Swim Rituals: Body of Water with Theodora van Duin
Introducing Swim Rituals, an intimate series which dives into the unique relationships and rituals each of us have with water.
In this first instalment of our new series, Body of Water, filmmaker Lily Brown took a road trip across the Scottish Highlands with Theodora van Duin, exploring the lochs and rivers she swims in often.
Theodora actively seeks out bodies of water and can be found coldwater swimming almost all year round. We talk to Theodora about the profound impact swimming has on her mental well-being, how Scotland influences her relationship with water, and the rituals she’s built around it.
By Chelsea Covington
Lily Brown
The Highlands remind me of home. When things get too heavy, going to the water is always a relief. You can’t think about anything else, but just the moment and staying afloat.
The right to roam is the most unique thing to swimming in Scotland. Constant access to nature makes you feel grounded in your surroundings. I’m actively always seeking out water. I’ll always opt to swim in a loch or a river.
Looking at the water makes me feel very calm and at ease, just because it alleviates all mental worries and all you can think about is being in the water in that moment of time and everything else just melts away.
Swimming connects me to a place in a different way and it makes me feel comfortable in my body, rather than what it looks like and that’s why I do it today.
“When things get too heavy, going to the water is always a relief. You can’t think about anything else, but just the moment and staying afloat.”
