An unexpected addition to the mindfulness content space is from SEA LIFE Melbourne. While the aquarium is currently closed, the team has pivoted to create mindfulness content with Melburbians in mind.
The new Marine Mindfulness webpage aims to encourage relaxation and promote a sense of calm — whether you’re in lockdown or not.
The mindfulness resources include a 10-minute meditation session focusing on moon jellyfish gliding through the water and a 5-minute session featuring trevally swimming through the 2.2 million litre Oceanarium at SEA LIFE Melbourne.
You can also access something called “Slow TV” — a series of recorded videos of animals in the aquarium. You can literally watch seahorses bob along together or swim virtually alongside sharks. It’s a mesmerising and uniquely calming experience.
Yoga lovers might also like to try “Yoga Under the Sea”. Join Chloe, a yoga teacher and an Aquarist at SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast, as she guides your through a yoga session in a tunnel of the aquarium.
There’s also a bunch of downloadable content including craft activities and adult colouring in sheets, so you can pass the time colouring in a turtle, should you wish.
Watching sea creatures swim is a uniquely relaxing experience and studies have explored this phenomenon. According to a study from 2019, which was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, researchers found that observing live fish in an aquarium decreases anxiety, enhances relation and improves one’s mood. How good!
Whether you’re living in lockdown 2.0 or not, Marine Mindfulness is a soothing way to practice being present in the moment.