In our always-busy, screen-saturated lives, we don't give our minds much of a chance to rest and wander freely. But when we do, the mind switches into a different mode of engagement, known as the default mode network -- the brain network associated with daydreaming, imagination, ...

We know that water -- being surrounded by blue space -- helps us relax, and we know that exercise is good for our bodies and our brains.

"If somebody is experiencing a number of problems that exercise and stress reduction may help with, [water] is a good add-on. Find a rive...

While in the restful, contemplative state associated with observing or interacting with water, it's also common to experience feelings of awe. The emotion of awe invokes feelings of a connection to something beyond oneself, a sense of the vastness of nature and an attempt to make sense of the exp...

"We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what's broken."

"We have a 'blue mind' -- and it's perfectly tailored to make us happy in all sorts of ways th...

When you stand at the edge of water and look out on the horizon, it's visually simplified relative to the room you're sitting in right now, or a city you're walking through, where you're taking in millions of pieces of information every second.Water can induce a meditative state....

When we're by the water, our brains are held in a state of mild attentiveness -- what Nichols calls a "soft fascination." In this state, the brain is interested and engaged in the water, taking in sensory input but not distracted by an overload of it, as we might be with the "