I toss the detritus of today’s rough schedule and testy interactions into the ebbing tide, figuratively sending negativity out to sea. Cleansing, soothing, healing. The years collapse and though it’s been a lifetime since I walked those shores each day, the purity of those moments is distilled into a purifying bath and I emerge refreshed.
many years have passed
healing waters purify
winter doldrums flee
Today for dVerse Haibun Monday, Toni invites us to forest bathe, to go into nature to find healing and peace. I find that I have an archive of memories that enable me to do just that wherever and whenever I choose. When I worked a very intense job, setting up a designated unit to care for AIDS patients in San Francisco in the late 80’s, early 90’s, I had the blessing of living near the ocean. Many, many days, after work, I walked to the beach to let go of the burden of the day.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
This is indeed a soothing and calming peace. Your words are as soft as the wind. ❤
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There is something about the sea – it’s healing and purifying. Maybe it’s the salt that works its way through you. This is a lovely halibut, Victoria.
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Beautifully done. For me, too, stepping onto the shore wipes my brain free of worries, and great peace comes over me, at the everness of the waves.
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The Sea…”The Mother of Us All”. Beautiful, Victoria. You draw the calm out and make it universal.
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Yes yes yes. The power of the sea! You’ve put me back in Bermuda and the powers of the sea!
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So true. Those sea breezes sweep the cobwebs away, shake out the creases, invigorate and refresh, in a way that nothing else can.
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What a beautiful name, Half Moon Bay, it’s so alluring! I love that phrase: ‘dip into my bucket of memories and ladle out the balm of serenity’.You’ve certainly played with the senses in this haibun, Victoria, and chased away my winter doldrums!
we have sunshine this morning!
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I probably would find the sea a better place to relax.. that sound of waves and how you can sit and watch the breakers… I can do that for days I think.
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Ocean is so soothing. You bring a new beauty to it.
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Being near the ocean is a close second for me & the need for spiritual bathing. I’m a mountain man at heart, but in winter I head to the sea, to be at one with the big storm waves & the mid-air spats between gulls & crows. I wander with my camera, snapping macro magic midst tiny pieces of driftwood & flotsam.
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I very much enjoyed your ocean memories. I love to see the ocean and to hear it, but being IN it was always intimidating to me. It demands respect. Thank you for sharing your memories.
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How lucky you are to have those memories to go back to in the middle of chaos or stress situations ~ The scent of that air and roaring waves are invigorating to the soul ~
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All types of nature have a way of cleaning. Maybe it’s the One who created it?
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It makes sense that we should be able to take that forest bath from memory as well as the present. Nice observation. I hadn’t thought of it like that before.
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The ocean washes all clean. I am pretty sure it’s impossible to be sad when you’re beside the sea. When the kids were little they would always brighten up when we got to the beach – still works now that they are cool teenagers. It’s important to be conscious of these moments of peace, to turn them into beautiful memories.
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I totally agree with Xenia. We all need these places of calm and cleansing. I wonder when I get old, If in my mind, I will think I am in a tree instead of where I probably will be. I don’t think we ever forget those special places Victoria.
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It is wonderful that you have anchored such a calming experience in your bucket of memories and have the ability to ‘ladle out the balm of serenity’ when you feel the need. A beautiful and very poignant write Victoria xxx
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