Today, we delve into the powerful concept of "Blue Mind" and the profound impact of water on our well-being. My guest, Amanda Esposito of Northern Tides Studio, shares how she met Wallace J. Nichols, the author of Blue Mind, and how the ocean has shaped her life and artistic expression.
Key Highlights:
1. The legacy of Wallace J. Nichols and the Blue Mind movement
2. Amanda's new ocean-inspired jewelry pieces and their deep connections to Cape Cod and the Jersey Beaches
3. The unpredictability of life and how the ocean teaches us valuable lessons
4. Carrying on the Blue Mind mission and encouraging others to share their water stories
Amanda's heartfelt story reminds us of the importance of cherishing the moments we have with loved ones and the healing power of the ocean. Her unique jewelry creations serve as conversation starters, inviting others to reflect on their connection to water.
We also discuss Jay Nichols's recent passing and our commitment to honoring his life's work by spreading the message of Blue Mind. We encourage you, our listeners, to share your experiences and stories about the transformative effects of being near water.
As always, I appreciate your support and engagement. Please get in touch with me with your stories, questions, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, we can continue to explore and celebrate the profound impact of the beach and ocean on our lives!
Link to our Instagram Live with Wallace J. Nichols: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4ZU0AOLZ8B/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
To learn more about Amanda's inspiring jewelry pieces and how they embody the essence of the ocean, visit her website https://northerntidesstudio.com/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/northerntidesstudio/
PODCAST LINKS:
Paige [00:00:09]:
Hello friends and fellow lovers of all things beachy, welcome to The Beach Speaks, the podcast that shares stories about the beach and our connection to it. I'm your host and beach lover, Paige Friend, helping you reconnect with the beach, return to your soul, and reimagine your life. So grab a cool drink, relax in your beach chair, stick your toes in the sand, and enjoy this episode of The Beach Speaks.
Paige [00:01:05]:
Hey, beach lover. I just returned from a fabulous week in a beachfront condo in Paso Grille. It's a gorgeous stretch of beach on the Florida Gulf Coast. It's at the very end of a chain of beaches just South of Saint Pete, and it's one that's been on my beach bucket list. I could do an entire episode about this beach, and I probably will in a future episode. But for now, I recorded a little something for you while walking on the beach at sunrise just to give you a taste of what it was like. I'm going to attempt to record what it is I'm seeing here as I'm walking along the edge of the shore, there are shells and pretty green seaweed, and it's a type of seaweed that is it's almost like grass, like seagrass, and it's very soft, and it doesn't have an odor. It does smell a little salty.
Paige [00:02:24]:
And I'm walking in my bare feet, looking out at this beautiful blue green water. And as you can hear in the background on just gentle waves, much like the Gulf is, not quite like the Atlantic, that has a lot of more active waves. The sky is a pink and blue, kind of like the color of cotton candy, and there are fluffy clouds lining the horizon that look like I don't know. Maybe like cotton balls rising up into the sky. You can tell that there's some movement in the air. There is a cloud that I'm seeing in the distance as I'm walking around the shore. And then they're just rising and rising. I can hear the faint sound of maybe thunder, and that's been happening a lot the past couple of days.
Paige [00:03:31]:
There have been clouds in the distance where you can hear the thunder. It's not even see lightning, and you think, uh-oh. There is going to be a storm. I better start getting ready to pack it up and go back in, but it never arrives. Where we are. And this reach is, like, completely surrounded in a bubble of peace and serenity. Let me see if I can't record my feet on the shelves. That early morning walk along the water was just what I needed to gather my thoughts and listen to what the beach had to say before sitting down to record this episode.
Paige [00:04:47]:
I'd been thinking about the ocean a lot lately, and the book Blue Mind by Wallace J Nichols. It's about the science that shows how being near, in, on, or underwater can make you happier, healthier, and more connected. I first learned about this book in a previous episode I recorded with Amanda from Northern Tide Studio, and I've been recommending it to everyone. Amanda, who is a Blue Mind Ambassador, creates beautiful ocean inspired jewelry. And she asked me if I would like to do an Instagram live with Jay, as we call him, to talk about the Blue Mind Movement and a special giveaway he had of a signed copy of his book. Now this was my first Instagram Live, and I was a little nervous because Jay was the expert. But I didn't really say much, I just listened to what he shared, and it really spoke to my heart. I didn't realize just how much of an impact that conversation had on me until one day, I think it was Father's Day, I opened my Instagram, and the first post on my feed was an announcement that he had passed away.
Paige [00:06:09]:
He was only in his early fifties. My heart sank, and I immediately felt this wave of sadness move through me. I messaged Amanda. She had seen The Post too and was also in shock. I told her I had this overwhelming need to do something, And I asked if she'd like to come back on the podcast, and we can talk about it. We talked about what new jewelry she'd been creating and the impact of meeting Jay on that Instagram live and blew mind, and I read a short excerpt from the book. Hey, Amanda. Welcome back.
Paige [00:07:09]:
How are you?
Amanda [00:07:11]:
I'm good. Thank you for having me back. I'm just it's such a pleasure speaking with you.
Paige [00:07:17]:
And so much has been happening in your world and in the world of water, I always say.
Amanda [00:07:25]:
Yes.
Paige [00:07:26]:
Some good and some, you know, sad things, and I thought I'd reach out to you because you know a lot about Blue Mind and water and the loss of Wallace j Nichols. I wanted to reach out to you and get your thoughts on that. And then I just wanted to touch base and see what's going on with you because in the past few months since we last talked, you've been to a few beaches, and you're getting ready to head to another. So yeah. So let's start. You know? What's what's going on with you right now?
Amanda [00:08:00]:
Well, it's summer, and I think the last time we spoke, it was it was winter. So this is my couple of months of being with my family and doing some events down the shore at the Jersey Shore, and also just filling a lot of orders. Stores especially are loving the new pieces. So I'm I just feel really blessed that my following is strong, and people are just resonating with the pieces that I'm creating and the meaning behind them.
Paige [00:08:34]:
Yeah. Well, we talked about the the pieces that you had done and that I had ordered and received so graciously from you, the the wave and the the ocean love, but I think you've got something a little more unique for the Jersey Shore and for, Cape Cod. So tell me just a little bit about what you've been doing in that.
Amanda [00:08:57]:
Yeah. I wanted to, as an artist, expand my line of jewelry. And the biggest purpose of why I'm doing that is to bring art, to bring the waves, the ocean, the art, the artistry behind the pieces out into the world. And I started taking classes in February with a wonderful woman who has been doing lost past for, oh gosh, probably 40 years. And I really wanted to learn how to carve my own bezels out of wax, then have, sent to New York and get casted and then have them, sent to New York and get casted in sterling silver. And it really meant a lot to me to be able to take my art a step further by creating my own bezels out of wax. So long story short, after a lot of instruction, I was able to create 2 new pieces. One is my Jersey Tides necklace, which is a map of New Jersey.
Amanda [00:09:57]:
And inside the outline of New Jersey inside, I'm able to apply sand from the Jersey Shore and then paint the ocean. So it really represents the Jersey Shore, which is you know, I live in New Jersey, so it just made sense for me to create a piece that represents our love for the ocean, for the Jersey Shore.
Paige [00:10:19]:
Yeah.
Amanda [00:10:20]:
And my other piece is called waves of Cape Cod, and that also is a map of Cape Cod because as a child, my family and I always used to travel up there, and my parents actually moved up there for 10 years. So the Cape is really a special place also for me, and I decided to carve a bezel. And it it's in sterling silver, comes with a sterling silver chain, and the same method, I applied the sand from Cape Cod, and hand paint individually each and every piece to look like the waves of the ocean. And then also my, waves of life is my number one best selling necklace. I made some earrings to match them. So how many pieces that came out?
Paige [00:11:08]:
So many. Yeah. You also have one that's kind of a a rectangular shape that I really like.
Amanda [00:11:15]:
Yeah. That's called my high tides bar necklace, And something different that I also added into the mix of my pieces are these meaning cards that go along with each and every piece that is purchased from my website. So I have one for ocean love, solace of the sea, waves of life, Jersey Tides, and the one that you were just speaking about, the rectangular bar necklace, that one is called my high tides bar bar necklace. And what I love about creating these meaning cards is that it brings the person who is wearing it. It creates a connection that is just so it resonates with everyday life. So, yeah, my high tides bar necklace I wrote, we have moments of high tides when we are feeling confident and strong. We also have moments of low tides when we need to coast through the waves of life. Wear this necklace as your reminder to be brave and confident no matter where life takes you.
Amanda [00:12:16]:
Oh. So that's just kind of like a little preview of what my my customers receive with each piece that that they they buy.
Paige [00:12:27]:
I have to say, getting a piece from you, the way you present it from the box to the message, to the wrapping, to the everything. It's just like a gift in itself. I mean, the jewelry is beautiful, but just how it's presented and everything, it really shows the care and love and just how special it is. I mean, it is this is a piece of you, your connection to the beach and our connection to it. Mhmm. I love it. I love it.
Amanda [00:12:58]:
Yeah. And and even the packaging is is really important because I want the person that is, receiving the piece to really feel special. This is a piece that has so much meaning behind the ocean and our connection to it. So even the unboxing should be an experience that is unforgettable. And that's why I even took it a step further by adding these meaning cards to go along with each piece because, you know, when you're purchasing a piece of jewelry and you're wearing it, it's a story piece. It's your story of why you love the ocean, and it really opens up of a lot of conversations. And even the event that I did this past weekend down in Long Beach Island, one of my customers, she she actually purchased the waves of life necklace and the matching earrings because he said, you know, I'm going out to dinner tonight, and I just wanna wear a piece that just makes me feel connected to the water. And that when people look at it, they ask about it.
Amanda [00:13:59]:
They wanna know the story behind it. And I gave her the meaning card to go along with it, and she's like, oh, this is wonderful. Thank you. So it's stories like that hearing, you know, individual stories from people of why they love the ocean, how much meaning it has to them, and the memories that they create just drives my passion to create this brand of jewelry that, is really made for the ocean lover, for the beach girl.
Paige [00:14:26]:
Yeah. For the beach girl. Speaking of beach girl, at last we spoke, you were going on a family trip to the Gulf Coast to, Destin, I think. Right? So how was that?
Amanda [00:14:42]:
Oh, so beautiful. So my girls have their spring break in April, and I haven't been to Florida. I've actually never been to the Gulf Coast, but listening to your podcast really got me so excited. And it was a cold winter as always up in the northeast, and you just wanna get away. So I said to my husband, I said, we just need a family vacation, to the Gulf Coast. I wanna experience it. I've been to a lot of beaches along the Eastern Shore, and I wanna see the gulf. I wanna see the waves.
Amanda [00:15:17]:
Because I as an artist, I'm always observing different elements of the beach, whether it's the sand, the ocean, the way that the waves are crashing onto the beach. As someone who creates that in jewelry, you wanna be up close and personal with different varieties of coastline. So my husband being like, you know, the most wonderful man in the world made it happen. And we went to Destin with my in laws and my girls And I have to say, wow. It's it's like being in the Caribbean. As soon as we stepped down onto our balcony and I looked out onto the beautiful coastline, the powdery white sand, the the way that the Gulf looks is truly very similar to the Caribbean. And I was like, wow, like I I've been to the Caribbean when I was little, but this is very different. And we just enjoyed every moment of Destined.
Amanda [00:16:17]:
And I also love the fact that the the waves of the ocean, they're not so powerful compared to the Atlantic. And that's important for me having young children, going to a place where there's calm surf, and they can go out and enjoy the waves without being scared of getting caught in, a riptide. So, yeah, I have to say, Destin was gorgeous.
Paige [00:16:40]:
Yeah. The last time we were there, the water was so incredibly clear. Sometimes it gets a little murky because of the tides or whatever.
Amanda [00:16:48]:
No. It was perfect. And the shells. I absolutely love the shells and, you know, just a little teaser. I was so happy that you sent me some shells. I did some collecting of shells and I'm kinda working on some new pieces behind the scenes that might incorporate that. So I'm looking forward to seeing what I come up with and maybe sharing that, right before the holidays.
Paige [00:17:12]:
Good. Good. Yeah. I am here on the gulf this week. I just arrived yesterday. I'm staying at a family's timeshare that they had this free week and said, hey. Do you wanna come on over and spend the week here? And I said, yeah, of course.
Amanda [00:17:30]:
Have microphone. We'll travel anywhere. Every opportunity to get yourself to the beach.
Paige [00:17:36]:
That's right. I mean, I live down the street from the beach, you know, where I am, but
Amanda [00:17:40]:
Yeah.
Paige [00:17:40]:
It's it's not the Gulf Coast. It's just a completely different experience, as you have now learned going to Destin. And I am looking out the window at this beautiful white sandy beach, and that beautiful blue green water is very, very calm. I need to take my recorder out early in the morning and just record the sound, that gentle sound of the waves just kind of rippling up and hitting the the shells and running back. It's just so beautiful. I was out there for about an hour just taking endless pictures and videos until, basically, the power ran out of my phone, and then I had to stop.
Amanda [00:18:19]:
That always happens with me. I have to yeah. I I bring an extra charger with me, like, those external chargers where you can charge. Because that always happens. And it's you know, I'm doing the same thing next week. I'm going up to Cape Cod with my family, and we rented a beach house and it's literally right on the Nantucket sound. Like, I could it's you just step right out of the little beach cottage, and you're right on the sand. So I'm gonna be doing a lot of content and recording and sharing that moment with people on my Instagram, especially my Instagram followers.
Amanda [00:18:52]:
I I'm probably gonna go live. I'm gonna do an Instagram live where, you know, just giving my viewers an opportunity to take in the blue mind, to take in that calming effect of the ocean even if it's from a screen, even you know, I mean, I when I'm at whenever in my studio and I wanna feel connected to the ocean and I can be living farther from the ocean where my my home is, I will go on YouTube and there are loops of ocean scenes where you can just watch the waves and I'm not big on screen time, although like, you know, being a small business, that's primarily, you know, my advertisement is Instagram and kitten and number 1, connecting to my audience, connecting to people out there. But, you know, you find these little ways to connect to the ocean because knowing, you know, especially with Wallace J Nichols, he created the blue mind movement and we're going to be talking about that in a little bit. But after reading his book years ago, it all made sense that being around a body of water is just wonderful.
Paige [00:20:04]:
Yeah. I think that's a great segue into what I wanted to talk to you about because we recently lost, Jay, as he was so affectionately called, suddenly. And I saw the announcement on Instagram and I immediately thought of you. And I reached out to you and I said, did you see this? You know?
Amanda [00:20:24]:
I was crushed.
Paige [00:20:25]:
It was heartbreaking. And you who are listening right now might not have listened to our previous conversation, but I have certainly encouraged you to go back and listen to that one. And I have mentioned Blue Mind in probably every other episode after that. Actually, I referenced the book in this past episode I did with an another artist and author. We were talking about Blue Mind. She hadn't heard of the book, so I had mentioned that. And I thought, you know, I've been talking about it and all things water are in my head, and that and that was another reason I wanted to reach out to you because you you embody this mindset. And Thank you.
Paige [00:21:04]:
Tell me well, you've explained a lot of what water means to you. But in general, like, blue mind, right now, what comes to you right now? I don't know. What what do you want people to know about this blue mind and this blue mind movement that is so important?
Amanda [00:21:20]:
It's it is so important. So Jane Nichols, also known as Welsh Jane Nichols, created this blue mind movement. And really, it's spreading the word and spreading the message of how being in, near, under, around water puts our mind into a meditative state. We often feel calm. We often feel like we have more clarity. The stress just seems to go, you know, away. We end up just feeling a sense of peace when we're around water. Years ago when I read the book I was like, my goodness, I'm, you know, I'm I'm 42 years old, and I'm only realizing this now.
Amanda [00:22:05]:
And I'm like, why, you know, I always wanna be near the ocean. You know, why though? I never questioned it. I always knew that being around the ocean or any body of water changes the way my body and my mind feels. So after reading his book, probably, like, a year later is when I started to create my line of jewelry that really illustrates our connection to water. And I never I never thought we would have an opportunity to actually speak to, the author of the book, but we did. You and I did a Instagram live.
Paige [00:22:44]:
I know.
Amanda [00:22:45]:
And, oh, was that so
Paige [00:22:47]:
I know. That was so special, and I thought, oh, I and I am sad because I had fully intended to invite him to speak on the podcast. And for whatever reason, I just kept putting it off and I thought, oh, he probably wouldn't want to speak. And, you know, I've just had all this, imposter syndrome kind of thing going on. I
Amanda [00:23:08]:
always feel that too.
Paige [00:23:09]:
And, honestly, it was right about the time that I thought, okay, I need to reach out to him is when I saw that he's gone and but the but the movement is still here, and I felt like I think I told you. I said, I I really feel beholden to do my part in keeping the blue mind theory going because, truly, if more people heard about it and knew it or came to that realization like you did, like, no wonder I need to be near water. I mean, he references a lot of different lifestyles and how different types of people respond to water. Like, those with addictions. They're helped by being in the water, near the water, around the water. Mhmm. Artists, how important water is to the creative process and that, you know, certainly Mhmm. Works for you.
Paige [00:24:05]:
I mean, it is the foundation of your business, really.
Amanda [00:24:09]:
Absolutely.
Paige [00:24:09]:
And for me, I guess I mean, I've got a podcast about the beach. I talk about water and the ocean and all that, and I am at my best when I am in tune with water in some way, shape or form, it just and the concept of flow is on, I think, everybody's mind and just generally getting through life and dealing with everyday things or if you're running a business, you you wanna stay in flow and and things moving on and just how water it just helps in Mhmm. All of that.
Amanda [00:24:47]:
It does. One thing I found that was so profound about what he said on our Instagram live, and I encourage people to watch that Instagram live. It's still on both of our Instagram pages, but you don't have to live near the ocean to experience Blue Mind. And if you think about it, so many of us Mhmm. We don't live near the ocean. We don't let some of us don't even live near a body of water, but there are other ways to connect to water to create that feeling of peace and calm. And I was like, wow. I didn't even realize that also.
Amanda [00:25:26]:
Like, yeah, I always thought blue mind, it's the ocean, but he explained different ways to connect to water when you don't live near the ocean.
Paige [00:25:35]:
Yeah. And I was thinking, well, that's probably why I just love to take a bath. I mean, even as a kid, it was just like, I just love to soak in a bath.
Amanda [00:25:44]:
I my 5 year old feels the same way as I'm, like, trying to coax her out of the bathtub. I love how children, how they perceive water as joy, as fun, as, you know, some as a parent, you're sometimes with little ones, you're fearful of water, but to them, it's the best thing ever. And you're like, I wish I had that mindset. I wish I could just let it go, let the stresses of life, and just float.
Paige [00:26:11]:
Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah. We've been experiencing that with our grandchildren that are, toddlers. We've got a 2 year old and an 18 month old, and they'll go out into the ocean. That's fine, but they love the pool. In and out and in and out, just, you know, jumping in and floating and jumping. They're not really ready to swim yet Mhmm.
Paige [00:26:32]:
Because they have their floaties and everything on, but it just so the joy of just, like, jumping off the edge and into the water and
Amanda [00:26:39]:
Yeah. They and and it's the trust. Yeah. The joy and the trust. They, you know, trust themselves to be in water. Whereas parents, when we we step aside and so many mothers can relate to this, we are absolutely terrified when our kids are, you know, even with floaties and I've kinda learned to let that go. I stay vigilant, you know, whenever my children are in water. My older daughter, she learned to swim on her own.
Amanda [00:27:03]:
Very few swim lessons she's had, but because of those floaties, she kinda learned. And eventually, you know, we had to let go and say, okay, swim. And my 5 year old is a whole different story. She she's she's very brave. But, yeah, I love watching children just enjoy the moments in water with a carefree mind.
Paige [00:27:25]:
Exactly. Exactly. Tell me about your going back to the Cape.
Amanda [00:27:31]:
I am. This is like a family tradition. As a child, my family, we would spend tons of moments down in the Jersey Shore, but one place that really sticks out is Cape Cod. And this was a family vacation. I'm an only child. So, you know, it was just kinda swim in the Nantucket Sound with me, and those memories just held so tight to me. And later, they actually moved up there, and, sadly, my father passed away, suddenly when I was 35. And we moved my mom back to New Jersey, and we continue that tradition as our family now, my husband and 2 girls, to make that commitment to always go up to Cape Cod and spend a week up there.
Amanda [00:28:26]:
And and really, you know, that's one of my happy places. I feel connected to my father being on the cape. I feel connected to childhood memories. And now I got engaged on Cape Cod back, in February of 2,000. Yeah. We I got engaged on Corporation Beach. It it was Valentine's Day 2009. And then I remember another special moment is, we we struggled to get pregnant for so long.
Amanda [00:28:57]:
We adopted our first daughter, and my second daughter was just such a surprise. And I was terrified of being pregnant at the time, going through so much loss. And I remember being on Cape Cod, months before she was born, and we couldn't really settle on a name. And I wrote the name, Sala, in the sand. And I was like, this is her name. It's Seyla. And I took a picture. So I still have the picture.
Amanda [00:29:25]:
There's so many cherished memories on Cape Cod, and that's one of the reasons why I actually made that piece, the waves of Cape Cod, and the meaning behind it. Because I think a lot of people that either go down to the Jersey Shore or they even go to Florida, my waves of life has so much connection. And the waves of Cape Cod, there's so many of us that have that personal connection to a body of water, and that was my passion. This is and it's actually because I don't live near the ocean. That really drives my passion to create these pieces, and I think that's something that is really special.
Paige [00:30:02]:
Oh, that's great. That's great. Are you going to incorporate any kind of new tradition for your girls, or is this the going and carrying on your family's tradition, what you're doing? I I'm just curious if there's anything that you and the girls do that's kind of super special to you all.
Amanda [00:30:20]:
Oh, yeah. There's a couple of things, actually. Well, going back to when I was a child, a couple of summers, we would be on Cape Cod when the moon was full. And I remember just sitting there for hours on the beach and watching the full moon. And later on, when I got married, my husband and I would just do a spontaneous date night down to Ocean Grove in New Jersey when the moon was full and sparkling on the water, and we would just go down there. And then later that turned into, let's pack a, you know, a beach dinner, and let's drive down and, you know, hang out on the beach during the full moon. And we continue that tradition in Cape Cod. I actually people might find this, like, strange, but I don't care.
Amanda [00:31:02]:
It's like my tradition. I always plan our vacations to Cape Cod around the full moon, just so we can have that special time on the beach with family. That's when the crowds go away and you feel like you're not distracted by so much. You just sit on the beach with a beach blanket with my my husband and my girls with this beautiful moon over the water, and we can just have the most meaningful conversations.
Paige [00:31:31]:
Mhmm.
Amanda [00:31:32]:
Another tradition we have is going back to Corporation Beach where my husband proposed. And as a family of 4 now, knowing the struggles I I had with trying to get pregnant, the the ups and downs of trying to adopt, going back to the moment where my husband asked me to be his wife, we love it. We just go back to that beach. I always have my camera going, you know, my my video of them catching hermit crabs in the bay, and we could spend hours up there. And now it's funny. We we actually bring our dog up to Cape Cod. So we we bring the whole family.
Paige [00:32:14]:
There you go. Get the dog involved.
Amanda [00:32:16]:
Oh, he's a my Levi my Levi is, like, the best dog in the world. He's a English golden retriever, and he's just like you know, he's like a kid. So he's like my 3rd child.
Paige [00:32:25]:
Yeah.
Amanda [00:32:25]:
You know, creating those memories, and you've created those memories of the beach, those special memories, those traditions that hold so close to you. And, and, yeah, that's Yeah. That's what we love to do.
Paige [00:32:40]:
I kinda have to laugh about your description of being at the beach or the full moon because I just did an episode about being disappointed by the beach. Mhmm. And how can that be so? But I actually was for a moment because I love those quiet moments when nobody is around and the moon just pops up over the horizon, this bright globe and the the the lights that come across the ocean.
Amanda [00:33:08]:
Like tiny little diamonds.
Paige [00:33:10]:
Exactly. Exactly. Nobody else is around or very few. It's very quiet. It's just a whole different kind of vibe. And that's what I was expecting the last full moon because I had been missing going to see the moon rise over the ocean because we've been traveling or maybe there I don't know. There would be a storm or something. You just couldn't see the moon, whatever.
Paige [00:33:31]:
This time, I'm going out there, and I'm expecting this beautiful scenario, and it was everything but that.
Amanda [00:33:38]:
Really?
Paige [00:33:39]:
There was dredging equipment, they're reclaiming the beach, They're pumping up sand from out in the ocean to help build up the sand dunes for hurricane season. There's that. And then there's just ton of people out. I couldn't find a place that was quiet enough to sit alone by myself. It seemed like every time I sat down and, like, held up my phone to take a picture of something, somebody would walk right in front of me and, like, stand there. And then I'm looking out and instead of this beautiful, dark velvet sky with little stars and then the the moon coming up, it was just this huge storm cloud coming across the sky and this weird orange glow. It was it was strange. It was like, I don't recall the moon, you know, shining through the clouds looking orange, but okay.
Paige [00:34:30]:
It looked more like the sunrise. And it just was all kinds of weird. It was beautiful in its own right, especially when I decided, okay. This is not what I expected, but go walk out in that water right now. It was like I, you know, give myself an order. You go out there and stand in those waves and look out at the horizon and just feel because the there were waves were, like, really active, And I was hoping it would be nice and calm. You just hear yeah. So I'm standing there and kinda like those waves of life, you know, they were knocking me, and I was having to really stand there and feel that energy.
Paige [00:35:11]:
And, of course, it's full moon, so, you know, that energy is pretty strong. And I learned my lesson. I have to manage my expectations because I cannot have any serenity if my expectations are really high. I had to list let go of that and think, you know, this is super cool, actually. We got these weird kind of clouds coming by and this glowing orangey light, and there's other people around. And then just like all of a sudden, all that kind of went away. And I was just there. It was just me and the waves and the beach and all was well.
Paige [00:35:49]:
No expectations. Just take it in. And and I did, and it was beautiful. So, you know, there's always a lesson.
Amanda [00:35:56]:
Yes. You know, just kinda listening to you talk about that. You know, there's always an ocean story or an ocean lesson. And I've had moments where, you know, we've gone on vacation and it is just the weather has been awful. It's been gray, cloudy, cold. The waves have been too rough. But I look at it as a lesson. You know, the waves are unpredictable, like our our lives.
Amanda [00:36:22]:
Our lives are very unpredictable. We go through the waves of life. So at that moment where there was a lot of people, and they were working on building up the sand dunes, and the sky wasn't clear, and the waves were were crashing on the shore, that really is a kind of a a moment to look at as a lesson that, you know, the waves are unpredictable, and the waves can be strong, but they don't knock us down always. They teach us a lesson that, you know, during this time of uncertainty, during this time when we may not be feeling like our best selves, the waves keep on crashing onto shore, whether the sky is clear, whether there's a storm coming, whether there's people around us, you know, we are, as individuals, are learning to coast through the waves. And I I think that, you know, I I probably would I've been just as disappointed as you, but now kinda going back thinking that, wow, maybe what was the ocean teaching me at that very moment? You know, as I'm standing at the coast and these waves are crashing, and they're not knocking me down, but they are there and they're strong and powerful. And I think now what I try to do, and I I've gone through a lot of ups and downs in my life. I look at it as a life lesson, as what it what is God trying to teach me at that very moment? And the waves really illustrate such a powerful statement of us as individuals and how strong we really are.
Paige [00:37:57]:
Yeah. And before we wrap this up, I just wanna get back to Jay Nichols and Blue Mind. I know that you are a Blue Mind ambassador. Tell me more about your involvement in that and what do we need to do because we need to carry on this movement, I believe.
Amanda [00:38:15]:
Absolutely. I know that Jay, you know, this was months ago when I was texting Jay back and forth, and actually the first text message I got from him, and he said, well, thank you for being a Blue Mind ambassador. And I was like, oh my goodness. Is he really like like is this like a a like a message that's sending out to, like, a 1000 people? And I responded to him, and he he just you know, it it was a open conversation that he him and I started having about ways that we can make an impact, ways that we can spread the word of Blue Mind. And that led, you know, me being brave enough because talk about that imposter syndrome. I was like, alright, feel the fear and just do it. So I asked him to do an Instagram live. And I have to say, like, he's the most humble person that I've ever spoken to and so passionate about this blue line movement that he has so lovingly taken hold of of him and wanting to spread the word.
Amanda [00:39:12]:
So he was planning a lot of things. I remember that he was going to do, a getaway, like, a a Blue Mind workshop where Blue Mind ambassadors, people that wanna learn about Blue Mind, we would all go and and meet at a certain location to be educated about the ways that water impacts our lives, and then we would be able to then go out and spread the word. Unfortunately, that I don't know if that's gonna happen. I don't even know if you can go to his website to still sign up because everyone was kinda rocked when we found out that, you know, Jay passed away, especially at the young age of 56.
Paige [00:39:52]:
Yeah. I know.
Amanda [00:39:54]:
I know that there has been a lot of advocates out there that will continue to spread the blue line movement. You know, all I know is that speaking to Jay and hearing his passion, hearing his love for people, and wanting to help them in a holistic way and connecting them to the water to not, you know, to be in that red mind state where you're in this fight or flight moment, you know, when you're working, when you're in a city, like, when you're on your screen. And just hearing his passion, it really shook me when he passed away, and it took me about a week. Honestly, a full week to really get out of this funk of, like, what do I do now? Like, you know, he was kind of like the father of Blue Mind. What are we gonna do? How are we gonna continue to spread his word? We had such an amazing conversation on that Instagram live. It was, like, connecting to a brother, a father, a a person, a man that just had so much love for people in a world where we some of us are so against each other. And to find that way of feeling at peace knowing that being around the water creates that feeling. He did this marble project, and I actually have a little blue marble.
Amanda [00:41:18]:
And what I love about how he portrayed this blue marble is that we are so tiny on this giant blue planet.
Paige [00:41:29]:
Mhmm.
Amanda [00:41:30]:
You know, and you think about it how tiny we are and what we can do as a society, as people to protect our oceans, to continue. Because without protecting our oceans, without advocating for clean water and for marine life, those places that you go to to create that, to have that feeling of peace and calm won't always be there. And after he passed away, there were 2 things that I did because I was, like, just not in the right mindset. 1, I bought, like, a whole bunch of blue marbles. And 2, I bought a second copy of his book.
Paige [00:42:09]:
That was why I wanted to do this podcast for sure, just to acknowledge him and his work in the world and how we really want to carry that carry that on. And you, through your art, I was thinking, well, what can I do? And my gift is my voice. My gift is this podcast. My gift is the ability to reach out to the listener out there who loves the beach, who loves the water, who wants to embrace that blue mind and, you know, get rid of the red mind and the stress and all of the things. I think what I'm gonna do is end with at the end of his book, before he goes into the acknowledgments, he says, All I really want to say is this: Get in the water. Walk along the water, move across its surface, get under it, sit in it, leap into it, Listen to it. Touch the water. Close your eyes and drink a big glass.
Paige [00:43:18]:
Fall more deeply in love with water in all its shapes, colors, and forms. Let it heal you and make you a better, stronger version of yourself. You need water, and water needs you now. I wish you water. That's so beautiful.
Amanda [00:43:39]:
It it is so powerful. It's the truth. It's humble, and that is the spirit of Jay.
Paige [00:43:56]:
I'm curious. How did this episode resonate with you? I mean, everyone has a story about water. Right? Like, what was it like the first time you saw the ocean or holidays you spent at the lake or maybe learning to swim? I'd like to know. So record a voice mail or send me a message. The links are in the show notes. And I'll also post the link ocean that's just down the street from my house and how being near it to just hear it makes me feel happier and more connected. And it occurred to me that although this podcast is about the beach, there would be no beach without water. Before you leave, take a minute to listen to this sound from the shore.
Paige [00:44:56]:
What is the beach saying to you today? Thank you for tuning in to another episode of The Beach Speaks. If you enjoyed what you heard, please spread the beachy vibes and share it with a friend because, let's be honest, who doesn't want more beach in their lives? And if more beach is what you crave, go to the beachbeaks.com and sign up for my newsletter. It's an easy way to stay in the know, collect some tips and travel hacks for your next beach adventure, and find out what I'm doing at the beach. And if you want to dive deeper into the ocean of support, consider becoming a Beach Speaks Patreon member. Your contribution helps keep the podcast afloat, and you'll enjoy some cool perks that only our Patreon family gets to enjoy. The beach is speaking. Are you listening?
Raegan and Emma [00:46:55]:
Have a sea turtles day!
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