A 10-minute, seated practice that combines MFR with gentle stretches and breath work to help you wake up and expand your lung capacity before paddling out for a surf.
Another September has come and gone, and for the 2nd year, I participated in the SurfAid September #MakeAWave Challenge of surfing 30 days to raise funding and awareness for the SurfAid Programs.
My current, go-to, Pre-Surf Stretch for when my body is feeling stiff and a bit surfed-out. This sequence could also be nice for a brief Active Recovery practice post-training or post-surf/sport
It was an honor to have the opportunity to write a piece for the Manduka Blog as a part of the Manduka x Gerry Lopez collection launch. In this article, I share my personal experiences with surfing and yoga and how I view the two as similar spiritual paths that reconnect us to life.
Now don't get me wrong, sometimes simple can be easy. And that's great. And sometimes there is a place for complexity as well. But the simple, the simple is available. Accessible. And when noticed and practiced regularly, the simple can support us in coming back to center. Back to what's true.
The sun is always shining… This Buddhist teaching is one that I’ve been familiar with for a while now, but it never really landed until a few months ago when I was listening to a meditation on joy… Ever since my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer, I had felt like I was in a dark cloud — dull, depressed, and really worried about the future. Joy seemed like something that was so far away…
This playlist was inspired by the transitions of life. Most recently we've all gone through the big transition from one year to the next, but let this playlist (and your practice) encourage your attention to notice the subtle transitions we flow through from one moment to the next. Can we navigate these transitions with a little more gratitude and grace?
Needless to say, 2020 has been a challenging year for us all, affecting humans all across the globe. But I believe that challenges eventually pave way to solid foundations, growth, and expansion. So I thought it would be nice to compile, and share, a list of lessons that 2020 has taught me, and this is what came to mind…
I was flipping through my old notebooks and journals and came across this poem by Pixie Lighthorse which I just love so much. Her words resonate deeply, especially during these times, so I thought I’d share them with you. Despite this awful and devastating virus, one positive take-away is that Mother Nature is most definitely healing.
From the moment my obsession with surfing began, maybe around 8 or 9 years old, I always day-dreamed about becoming a professional surfer. Throughout my early teenage years I surfed in competitions and I even managed to receive support from a few amazing sponsors. And as a kid that grew up in a wave-starved stretch of coast in South Carolina, I felt like I was doing a damn good job. Like I was well on my way.
The conditions are always changing... Out in the waves. Here on dry land. While we breathe and sweat on the yoga mat. The world around us is constantly moving through seasons and cycles and transformation. And we are much the same. So while we can't always control the conditions, the question becomes, "How can we respond?"
Bali is a place that had always been on my list of places to visit before I die, but it’s a place that also seemed so far away, so foreign, and somewhere that I didn’t think I was quite ready for… Not just yet. That is until, about a year ago now, I received an email from Go Light Our World Founder, Kayla Nielsen, that would change everything.
