Aquatic engagements, cultures of immersion and practices of well-being in India

Abstract

This article explores aquatic engagements – particularly the practice of therapeutic sea bathing – in Goa, a coastal state in India. Goa accommodates a number of natural water bodies and residents engage with them in various ways, including by participating in sea bathing and swimming activities. This article uses the practice of sea bathing as a departure point to examine embodied aquatic engagements among women in Goa. It situates these practices within broader constraints imposed by structural and material restrictions while simultaneously showing how these embodied aquatic engagements create an inclusive space that offers new ways of thinking about well-being. The article argues that multiple framings of sea bathing provide a lens through which to understand the diverse domains that constitute well-being in India. In doing so, this article provides novel insights on the relationship between blue spaces and well-being.