Healing Properties of Abalone Shell and the Ocean

Healing Properties of Abalone Shell
Abalone Shell has the colors of the ocean in it, Blues, Greens, Purples and Yellows. It is soft to the touch from repeated tumbles in the sand and water. It has slight ripples on it like the patterns left in the sand as the waves lapse over it. You want to hold it and rub the softness. People are instantly taken with its beautiful colors. To look at it brings me instantly to the ocean. Things that come to mind when I hold the abalone shell are; solace, love, sand, water, beauty, gentleness, caring, comfort, peacefulness, delight. For those of you who have never been to the ocean, find a little piece of it and take it with you (see below).

Healing Properties of the Ocean
The mer fact of sitting in the sand at the ocean can bring great feelings of well-being and relaxation. The negative ions created by the salt water’s crashing waves, the warm sand below your bare feet connecting you to mother earth (how often do you walk around with bare feet outside?). Most of your six senses are aroused at once, the sense of sound (waves crashing, seagulls cawing), smell (the ocean's salt water, suntan lotion), feel (warm sand under your feet and salt water on your body), sight (the vastness of looking out into the ocean’s never-ending).

A Meditation by the Ocean
Whenever I meditate, this is where I picture myself (you can do it too!). I see myself sitting quietly facing the ocean on the warm sand with my eyes closed, and my face reaching up towards the warm sun shining through my closed eyelids and I feel this warmth cover me like a blanket. It is early in the morning when people are out for their morning walks and are not making much noise. I am picturing myself sitting in a crossed-leg position with my arms resting gently on my legs, palms up with my forefinger and thumb touching each other. I now take in 3 deep breaths and let myself go. I feel the warmth of the sun, I can hear the sounds of the waves crashing, I can hear the seagulls cry, my hands rake through the warm sand, I am one with the earth. I stay there as long as I can, pushing thoughts away that pop into my head and bring myself back to the sound of the waves. I picture a white light swirling around me, and see myself smiling and happy as I say to myself, “I am Happy, I am Healthy, I am Wealthy, I am Wise, I am Light, I am Love.”

Re-create the Sense of the Ocean at Home
You can recreate your own sense of being at the ocean at home by:

• Taking a bath in ½ cup of sea salt (you can buy at most grocery stores now).
  
• Use a wonderful bath gel from "Philosophy" brand called Message in a Bottle that brings the sense of smell of the ocean back to me.
  
• While taking your bath, or at bedtime, you might want to listen to Echoes of Nature: Ocean Waves.
  
• Use Palmer’s Cocoa Butter lotion anytime, it brings back the smell of suntan lotion.
  
• Or buy a small water fountain to recreate the sound of water moving.
  
• Carry or wear a piece of abalone shell, leave a piece of it on your desk at the office as a reminder of the ocean (see products below).

Musings from My Yearly Ocean Vacation at Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.

Morning/Afternoon on the Beach
We all crowded in together noisily on the only nice day at the ocean, trying to give each other our own allotted little space in the sand. While trying hard not to create a traffic pattern that would draw careless people walking by your space and kick up sand on their quest to get to the water. Relaxing, letting go of the every day concerns, enjoying watching the kids play and going for a refreshing dip in the salt water, warmth pervades me.

End of Day/Evening at the Beach
The sun has set, the crowds have gone, as we walk quietly in the cool sand down towards the calming ocean. This is the time of day where everyone moves softer and slower into the grace of the gentle evening.

I notice the last few groups of straggler’s, who have come down later in the day to avoid the crowds, pack up their coolers and chairs. People taking their last walks, as we were, to enjoy the quiet and solitude and wash away the crowded noisy beach from earlier in the day.

We came upon different shapes and sizes of sand castles and moats, remnants to show that people had been there, a larger than life shark carved down in to the sand with shells as teeth, only to be washed away by the nights tide. A hopeful single girl with romantic a heart, has just come down with her book and blanket. I thought “what a strong young woman to do that”, because most young girls are off with their friends chasing up boys. It made me smile to myself.

There are writings in the wet sand of verses and names, as if to say “I was here” soon to be washed away as the light goes dimmer and the ocean waves continue as they have for a thousands years.

And so we make our way back to our condominium, and I notice all the broken chairs and boogie boards neatly piled next to the garbage cans. Cleaned up for the next day’s fun in the sun.

Be Well