Mavericks: the surfers body.

Whilst crying at the end of Chasing Mavericks, this probably being my 60th time of watching it, I began to conjure a blog post related to the reoccurring plot theme of hard work. 

Being a land locked surfer makes training for surf that little bit trickier as the saying goes;

'...the only way to train for surfing is to go surfing,' 
which is true. 

That being said there are some things I believe you can do pre trip to help your body recover quicker post surf and make the most of your limited time at the beach. 

1. Train like an athlete. 

Swimming didn't work for me, training for a marathon didn't work for me - what built a surfer body (i.e. strong core, big arms, broad shoulders) was yoga. 

Now I know I'm biased being a yoga teacher but I swear an hour (my usual) or even just 20 minutes a day (ok, my actual usual)! Has made a difference to my physicality. I am leaner so I'm quicker in my pop ups, all those chatarangas and downward facing dogs have built my triceps up which are one of the primary muscles we use in paddling, and I have a strong core which certainly helps towards balance. I couldn't paddle mavericks but I know that considering my location and lack of surfing I've managed to keep a certain level of fitness up which is what I'll need when I surf Norway next week. 

I think it's important to remember that surfers come in all shapes and sizes you don't have to look like an Abercrombie & Fitch model to be able to surf, but I think the important cues from yoga - listening to your body, focusing on your breath, developing a strong mind are all great things to hone. 

2. Have a mantra. 

As Frosty in Chasing Mavericks so aptly said 'Fear is useful, panic is dangerous,' when I feel scared in a set or am starting to get fatigued I have a little mantra or phrase which helps me keep focused and above all safe in the water. 

If things are going ok I say over and over in my mind 'Samsara is Nirvana' which is the Buddhist way of saying no pain, no gain! Paddle, paddle, paddle! 

If I'm shit scared and a wave is about to break on my head I usually say:

'Get your shit together.' 

Mantras are personal so pick one that feels right to you! 

3. Get a Forecast. 

I am a habitual procrastinator but pre trip I do look at forecasts, get travel insurance and remember to do admin things to ensure my trip goes as well as possible. I have been stranded on an Island, had my bank card stolen in the airport, got so sick I've had to go to hospital, nearly drowned and even been held at gun point - could you imagine how much worse all of these would have been if I didn't know the swell, the area or not got travel insurance!!!! 

4. Eat to thrive.  

I'm not a qualified nutritionist but I am a qualified yoga teacher, who has studied the yogic lifestyle, which seems to have been helping yogis for thousands of years! The Yogic diet is based on the three gunas which is a way of eating to aid mindfulness, I have written in depth about it here. 
I am going to keep this brief as there is a wealth of information out there and I think healthy eating is very personal to the individual, you have to get to know your own body and the fuel which makes it operate at it's functional best. In my personal example, I have found a mostly vegan diet with occasional halloumi cheats has kept me strong and cleared my skin, cutting out sugar from my tea has given me more energy and preparing meals from scratch has really made a difference. 

(Top Tip: Bulk cook on Sundays or buy ingredients as and when for recipes. I've found this has saved me a lot of time and ensures I don't waste money on supermarket deals and promotions as I only buy what I need for that nights meal). 

I think the most important gift you can give to your health is the gift of compassion. When it's moon cycle (which is the hippie way of saying period), I don't deny myself chocolate or a little dairy. I've learnt to not be too hard on myself which I was doing when I became a strict vegan. The issues are still very important to me but I can't discuss sustainability, cruelty etc when I am making myself ill or depleted. 

5. Think way of life. 

Although I still call myself a 'land locked surfer' I try my best to stop compartmentalizing myself purely because I don't live by the sea and am not a pro surfer. Surfing makes me goofy happy and that's important but like everything in life I'm not what I do. The way I make people feel and the compassion I show others and this planet is the point. I don't have to have long hair, a tan, I don't have to surf everyday or ride a short board to be a surfer - You've got to have soul baby. 

6. And finally... 

Watch some surf films - there's nothing like Chasing Mavericks, Blue Crush or my beloved Point Break which gets me ready for a surf sesh! 

Until next time lovebugs! 

Mahalo! 

x 

Standing still.

" The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind deaf stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.  "

- Chris McCandless

Perfecting the art of the wipe out. 

I can understand how to a non surfer, the prospect of having a slab of saltwater dumped on your head, in conditions which can only be described as 'Baltic,' may not seem all that appealing. Even now, I still shudder at the kook enthusiasm me and my best friend Jemima exhibited when we took the train to Saltburn and surfed for the first time ever in SNOW and ICE- such was our enthusiasm. 

For most of last year I switched off my 'surfer brain', or at least buried the compulsion in some dark alcove of my mind. This is partly because of the contentment I was/am feeling in my relationship (still going strong with Mr Sunshine my Nigerian Prince)! But largely it was because the pain and frustration of missing the sea was distracting and not very productive to starting a new business. 

What I've learnt is that surfing has become a very big part of my life and denying my desire to pursue this is as futile as putting costumes on dogs. You can't hide your true nature. Surfing is not just waves and adrenaline it is friendship, community, joy, bliss and as Chris McCandless so eloquently put it- an opportunity to feel strong. 

2016 has already started differently. I have come to terms with the fact I am not going to ride off into the sunset on a whim to go live by the sea. I am land locked, I have a job, commitments and I am not in a position to abandon it all to become a beach bum. 

As Surfabella a fellow land locked surfer (who happens to be like, amazing) writes in her article 'Why being a land locked surfer isn't so bad' - sometimes there's merit in the longing, rather than whinging about it you can look at your land locked status not as an affliction but an opportunity to travel, savor every moment and be the only mermaid in the village!! 

So. 2016. Here's to the surf weekends yet to happen. 

Mahalo love bugs. 

Love Sophia x 

For you I give it all.

It's been a while...
I guess I just can't help myself.  
In between the living, the jobs, the puppy and the surf trips I've missed something. 
This blog was a massive part of my life, not because it gave me an identity, somewhere to implore the world or drift into retrospectives. 
This blog was somewhere to just be. 

I've missed this blog, I've missed the incentive it gave me to go out seeking. 
I miss the weekly records of my habits, the clipped cheerfulness, the examination of my mental bandwidth. 

Mostly I miss the opportunities to discuss surfing. 

For a while I had to store surfing in the back of a cupboard, stowing it away like a saved Easter Egg for moments when I want to indulge. It became a distraction, pouring myself into a wet-suit was my chrysalis, riding a wave I emerged. The trouble with this particular method of metamorphism is that it requires you to be by the coast. 
I am land locked. 

Who needs California tans when you can look this cold and ill?? 

So in the interlude I told myself I was a serious business woman building her 'yoga brand' and that grieving waves missed was a perfunctory way to spend my (very little) downtime. I got weary, watched the numbers in my bank account jump along the timeline always plummeting to that line below 0. I cried myself to sleep worrying about finances, about how I was going to fulfill my dream as well as pay the bills.  

Between the lack of resources, I fell more and more in love with Mr Sunshine, my man, my beau, my friend. We got a puppy too! After all those years of describing my 'perfect' dog in an instant Ozzie the french bulldog appeared, the antithesis of what I thought I wanted. As the saying goes I got the dog I needed not the dog I wanted! 

I became a self employed yoga teacher then realized I like stability, I like structure and a monthly pay check. So I restructured, I got a job working with SEN kids realized I love working in the care sector. Now I'm about to become a technical rehabilitation instructor (i.e. working with people with acquired injury to regain their independence- so using yoga in a medical context)! I decided my heart is in building relationships so now I run yoga & surf retreats part time. My very first abroad trip is in Norway in 3 weeks time! 

I'll finish this tangent with Dolly (Parton of course). 

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain" 

We've been here before. The land locked surfer girl moaning about being land locked, except this time I see my frustrations as a necessary catalyst. I can see rainbows in the rain, staying here in the middle of England is not a failure, it does not diminish my capacity to surf, it just makes me appreciate my wave riding all the more when I'm there (and takes a little more effort). 

I'll keep you posted.

Mahalo love bugs x