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.

We all come to yoga for many different reasons, yet there is also no denying that our yoga practice has a way of influencing and enhancing every aspect of our lives. Here are a few ways that my yoga practice supports my cross-training, beyond flexibility & range of motion.

Space for you to check in & recalibrate along with a practice of loving-kindness to carry with you into your day. This is a 10-minute, guided, and seated practice that includes some really gentle movement, a few rounds of breath work, and closes with a metta meditation.

Anchor your attention into the ebb & flow of the eternal now and open your mind to the vastness of sensations encompassed in the breath by using this foundational pranayama practice. Cultivate curiosity and embrace an attitude of open awareness.

Get grounded, clear out the clutter, and cultivate a sense of connection, balance, and harmony through this month's featured breathing technique: Nadi shodhana pranayama, also known as alternate nostril breathing.

I love this one because it’s quick, easy, and an effective way to mobilize the shoulders, fire up the core, and turn up body awareness. Helpful for surfing, before a workout, or to just begin your day! Grab a yoga strap or long-loop resistance band and check out this shoulder warmup.

Exactly like the title says, indulge in this 30-minute class that combines myofascial release (MFR) techniques with gentle movement & some mindful mobility work.

Kickstart your morning with some feel-good mobility work paired with an invigorating-yet-grounding breathing practice, and notice how it carries you through the rest of your day. Wake up your body, warm up your joints, and get everything online and ready to support you!

Viloma pranayama is an interrupted breathing technique that teaches patience and encourages trust through the intentional interruption or pausing of the breath. This technique can also be helpful in expanding lung capacity.

To be honest, I'm kind of over hearing about how “time is just flying by,” I'm sick of saying it, too. Because really, all that means is that life is flying by, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to rush that sh*t. I mean, don’t we all know what's waiting for us at the finish line?

A 15-minute, mindful movement break that incorporates myofascial release (MFR) with an accessible, standing ‘Sun Salutation’ flow using the support of a wall. This practice is great to use anytime, especially to help break up your work day. Enjoy!

This slow, deliberate, and rhythmic breathing is incredibly efficient at balancing and calming the nervous system, raising heart rate variability, decreasing blood pressure, and boosting mood all while nourishing our bodies, brains, organs, muscles, and cells.

In positive psychology, “flow state,” sometimes referred to as “being in the zone,” is defined as “the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.” 

Breathing for focus. The one is less about control and more about mindfulness. Let’s explore two breath-counting meditations that can help you to cultivate a sense of presence, focus, and calm — strengthening your ability to be here now.

A 30-minute Active Recovery Yoga class designed to support the downshift into recovery mode. This class is nice to move through right after a workout, training session, or long surf. It could also be helpful post-run and for cyclists, mountain bikers, or anyone at the end of a long day.

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” The showing up is the pathway, and just like in yoga, it doesn't really matter how we show up, it just matters that we do. Because each & every time we show up we learn something new.

Turn down the noise between your ears and turn up your capacity to self-regulate, re-align, and speak your truth through Bhramari pranayama, also known as humming bee breathing. This is one of my favorites because it’s simple, accessible, and very effective.

Healthy knees are crucial for our mobility as they help carry the weight of our body & also absorb shock from walking, running, jumping, and surfing. Check out my top tips for maintaining healthy, happy knees!

Long day? Say no more. Check out this Restorative Yoga sequence that uses just a blanket or towel, along with the support of your breath and the floor, to help unravel tension around the spine and reset your posture. Repeat this one regularly!

Just like we can't stop the world from spinning, we also can't stop the passing of time. This moment now will soon be the past and the future will soon become this moment now, so maybe the only way to really sense a slowing down of time is to slow down ourselves.

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.

How often do you think about your feet?? Maybe some more than others, but let’s take a moment to focus on ‘em. After all, our feet help to ground us and carry us through the world. Check out my go-to sequence of grounding acupressure + MFR that helps to nourish those roots!

Death reminds us of the impermanence of life. It's not that we necessarily forget, death just has a way of bringing it back into perspective. As cliche as it sounds, it reminds us that tomorrow’s never promised & all we really have is now.

Too much working, surfing, sitting, training, running, or anything & everything in between?? Well here’s one of my FAVORITE “recovery yoga” sequences — using a wall — to give the legs, hips, and low back some tender, loving care.

Technically a kriya, or an internal cleansing technique, kapalabhati can help to cultivate a clear & invigorated focus while also supporting the clearing out of both stagnant energy as well as any unhelpful & unnecessary thoughts.

The practice of yoga not only holds this capacity to reconnect us with our selves, but it also carries this potential to reconnect us with our humanity — the common thread that binds us all. Relearning, over and over again, what it means to be human...

Explore one breath practice for you and a partner and one technique to practice with yourself, both intended to cultivate a sense of connection, compassion, appreciation, and love.

May I be happy, healthy, safe, and may I live with ease. May you be happy, healthy, safe, and may you live with ease. May all beings be happy, healthy, safe, and live with ease. A love that fuels the world begins with love & compassion for yourself. Explore this practice of Metta…