ASMR Antarctica - The Sound of Water

Published: July 5, 2022, 9:50 a.m.

If you’ve ever been on boat, or a ship, maybe you’ll agree with me that the sound of water hitting the hull, is very calming. It can put you to sleep. It can let your mind wander. It can allow you the space to imagine being somewhere else. 

Maybe this is not a surprising statement, but I love sound. Raw, in the moment, nature, natural noise, chatter in a specific spot…wherever it might be, when I listen to it, I can close my eyes and imagine that I’m somewhere else.

Well, today, I’ve got a bit of a treat for you. I want to share some sound, which is pretty much raw sound, just a recording of place. 

But then I’m going to add a layer to it, which is a visualization…maybe a sort of meditation…some prompts and open ended questions to see where your imagination takes you, while you listen to this sound.

For me, sound can bring back all the feelings, I can get all the sensations, the emotions and actual memories of a place. 

Here’s a funny fact: When I began this project, before I had even been to ANtarctica, I wanted to feel what it was like to be there. So I went on Youtube, and found a one hour loop of the sound of wind, at the South Pole, and I would sit and listen to it, while I was writing the script. 

Something about the sound made it feel like I was there, a little more immediate, more real, and much much colder than was, sitting there in the middle of summer.

And I’m going to suggest that this is a good time to listen with earphones, or earbuds. Or just something that feels more, connected.

 

Let’s start by taking three deep breathes. 1, 2, 3.

Imagine you are standing on the deck of the ship, right next to me.

It’s windy out. It’s always windy here. And the wind is cold. 

Can you feel it on your face? Is your nose a little bit cold?

Ok, now steady yourself....take a wide stance.

The paint on the deck under your feet is dark green and it has a grit to it, so that you don’t slip. It sort of helps to bend your knees a bit. Let your body sway with the movement of the waves.

Ok, the ship is starting to move a bit. Side to side.

It’s a bit erratic. It comes and it goes.

Look look down, at the water, and you’ll see see chunks of ice.

From here they seem small...but then one of them hits the steel hull, that's the crashing sound just you heard.

Thse ice bits aren't very small, it appears. They are mid-sized, at least.

But the sound passes quickly.

The ship is moving quickly enough, and as the bow of the ship cuts through the water, you can see a deep blue colour of dance on top of the waves. 

These little bits are called bergy bits. Tiny little icebergs.

Now, raise your eyes, and look to the far shore. Big sheets of ice are floating on the top of the water.  

Now, look up at the horizon. It's calm.

The sky is as blue as you’ve ever seen it.

The air is very clean here.

Let’s just relax here for a moment. 

Can you hear the quiet sound of the waves lapping.

Feel that steady energy, and sense the movement. Going. Going. Moving. Moving.

Now turn your mind back to the waves and hear them grumbling.

Let your mind drift. Imagine being somewhere else for a moment.

Now back, can you pick out that deep engine roar at the bottom?

And then up top, like the piccolos, the small waves puddling along.

It goes and it goes....where have you gone?

Look up now, and imagine the skyline. Is it dark, or bright?

Look back down at the water now. Think about how cold it must be in that water here.

Remember the last time you went swimming.

Inhale very deeply.

Can you taste that salt on your lips?

Allow your mind to free, bouncing on the top of the waves.

Then the middle sound picks up...and it leads to a crescendo.

Another boom of thunder.

What came to your mind with that crack? Did it startle you?

What did these waves have to tell you?

And now I'm calling you back...

Look at that. Look at that!

Thanks for taking that short visulation journey with me! 

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