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.
While the inhale tends to be a bit more uplifting and invigorating, the breath out carries with it a capacity to slow us down, supporting our ability to surrender and rest. This is an easy and customizable breathing pattern that you can do anywhere to help you get out of your head and grounded in the now.
Anxiety is something that has been present throughout the majority of my life. It’s shown up in a variety of forms and ways over the span of my relatively short lifetime, and it wasn’t until fairly recently that I’ve begun to acknowledge it, accept it, and work with it, instead of working against it. Here are my 3 go-to practices for managing my anxiety.
As we find ourselves stepping into what we commonly refer to as “flu season,” still bobbing and weaving our way through a pandemic, there’s a lot of talk around boosting our immune systems, and for obvious and very good reasons. But a strong immune response isn’t just critical now, it’s crucial for keeping us healthy and resilient throughout every season of our life.
This is a 20minute, energizing Breathwork Practice that is really nice to do first thing in the morning to help you wake up your body and to cultivate a clear, calm, and focused mind. You could also use this before a yoga practice, a surf, or a training session. We’ll begin with some MFR so grab a towel or a blanket and let’s dive in!
One of my favorites and definitely most used!! This is a nice way to start the day and a GREAT technique for pre–yoga / breathwork / training / surfing / and of course, I gotta think about all my free-diving friends! This technique focuses on the intercostal muscles between the ribs and you don’t need any props - sólo tús manos - so you can practice it anywhere.
Practice yoga online with Cait! This class is a 40-minute practice that includes soothing breath work and a gentle flow. Enjoy this practice first thing in the morning to set the tone for the day, or practice in the evening as a way to reset after a long day. This class is great for all levels of practice.
I was first introduced to breath-work through yoga. In recent years, my interest in breath-work has expanded to other techniques and applications. And aside from all of the different breathing practices and theories and techniques, I think we can collectively agree that there lies a little bit of magic in taking a slow, deep breath. It just feels good. But why is that??
