WAVES & WOMEN: Chapter 5 – Still Waters
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Time to read 7 min
There’s a kind of quiet alchemy in still waters. No roaring surf. No rushing wind. Just the gentle rhythm of strokes, breath and reflection. For many women, swimming and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) have become tools of healing - low-impact, accessible and profoundly grounding.
Of course, many of these so-called still water sports can also be practiced in our beloved oceans or, if you're lucky, rivers, lakes, lagoons... you name it. As long as there's water, we’ll find a way to immerse ourselves in our favourite past-time rituals. That said, while the previous chapters focused on the thrill of moving oceans, the adrenaline of wind and the relentless pull of current, this chapter shifts our attention inward. Toward gentler tides. Toward stillness.
Because sometimes, you hear the most when everything quiets down.
Let us begin. Welcome to Chapter 5 - Still Waters: Healing Through Swimming & SUP.
Introducing the Series: WAVES & WOMEN
Welcome to WAVES & WOMEN, our newest story-driven blog series from WALLIEN. Over the next several posts, we’ll take you on a journey through surfing’s ancient roots, explore what makes it so addictive and dive into the power of sisterhood in the sea.
In this sense our blogs do indeed bear much similarity to a love letter - one whom many of us have either written or received - in this case it'll be a love letter to the ocean. One, which unfolds itself over its chapters.
Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or still building up to your first pop-up, this series is for every water-loving woman who’s ever wondered: What exactly am I tapping into when I paddle out? Why do I feel such a thrill when I am out there in the forces of nature?
Let us start at the beginning and welcome to the fifth chapter.
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Table of Content
Finding Flow in Stillness How Swimming & SUP Support Mental Health Community in Quiet Waters 🌸 The Still Waters Ritual, Your New 7-Day Guide to Gliding, Glowing & Grounding Still Waters, Lasting Calm: What Makes It Stay With Us What’s Next in WAVES & WOMEN Join Our Journey The Author: Jessy van Wijk Related Readings ASK WALLIEN
Finding Flow in Stillness
We've touched upon the concept of Flow before, that state where all your thoughts seem to fade to a vague background noise and all there is, all there can be in your mind is the very moment playing right in front of your eyes - the now.
A famous quote by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, author of Flow, brings us to a crucial insight:
“The happiest people spend much time in a state of flow – the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
But here's the thing - reaching a Flow state doesn't always require great cost. It doesn’t have to be driven by adrenaline or intensity. Healing doesn’t always arrive in dramatic moments.
Sometimes, it appears when you’re gently drifting.
Swimming lets you feel buoyant - in your body and in your mind - one cadence, one breath at a time.
SUP raises you just above the surface, creating space to observe your posture, your breath, your thoughts - from a quieter altitude.
In this sense, the still water presents you with both a mirror and a healing force.
And as your rhythm softens, so does the weight you carry.
(To freshen up your memory:
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How Swimming & SUP Support Mental Health
These sports may feel soft, but science shows they deliver deep benefits:
Low-impact, full-body movement promotes circulation, balance and ease - without shock to joints or adrenals.
Mindful paddling and swimming quiet internal chatter, triggering a meditative state focused on the now.
Sunlight exposure boosts Vitamin D, helping regulate mood, energy and stress responses.
Water immersion activates the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing your body to rest and digest.
Studies on mindfulness-based movement and aquatic therapy show significant improvements in anxiety, depression, and emotional resilience - especially for women navigating transitions or burnout.
Community in Quiet Waters
You don’t need a wave to find sisterhood. Quiet paddles and swim laps build connection in subtle ways:
Shared silences over sunrise canoe-style paddles
Gentle agreements to wait for each other on calm days
Conversations that begin mid-stroke and move through breath and buoyancy
SUP meetups, float circles, and group swims become small sanctuaries of healing and camaraderie built on presence.
🌸 The Still Waters Ritual, Your New 7-Day Guide to Gliding, Glowing & Grounding
Healing isn’t always about going hard, pushing yourself to the very limit, sometimes it’s about going soft, yet consistent. Think of this as your personal training schedule meets self-care calendar, designed for swimming & SUP in style.
Monday - Sunrise Glide
Discipline: SUP
Duration: 30-45 min
Focus: Keep your knees soft, shoulders relaxed, and breath in sync with your strokes.
Style note: Pair your new Horizonia Yulex Springsuit in Pink with oversized sunnies and your favourite baseball cap, because protection can be chic.
Tuesday - Pool Poise
Discipline: Gentle swim laps
Duration: 20 min freestyle, 10 min backstroke
Focus: Slow, mindful technique over speed. Count your breaths.
Post-swim ritual: Herbal tea + journal one thing you released in the water.
Wednesday - Restorative Shoreline Walk
Discipline: Active recovery
Duration: 40 min walk barefoot in the shallows
Focus: Sensory reset — feel the sand, hear the water, let your thoughts drift.
Style note: Springsuit zipped down to the waist with linen wrap skirt = instant après-paddle chic.
Thursday - Power Paddle
Discipline: SUP intervals
Duration: 5 x 2-minute power paddles with 1-minute recovery drifts
Focus: Build endurance while keeping your jaw and shoulders soft.
Fuel: Fresh coconut water, beachside.
Friday - Float Therapy
Discipline: Swimming — floating & sculling practice
Duration: 30 min
Focus: Fully release your body into buoyancy. Let the water hold you.
Mood: Think meditative playlist + pastel-pink wetsuit against soft morning light.
Saturday - Community Paddle
Discipline: SUP with friends
Duration: 60–90 min (social pace)
Focus: Conversation, connection, and shared laughter between strokes.
Style note: Matching Horizonia Pink springsuits = instant it-girl energy.
Sunday - Stillness
Discipline: No set workout
Duration: However long your soul needs
Focus: Sit by the water, listen, breathe. The stillness is the training.
Still Waters, Lasting Calm: What Makes It Stay With Us
Maybe it’s the steady rhythm of your paddle. Maybe it’s the gentle pull of water over skin. Or maybe it’s something quieter still - a spaciousness you didn’t know you needed, a reminder that movement doesn’t always have to be loud to be powerful.
This isn’t just relaxation, it’s restoration. It’s the kind of experience that dissolves urgency, that teaches presence over perfection. It’s the quiet proof that you don’t have to push hard to arrive exactly where you’re meant to be.
The science behind the concept of Flow shows us it’s not imagined - it’s physiological. Water immersion, steady breath, and mindful movement work together to lower stress, improve mood, and restore balance. For women, it’s deeply personal: a space to reconnect with self, without all the jittering noise or external pressure.
Whether it’s your first gentle glide or your hundredth dawn paddle, still waters hold space for you to return - to the water, and to yourself.
What’s Next in WAVES & WOMEN
So far, we’ve explored surfing’s roots, the science of stoke, the healing power of the ocean, the fearless rise of women in the wind and now, the soft strength of still waters.
Next, we’ll descend beneath the surface.
In the next chapter, we’ll explore:
How women are reclaiming scuba and freediving
Why deep water can be a sanctuary for presence and resilience
And the ways silence underwater can reveal a louder truth above it
Stay tuned for Chapter 6 – Depths of Connection: Women in Scuba & Freediving.
Join Our Journey
Ready to paddle out with us?
Follow along as we tell the untold stories of women and waves. Sign up for updates, share your own surf story with #WALLIENWomen, and let’s keep rewriting the surf narrative - together.
Stay salty, stay curious.
- Team WALLIEN
The Author: Jessy van Wijk
A competitive wave surfer, multiple-time runner-up at the Dutch Championships and full-time student with saltwater in her veins. Between study sessions and surf sessions, she brings her firsthand experience to WALLIEN - sharing stories celebrating the power of women in the lineup while raising eco-awareness.
Related Readings
ASK WALLIEN
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Is Swimming or SUP Easy Going?
Absolutely. All skill levels are welcome. Calm days, shallow water, inflatable boards and guided entry support confident access. Push yourself as hard as you wantor take all the rest you need, it is fully up to you.
