Welcome Aboard the S/V Blue Mind

"We inter-breathe with the rain forests, we drink from the oceans. They are part of our own body. How could we intend to hurt part of ourselves? —Thich Nhat Hanh

In meditation, we sit in quiet with a relaxed, upright, open posture, closing our eyes gently or with a soft, downward gaze. We feel sensations in the body, noticing any emotions, thoughts, smells, and sounds that may be present, whether pleasant or unpleasant, all flowing like the current of a river. As we practice, we begin to sense the luminous, fluid nature of life. Then, with breath as an anchor, we find there is stillness beneath the ocean’s waves.

On the Sailing Vessel Blue Mind, a Dehler 39 racer/cruiser, we rest in the body, held in the embrace of the natural world. There is nothing to do except be with experience—nowhere to go, nothing to do, no one to be. As gentle awareness becomes our home, we awaken to an intuitive sense of oneness, interconnection, kindness, compassion, and care for all beings. We begin to understand just how interdependent we are, and an inner voice calls us to action. Jacques Yves Cousteau reminded us, “People protect what they love.”