We are two water-loving women who became friends in the ocean one morning in May 2020, after a mutual friend said to each of us, “Oh, I have another crazy friend who swims like you, maybe you two should meet!” Well, we did and soon realized that this mutual coldwater obsession was going to get us through the isolation of the pandemic. We continued to meet in the water deepening our connection with ourselves, a small community of regular coldwater swimmers, and the cyclical rhythms of that big salty ocean. We went to the ocean to celebrate all the things- birthdays, holidays, solstices, or just the fact we made it through the week. We grieved and we grew, and together, we decided to create a way to share the joy we found in the water year-round with others. We called ourselves "Two Maine Mermaids" originally thinking that we'd add a little bit of mermaid magic and performance to our dips. While you don't see us donning mermaid tails on the reg, we do like to sprinkle a little mermaid magic on occasion (we always say “YESSSSS” to glitter!) and we've been blown away by what has *actually* happened since we first posted as the Two Maine Mermaids!

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We started out with a Valentine’s Day “Mermaid Sighting” in February of 2021 with the hopes to bring a little joy to the dreary days of February in Maine (in a pandemic no less). We dressed in mermaid tails we made from recycled materials and our handmade sea Goddess crowns and handed out mermaid valentines to beach-goers. (So cute, we know) We got some funny looks, but also lots of smiles and gratitude. When we ran out of valentines we shed our tails and hopped in the water and got even more funny looks. BUT, we also got a small little mermaid friend who took their shoes off and wanted to hop in the water with us…much to their parents' chagrin.  It’s then that we realized the best part of coldwater swimming is meeting people IN the ocean and sharing the full body experience of surrendering to the cold.

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So, we met. We sat outside in our Dry Robes (because…pandemic), set our moorings (Creating Community, Spreading Joy, and Connecting to the Elements) and decided to schedule swims that aligned with the cycles of nature.  And what better cycle to attune to than the one that controls the tides- the moon. So in March of 2021, when the ocean was the absolute coldest it gets all year, we thought, “Hey, let’s just invite people to swim with us on the Full Moon and see what happens!”

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Since that night we’ve continued to host monthly Full Moon dips. We’ve hosted a 3-month long Coldwater Challenge to encourage coldwater acclimation. We’ve hosted big annual dips for International Women’s Day, intimate guided dips, holiday dips, crown-making parties pre-dip, a pre-dip coffee tasting, manifestation boards making session paired with a dip, cut-a-hole-in-the-frozen-lake dips, and special pop-up dips. We never know if anyone will show up, but we always remind each other “the people who need to be here will be here.” We do know that we will always encourage you to show up just as you are, no matter the situation or your mood and you can expect to find a little bit of joy in being and feeling fully ALIVE.

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We both love our coldwater practice, but NO, neither one of us likes or takes cold showers.

 

Together, we consider ourselves hosts and members of this incredible community of folks who show up to spread joy & connect to the elements. To foster this community, we will continue to hold space for regular community dips (no experience necessary!) coinciding with Full Moons and annual events (like March's International Women's Day dip)!