Originally posted in German on 8th February 2025
by Heinz Grill
When people who suffer from bronchial illnesses go for a curative holiday by the sea, the initial deterioration due to the stimulating climate with its salt and wind is very quickly followed by good results. The inflammatory symptoms are alleviated or soon allow normal breathing and a more relaxed feeling.
Based on this observation, the statement that a kind of air cure or change of climate can heal the body is definitely true. Both the physical effects of the air and the metaphysical influences of the special, strengthening atmosphere that prevails by the sea work together and give the patient a pleasant, soothing feeling. The subtle effect of the sea mood enables the consciousness to find its way more to the ground, to the earth, to the proximity of the body, and thus the term ‘being incarnated’ can be experienced. Lungs and bronchial ailments normally reveal a very restless ‘overshooting of the will’ in the breathing process, so that the epithelia constantly form a reactive defence. Individuals are lacking the necessary stability in life situations and thus bronchial ailments in particular can escalate to a permanent burden and with time become chronic. A stay by the sea enables those affected to come more easily into their natural calm and thus the consciousness connects better with the bodily forces. Instead of the impelled excarnation with all its anxious, driven restlessness, a healthy incarnation with a natural subtle feeling for the body and thus better, more relaxed breathing conditions can arise.
What happens when those concerned do not just passively stay by the sea but rather deliberately turn their awareness to the atmospheric streams and moods? This form of orientation does not begin by closing the eyes and sitting in a pleasant, dreaming state on the beach, but rather the consciousness feels its way into the forces at work in the movement of the waves, observes them, asks questions and finally experiences the strong movement that is directed towards the earth. The great, salty expanses of water radiate less out into the cosmos, rather they absorb the stars as if into themselves and form a natural movement of constant, wide gliding out. The winds sweep over the water, but the water stays close to the ground and depicts a kind of limitlessness of movement, life and earthy expanse.
When the patients actively practice consciously looking at the atmosphere of the sea and not only dreamingly but concretely and alertly feeling into it, they create a kind of stability in their lungs, in the trachea, in the bronchi, bronchioles, and even right into the alveoli and this is not in the sense of an obstructive compaction, but rather a supple, regenerative basis for the organ. The consciousness can have the effect of gathering energy in the lungs and the movement of the breath can thus find a harmony.
These two phases, both the external climate of the sea and the personal, consciously chosen active engagement with the forces and moods, that exist in this great natural phenomenon of earthy expanse and water, have a very beneficial effect on the lungs. The mercurial forces of movement and connection, of incarnation, of gathering and streaming out are stimulated and thus healthy breathing can occur. Mercury is the planet that in the ancient healing arts already with Paracelsus represented the harmonious connecting principle. It appears in the medical symbol with the mercurial staff and it was furthermore described by Rudolf Steiner in Anthroposophy as the director who manages the flowing, gliding and connecting.
For the last two weeks the meditation was directed to the healing effects of the sea. As very few people live by the sea, many had to create the image as a mental picture and, starting from this, develop the moods until they reached their inner experience.
The various pictures were developed both during the Artists’ Days and afterwards by various painters. Depicting the sea with its incarnating, moving and gathering deep action, also forms a very beautiful contribution to healing.
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