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 beginning of summer is a notable halfway point through the year and has an oddly similar feeling to the beginning of a new year. And like a new year, summer always feels like a good time for a checking in and for a fresh start. Here are a few quick prompts to help you get clear on what you want to create this last half of the year.
Roll out your mat with me once a month for a Community Yoga Class! These monthly meet-ups are intended to help build, grow and bridge the local + visiting yoga communities, as well as to help raise awareness and donations for local organizations and people doing positive things in the community. Donations are not mandatory, and everyone is welcome to join the practice.
If you’ve been following along on social media, then you probably know that I’ve teamed up with my dear friend + bad-ass boss babe Ariana of Summer Love Jewelry to support her with her new monthly initiative, AUCTIONS FOR CHARITY, which just launched for a week - kicking off this past Sunday 11/18 - to benefit the California Community Foundation Wildfire Relief Fund.
For many surfers, surfing is a lifelong sport. One in which there is no final destination, no finish line to cross. Even as average, working class surfers (as I like to refer to myself) we get locked into this obsession of always wanting to take our surfing one step further. So, if you’re a bit like me, and looking for a few ways to help improve your surfing and up your fun factor out in the water, I’ve put together an easy-to-follow list here!
Like everywhere in the world, Bali has its fair share of issues, downfalls, and straight up ugly sides. But, for me at least, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives, and I credit this little slice of paradise to teaching me some extremely valuable life lessons, lessons that seem to be deeply rooted in the people, the culture, and the sacred lands and waters found on, in, and around the Island of the Gods…
Shortly after my meditation this morning, as I was sipping my coffee and writing in my journal, this affirmation drifted into my mind: I am constantly and consciously creating my best life. I reflected on this, and I thought I’d share what I took from it, what it means to me, and maybe my words will also land with you.
It’s the Summer Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere. Many cultures, religions, and groups of people hold this day as sacred and perform different “rituals” to honor this new season. Yogis across the world join together for 108 Sun Salutations as a way to honor this transitional time of year. But why??
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.
