Music and the Ocean Connection

Have you ever had a moment when you hear a song or a piece of music and it instantly transports you to another time or place? Music can be such a powerful way to connect with other environments, and to connect us to the natural world around us.

I love music - I love a good sing along and dance in the kitchen with my morning brew as much as the next person! I love music’s ability to lift my mood, to ground me in the current moment or conversely to take me to another place entirely. This can be a very powerful and important tool during lockdown!

During my longer solo SUP expeditions, I’ve listened to music a lot. Sometimes I prefer to paddle without the earphones, and to take in the sounds of nature around me - the sound of the waves lapping or crashing over the front of my board, the noise of the birds, the howling of the wind. Tuning into these sounds can be a very intense, mindful and exciting experience; it can also bring calm and peace, an amazing way to practice mindfulness.

However on days when I need a pick me up on the water, or days off the water when I crave that connection to our incredible ocean, I’ll often turn to music.

I had a wonderful time talking to Geoff at Wilderness Tracks all about the subject of music, and going through the 6 tracks that make me feel the most connected to nature. You can listen back here.

I also wrote an article for The Guardian about this topic, aptly titled “How Bob Marley helped me paddle board from Land’s End To John O’Groats” ( I didn’t choose the title but wish I had!)

So next time you’re feeling disconnected from nature, I hope some of these tracks I’ve recommended in the article and podcast go some way to helping you feel reconnected. Music is such a personal thing, that you may already have your own songs that help with this - I encourage you to make a Connection to Nature playlist that you can tap into any time you need it! Enjoy!