How to find mid-winter magic in the water
Why hibernate when there’s a magical world waiting for you to explore? Rowan Clarke from Outdoor Swimmer magazine explains how immersing in nature is the restorative spell you need this winter.
It’s natural to spend less time outdoors in winter. But winter is a magical time to be in nature – and spending time in blue spaces is wonderful for your health and wellbeing.
That doesn’t mean that you have to swim – just being in blue spaces helps. But, if you do want to take the plunge, winter dipping is an exhilarating, thrilling, breath-taking experience like no other, which levels up those health and wellbeing benefits of cold water swimming.
So, how do you make the most of your time outside in winter, and where can you find that magic? From fairy-pools and sacred springs, to spiritual experiences and night swimming, we explore the winter wonderland.
Feeling spiritual: Winter Wild Swimming Rituals and Traditions
Wild swimmers are pretty evangelical about the euphoria they get in and around water. When Outdoor Swimmer’s editor, Ella Foote, interviewed Reverend Kate Bottley, she said, “If you find me an outdoor swimmer, especially skins or winter swimmer, who hasn’t had some sort of spiritual experience in the water – they are fibbing!” In this interview with Jini Reddy, author of Wanderland, Ella finds out why Jini seeks the Other as she explores the UK’s landscape, following instincts, stories and crumbs of information, which she collects like treasure.
“When I was planning the book, I had this idea to seek fairy circles in Cumbria, but logistically I couldn’t make it work,” Jini tells Ella. “Asking the spirit of the land, or whatever I was calling it that day, to guide me and show me what I needed to see.”
The UK’s ancient countryside is shaped by magic. For thousands of years, myth, legend and folklore surrounding water flowed through our landscape. It’s hardly surprising, then, that we feel the echoes of those mysterious undercurrents today.
“Water was somehow the last hideout of chaos, the pre-cosmic chaos of the universe,” says Amy Jeff author of Wild. “These places had a deep darkness and the abyss, which were full of mystery and danger, and rivers were the paths by which that abyss might creep up onto land.”
Why is winter so magical?
In the winter, natural environments are quieter, stiller and more peaceful. Darker skies, mist, ice and bare branches on the trees add atmosphere, which is sometimes magical and often eerie.
Finding places steeped in mystery can be thrilling, especially when you dare to dip. Feel the presence of a sinister mermaid in Blake Mere Pool in the Peak District, the ghost that haunts the Silent Pool in Surrey, or Loch Ness’s legendary monster.
Not all bodies of water are haunted by terrifying spirits, though. Some places are imbued with spirituality, holiness and tales of healing. St Anthony’s Well in the Forest of Dean, for example, is one of England’s most mysterious sacred springs, thought to cure skin conditions, which Rowan explores this feature.
Cold water swimming & midwinter celebrations
Many of these places, cursed or blessed, are tied up with traditional rituals and celebrations. Being in or by water at these times is extra magical, which is why so people celebrate winter solstice, yuletide, Christmas and New Year with a swim.
“Christmas morning dips, New Year’s Day swims and loony dooks: a madcap dash into the sea is fast becoming a festive tradition,” says Outdoor Swimmer’s founder, Simon Griffiths in his post sharing top tips for festive dips.
With short daylight hours, night swimming is often a necessity for winter swimmers. But swimming under the stars is one of the most magical ways to enjoy cold dips.
“Plunging into cold water at night is to strip away the insignificances of modern life,” says Jonathan Cowie in this feature. “Hanging in Windermere on a winter night, the Milky Way spread across the sky above and reflected in the dark waters around us, we are awestruck into silence.”
Make your own winter wild swimming rituals
Being in or around water in winter is innately ritualistic. Over winter, you might develop your own rituals – and these will help you shed the blanket and venture outdoors.
Your magical, watery rituals might include:
· A walk by water through a woodland or fields
· Meeting a group of people and having a chat before your swim
· Getting undressed in a particular order so your clothes are ready to put back on afterwards
· Entering the water slowly focusing on your breath
· Calming your breathing while you’re in the water
· Noticing your surroundings – the trees, the view, the weather
· Getting out at getting dressed in a particular order
· Sharing a warm drink and cake with friends Find out what post-swim rituals other swimmers enjoy in this post.
Noticing the benefits of cold water swimming
As you spend time in magical winter landscapes, discovering local myths and legends, or immersing in cold water, notice how it makes you feel.
“Bring together those three elements, camaraderie, exercise and blue views, and you start to understand why swimming outdoors has such a profound effect on our sense of wellbeing,” writes Rowan in this article on how cold water helps your mental health. “However, more recent research is starting to expand theories that there are also physiological benefits from the cold water itself.”
Thinking about trying cold water swimming?
Follow Rowan’s top tips for safe winter wild swimming
· Joining a local group for safety and that all-important camaraderie is the best way to start cold water swimming.
· Get in steadily – it takes 90-120 seconds for the initial cold-water shock to wear off
· Never jump or dive in
· Gently exhale as you enter the water
· Listen to your body and don’t stay in for too long
· Dress in plenty of warm, weatherproof layers and sip a warm drink afterwards
Find out more You can buy the Wild Winter issue of Outdoor Swimmer magazine here to find out more about swimming in winter.
By Rowan Clarke
Rowan Clarke is the lead features writer for Outdoor Swimmer magazine.
You can follow Rowan’s adventures on Instagram @_finsandgoggles_
