Unwind and Reset With an Employee Wellness Outing for Yourself and Your Team

Are you and your team feeling overworked, stressed and without any relief in sight? What if you could regain your center in an experiential 1-day outing and learn how to keep it? Imagine returning from a transforming day on the water feeling rejuvenated, clear, calm and relishing in the days experience.

Constant pressure from an always connected life at work and at home eventually leads to disengagment and burnout. When we find ways to reset we feel deeply inspired, creative, productive and resilient. This is a great experience to consider for both yourself and your team. It can be used to support an organization’s wellness efforts and as an inspiring team building activity. The program can be customized to fit your needs. We’d love to show you the water and to help facilitate your own Blue Mind experience!

Blue Mind is wellness science which has proven that being close to, on, in or under the water can make you happier, healthier and better at what you do. We know that when you go to the water, you really just go back to yourself. The part of you that is present, calm, mindful and open to new creativity and ideas. You don’t need to wait and plan a big vacation to experience the benefits of water. You can do that in your immediate surroundings right where you are. And you’ll get a sense of this long before the end of the days outing. A boat is the single most powerful tool to engage your Blue Mind. When you leave land, you leave stress and red mind behind! Blue Mind = Vitamin Sea
The experience includes a narrated tour of the lake to better familiarize you with its storied history. We will show you some of the beautiful biodiversity, limestone structures and even life below the surface using our underwater drone. On the journey to our mooring area you will have a chance to engage in some opening discussion of Blue Mind Wellness and take in the beautiful sights along with some healthy, delicious foods. Later after anchoring we will deploy our inflatable aqua marina platforms and you will be lead through gentle, mindful, Blue Mind Yoga. You may also choose to kayak, stand-up paddle board or just float and enjoy the water. If you need time alone and some space you can retreat to the air-conditioned salon to relax and have a refreshing beverage. Participants will recognize how water impacts mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being. We will help them to understand the three states of mind we all live in; red, grey and Blue Mind along with how to determine which one they are living in the moment. Team members will discover how the seven ages or seasons we live are tied to water. Finally, they will create a simple personal plan to incorporate new Blue Mind awareness into their everyday lives, work and career. We will laugh, learn, play and recharge!

Fathom Wellness LLC is a seamless extension of Fathom Corporate Training, one of Austin’s most highly recognized professional development firms for both individuals and organizations. Fathom’s trademark, Deep Insight, Direct Results has been taken to a whole new wellness experience and venue: the water. With more than 20 years experience in the management turnaround environment, Fathom assists clients facing performance challenges in many areas. The program is facilitated by seasoned Fathom crew and a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain. Welcome aboard the Fathom Blue Mind Wellness experience!

Writer Jane Austen said, “No person could be really in the state of secure and permanent health without spending at least six weeks by the sea every year. The sea air and sea bathing together are nearly infallible.”

 Program Objectives – Participants Will:

  • Recharge their mind and bodies

  • Recognize how water impacts mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being

  • Gain a new understanding of how mindfulness can effect every area of life

  • Learn about the history of Lake Travis and the Colorado River

  • Rediscover their personal relationship with water to help them navigate life

  • Create a simple personal plan to incorporate wellness and water into their own lives everyday

  • Learn the three states of mind we live in all the time; red, gray and Blue Mind

  • Understand how the seven ages or seasons we live are tied to water

  • Discover ways to take the water and Blue Mind back to their lives and to work

  • Enjoy thoughtfully prepared healthy food and beverages

  • Play, laugh, converse, swim, energize and exercise

  • Experience gentle and mindful yoga on the water

Fathom Freedom, Monterey 360 Sport Yacht, Blue Mind Wellness

Cockpit Seating Area, Blue Mind Wellness

Rear Galley Area, Blue Mind Wellness

Rear Sun Lounge, Blue Mind Wellness

Saloon Area, Blue Mind Wellness

Saloon Area 2, Blue Mind Wellness

Lower Galley, Blue Mind Wellness

Captain John, Blue Mind Wellness

1st Mate Elena, Blue Mind Wellness

A Blue Mind Family, Blue Mind Wellness

Up Front Seats, Blue Mind Wellness

Taking Some Water Home, Blue Mind Wellness

Light Dessert, Blue Mind Wellness

Simple Lunch, Blue Mind Wellness

Ready to Go, Blue Mind Wellness

Breakfast, Blue Mind Wellness

Time for Sun, Blue Mind Wellness

Bow Riding, Blue Mind Wellness

Time for Apps, Blue Mind Wellness

Saloon for Lunch, Blue Mind Wellness

Set for Sea Fare, Blue Mind Wellness

Alfresco Lunch, Blue Mind Wellness

Return Trip

Blue Waters of Lake Travis, Blue Mind Wellness

Return Trip

Perdanales River / Lake Travis, Blue Mind Wellness

Muleshoe Preserve on Lake Travis, Blue Mind Wellness

Water Stomp Rockets

Water Stomp Rocket Challenge, Blue Mind Wellness

Beauty of Lake Travis

Beauty of Lake Travis, Blue Mind Wellness

Blue Mind Yoga, Blue Mind Wellness

Return Trip

Return Trip, Blue Mind Wellness

 1– Day Experience Timeline

Group size: Up to 6  *contact us for larger groups
Length: 1-Day
Experience Offered: Private & Public

(Can Be Modified to Suit Needs – Note Alcohol is Prohibited)

  • Departure: Safety briefing, yacht and facilities, introductions

  • Guided Tour: The history of Lake Travis and the Colorado River

  • Blue Mind Introduction: The science of being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected and better at what you do

  • What’s Your Water?: Personal relationships we have developed with water in our lives

  • Water in Human History: From the beginning civilizations have connected to water

  • Types of Water: Wild, domestic and virtual water can all benefit us

  • Our Blue Senses: The effects of water on our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical well-being

  • Sea Fare: Healthy, delicious food and refreshments

  • The Price We Will Pay: Value humans place on being near water

  • Red Mind, Gray Mind, Blue Mind: Water and your brains state of well-being

  • Blue Mind Yoga: Session on water platforms for stability, gentle flow, stretching and mindfulness

  • Taking The Water With Us: Incorporating mindfulness and water into our lives everyday

  • Blue Mind at Play and Work: Ways water has been valuable to us at leisure and in our career and how we can keep it in our future

  • The Seven Ages of Water: Discover how the seven ages or seasons we live are tied to water

  • Protecting our Blue Havens: A personal commitment to stewardship for the places we love

  • Play Session: Water stomp rockets, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards and more

  • Return: Relish in the day and goodbyes

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At first I was ready to write off Blue Mind as a type of motivational speech, but I actually found myself really resonating with what he was saying…many people aren’t aware of what happens when you’re near water and the positive effects that come with it.

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Participant, Blue Mind Wellness

What I found most interesting about Blue Mind was the difference between someone blue minded versus red or gray minded…and to realize we are living in a red minded world at the moment with everything going on.

Participant, Blue Mind Wellness

…humans can have an emotional connection with the water. I personally felt this because I grew up near the ocean and went to many lakes and rivers when I was younger. When I am on a boat in the middle of the water I get a feeling like nothing else, a peaceful feeling.

Participant, Blue Mind Wellness

I thought that the blue, red and gray mind descriptions made it easier to understand the whole concept. I enjoyed learning about what actually happens within the body when it’s exposed to water. I also found it interesting how water being medicine is an ancient concept. With all the screen time we are exposed to now, we are often in the red or gray mind phase.

Participant, Blue Mind Wellness

Learning how to use all the Blue Mind tools to incorporate them into my life and work everyday is going to be very helpful to me.

Participant, Blue Mind Wellness

By the end of the day I had completely reset my mind and stress level and am thankful I attended.

Participant, Blue Mind Wellness

Corporate Wellness Programs

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A recent Aflac Workplace Employee Wellness Report shows that 54% of employees have a company sponsored wellness activity program. This is up from 32% in 2012. And of those offering a new or emerging wellness at work program like Blue Mind Wellness, over half said that the service has reduced overall employee health costs. Additionally, among team members offered a wellness program, 61% agree that they’ve made healthier lifestyle choices because of their organization’s wellness program. And perhaps most important, participants who participated in wellness program activities offered by their workplaces had higher levels of job satisfaction and engagement. So the question is not whether a wellness option or program can help team members, it is which experience is right for your own team and organization’s culture. Human Wellness is the New Corporate Wellness
A 2016 study conducted by LinkedIn reported that younger staff members tend to change jobs four times in the first ten years of their career. This means that the average tenure of an employee is only about two years. This is a wake up call for organizations needing to boost retention and loyalty. More than eighty companies in Austin, TX now offer wellness programs and are making progress through a culture of wellness. Wellness directors now need to look at a variety of programs and wellness activities that fit their own workplace culture to help increase employee engagement and reduce turnover. Companies such as Indeed offer many new options on-site and off-site to boost employee wellness. Patrick Mercer, Assistant VP and Wellness Director for Frost Bank says, “Our employees are our biggest asset, we’d rather provide benefits that individuals care about so we ask, what do you want?” Mercer says, “ultimately you want to bring the best version of yourself to work so if you prioritize healthy habits, mindfulness, resilience and community then you’ll take these values outside of the office and extend them to friends and family.”

Dan Adams, General Counsel for Austin based ESO Software says, “When you get to the beach it may take a couple hours or maybe a day, but eventually you become one with the water and the sand and feel the release.”

What is Blue Mind Wellness?

3-steps
Why are humans so attracted to lakes, rivers, oceans and other types of water? Blue Mind is wellness science, which has proven that being close to, on, in or even under the water can help us to be happier, healthier, better connected and performing humans at home and at work. What’s your water? Who took you there in the past?
blue mind book
The landmark bestseller Blue Mind, by Wallace J. Nichols helps us understand the remarkable effects of water in all of its shapes and forms on our health and well-being. Since we are primarily made of water and the planet we call home is more than 70% covered in water this makes sense. Our physiology is hardwired to respond positively to water and water in its many forms can help us enhance mindfulness. Water is one of our oldest forms of medicine for physical, emotional and mental health.
We typically are living in one of three states of mind. Red Mind, Gray Mind or Blue Mind. When we are under stress for long periods of time without release our brains go through a predictable cycle. Red Mind is experienced after an extended amount of exposure to stress, anxiety and fear with hormones like cortisol running high. Finally, when we are at exhaustion we move into a state of Gray Mind where burnout, depression and physical illness are more likely. Blue Mind is the antidote to both Red Mind and Gray Mind. Like a shot of penicillin it can prevent and even counter the downward spiraling cycle in the first place. Our lives are hyper-connected and we have begun to understand the ramifications on our personal and professional lives. Higher levels of anxiety and depression are occurring. And many people self‐medicate. What’s the cost? We multi-task and then have a difficult time remembering what we were working on minutes before.
We get addicted to the screen and have it with us all the time only to not be present for someone or something that may really benefit from our attention. And in our tech saturated lives we don’t give our minds much chance to relax. Personal and team engagement suffers and so does our productivity. Blue Mind Wellness is not experienced or achieved on Facebook, Instagram or any other social media platform – never. We need to log out and put down our devices. Setting an intention of doing this helps to create new awareness and an opening to Blue Mind. A regular dose of blue is good for you!
“All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea — whether it is to sail or to watch it — we are going back from whence we came.” John F. Kennedy

Blue Mind is Serious Wellness Science

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The Blue Mind effect, Wallace J. Nichols the author of Blue Mind says, “May result at least in part from the action of catecholamine neurotransmitters. The neurochemicals, which relay stress signals in the brain, re-calibrate in water to low levels similar to those delivered by meditation reducing stress and anxiety.”
Humans have understood the therapeutic benefits of water since ancient times. Early civilizations like Rome knew that baths were not only culturally important but also offered healing and relaxation. Ayurveda, Indian medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine, prescribe water for balancing the physical and mental body. Rivers have been known as sacred places and water has been a symbol of rebirth and cleansing. Our desire to be near aquatic environments may be explained by waters role in our evolutionary history. Clean water has always been critical to human survival. And remember, you were once floating in the saline water of your mother’s womb long before reading this.
Blue Mind, is far from a new abstract concept or a theory. It is supported by science. The University of Exeter Medical School in the UK looked into the idea that living near the coast improves both health and well being. They used census data and found this was true. Stress reduction near the ocean and beach side was profound. Japanese researchers conducted studies with 500 residents and found those who lived near the sea had greater emotions like peace and calm when compared to others living inland. In 2017, Spanish researchers reviewed more than 35 different studies and the results revealed an overwhelmingly positive association between exposure to outdoor blue spaces and mental health, stress reduction and well being. Water can have effects even in virtual forms. For instance, when cancer patients suffering chronic pain viewed nature videos that included sounds of the ocean, waterfalls and rivers, they experienced up to a 30 percent reduction in the stress hormone cortisol.

Water’s healthful effects are so great that aquatic therapists are now employing water to treat addictions, PTSD, anxiety, autism as well as many other conditions. Surfer’s often describes a Zen-like state they get by being on the water and catching and riding waves. But the goal of surfing therapy is not to teach people to surf. It is to get them to use the activity of surfing to help change their brain chemistry to Blue Mind. It

is no wonder that today humans still go to the water for these same purposes. One just has to think of how many vacations we spend near the beach, lake or river participating in water sports like swimming, sailing, fishing, scuba diving or visiting an aquarium.

Many of us enjoy just sitting near the water which can induce a mild meditative state of calm. We relish in water at home whether it’s a fountain, pool, or by taking a refreshing bath or shower. And many of us escape to the shower or bath knowing that this can get our creative ideas flowing. We build homes near or on the water and will pay significant sums of money for this. Our affinity for water is also seen in our attraction to the color blue. We’re naturally drawn to aquatic colors. Blue is the favorite color of people the world over.
“There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” Sylvia Plath, Poet
Blue Mind, Live Blue, Slow Coast & Groove ©™ (2009-2021) by WALLACE & Co. LLC

 

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your brain on boat

Blue Mind – Articles:

The Blue Mind Therapy Statement

Human Wellness is the New Corporate Wellness

Blue Mind – Vitamin Sea

Deep Insight = What Does Exploration Mean To You

Blue Mind Explores the Calming Effects That Water Has on People

Blue Mind: Why Being Near the Water Makes You Happy

Blue Mind – Why Being Around Water Is So Good for Our Psyches

Here’s Why Being Around Water Makes You Happy, According to Research

Why Being Around Water Can Make Your Calmer and More Creative

Want To Be Happier? Live Near Water, Research Shows

Blue Mind – Videos:

Fox News, Saying Goodbye to Stress, Inside the Blue Mind Theory

Yodi Insigne, Blue Mind Theory, Why Being Near the Ocean Can Make You Calmer

Wallace J. Nichols, Blue Mind Water is Medicine

Discover Boating, Your Brain on a Boat

Cabinology, Blue Mind, Why the Ocean is Good for You

Resurface Movie, Teaser

CBS This Morning, Blue Mind, Mental Health Benefits of Being Near Water

“By the end of the outing I was feeling a mental and emotional reset. Taking this experience and the tools we learned with me will help me to be calmer, more centered and thinking clearer at home and at work”

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We Follow-Up

All of our programs come with follow up. This includes post Workshop follow-up delivered by our Fathom Software. This system delivers one question a day for 2 weeks via email on content. Questions can be answered quickly and are scored. A leaderboard tracks results and a gift is given to the winner.

Private workshops also include the follow-up options below which can be scheduled at any time after the initial experience and expire one year after the session is held. These sessions may used to reinforce continued participant learning by practicing new skills and techniques learned in the workshop. You may choose one option below or discuss a combination with your Fathom Representative:

A. Webinars
B. Lunch and Learn
C. 1/1 Participant Coaching (On-Site)
D. 1/1 Participant Coaching (Phone)