When the waves are really good, it always makes me feel like a little kid again.
Excited, anxious, butterflies…
I can’t get ready fast enough. Time suddenly moving like molasses and every little step that gets me out into the lineup seems to take an eternity.
Parking!? Oh come on!!
Always one of the more stressful parts of a swell.
Sunscreen!? Eh, who’s got time for that??
As I’m getting older & wiser I now know there is ALWAYS time.
Car key… car key… F*ck, where’d I put the key again!?
Forever misplacing the car key before I paddle out.
And that’s just navigating the parking lot…
Then there’s navigating the reef, the precise keyhole in which to paddle out, the slippery rocks on the inside, timing the sets, and, potentially, navigating a lineup crowded with people frothing to get some waves, just like you.
In some instances, if you miss the keyhole by an inch you’ll get urchined. If you rush across the slippery rocks, you’ll likely bust your ass. And if you mistime the sets, you could end up working a whole lot harder just to get out past the white water.
So in order to position yourself out into the lineup — the parking lot prep, navigating the keyhole or shore break, getting past the breaking waves, and into a spot to actually catch & ride a wave — requires some intentional steps, a little bit of skill, and ultimately, a whole lot of practice, patience & dedication.
Riding waves is like, majority of the time, 5% of the entire surfing experience. But when we achieve that goal of riding a wave, and maybe riding it a little bit better than the time before, it’s worth it, and we’re willing to do all the work & take all the steps for a chance to do it again. Maybe, hopefully, integrating what we’ve learned from this go-round into the next one.
We also have to acknowledge that every wave we ride is a little different from the one before, and in return, asking something a little different from us as well. Each time we take off, like dropping into a fresh canvas on which to paint… No matter how subtle, every line we draw is exquisitely unique. And no matter how hard we try to emulate someone else’s style, no two people can ride the waves exactly the same way.
But that doesn’t take away from the joy & the bliss we experience while riding waves. Sure, we may want to try and get more speed next time, or try and stall for the tube, or get our toes closer to the nose — or whatever it is — but a beginner could, arguably, be experiencing just as much joy & bliss as the expert. But then there also comes a point that, if you stick with it, having more fun & experiencing that same bliss translates into an improvement in surfing — whether it’s surfing bigger waves or aiming for longer rides or smoother maneuvers — and the cool thing is we can have these moments all throughout our lifetime of surfing. And if you've stuck with it for a while, then you also know that those “level ups” are not always easy. Simply put, there's no magical shortcut. You just gotta keep paddling out, trusting that every session will eventually get you to where you want to go.
And this is where I feel like the yoga-surfing-life connection becomes quite evident. Because like in yoga, and like in life, in surfing there’s really no end-goal to reach. We could, technically, always go “further.” But the progress also not always linear either. Instead, the progress eventually a by-product of that concoction of intentional steps, integration of skill, and a whole lot of practice, patience & dedication. The practice, patience & dedication part, arguably, the most impactful.
So let’s use our asana practice as an example: Your journey to Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana) may have been a short one or a long one. It may have come easy to you or it may still be a work in progress. Some days you might be able to hold it for 10 breaths, other days maybe barely for one. Any of these scenarios doesn't make your practice any less impactful. Whether Handstand was easy or hard or still a work-in-progress doesn’t make you any less of a yogi. Headstand isn’t even required to be a yogi at all. But, if it’s a pose that you really want to experience, then keep practicing it. Keep paddling out. Dedication & patience will eventually lead to a mastery of the skill. As the saying goes, all things in due time.
But then what??
You get deeper in the barrel, you get your toes on the nose, you can hold Headstand for hours… What’s next?? Well, a lot really. When there’s no destination, that just leaves infinite space for possibility and growth.
And as cliche as it sounds, our yoga practice & our surfing practice can remind us of this truth that extends far beyond our surfboards or our yoga mats: The destination is in the journey. The practice is in the process. And if we can focus on what’s in front of us now, and detach ourselves from the deadlines, details, and desired outcomes, we can open ourselves up to the possibility of what’s next.
Continue to show up even when it feels annoying, boring, unfruitful, or hard.
Trust that this step will lead into the next and that this path ahead, no matter how many twists and turns and setbacks, will eventually get us to where we need to go.
Practice, patience, dedication… And trust.
We got this friends! Be well.