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.
Yoga came into my life when I was 21 years old. Growing up I was an avid athlete – I played soccer and basketball, I was a competitive surfer, and I loved to run and train. Slowing down, moving with compassion, and sitting in stillness were words that most definitely weren’t in my vocabulary, let alone things that I ever practiced regularly…
Our ability to notice 'on the mat' fine tunes our ability to notice 'off the mat.' If our practice stays limited to the confines of our yoga mat, then it is not really yoga. As our practice reminds us, we can learn so much when we give ourselves permission to get quiet and to notice... So why wouldn't we want to apply this to the external world??
