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 

Like a surfer.

I find myself on a Monday lunch time in an upmarket city restaurant. Around me are those wearing nice suits they look corporate but not unhappy in their smart attire. Me in my paisley shirt and jeans would have perhaps felt a little out of place if I wasn't so happy with my lot. I like musing about what these people might do for a living and what important jobs they must have that allows them the luxury of a restaurant meal lunchtime. 
Sometimes I find myself tinged with envy knowing that I do 14 hour shifts without breaks and for a lot less but then this is life, I'm in process and this is what I need to do in order to realize my dreams. 

A colleague of mine recently said that nothing worth having comes easily for which I agree. It instantly made me think of surfing and how this little hobby of mine continues to be a vector for change in my life and my own personal metaphor on how to live. 

Surfing is all about effort, working to get in place, being aware, staying in the moment and using that inner power we all possess to go for that wave. In order to be in the right place to take off on the wave you have to paddle, paddle, paddle. Paddle like Samsara is Nirvana (the Buddhist's version of no pain, no gain)! 
Before you even get to the paddling stage however there is a whole step process that has to happen, you need to know the wave forecast, watch from the beach to time the sets, keep an eye out for said sets and then check where the rip current is. Sometimes it seems incredulous the amount of effort put into surfing for a few seconds worth of ride, but my gosh is it worth it! 

With that in mind here is my surf inspired 'go getter list.' 

Live life like a surfer. 


STEP 1. BE PREPARED.

Drag on a wet suit. Warm Up. Stretch. Check the waves. Find a spot in the line up. Wait. 
In surfing there are a multitude of things to do before you even get in the water, there are even things to do on land which will help condition you for the exertion you are going to do on your board. Anything from yoga flow, to swimming, to weight training, all can help improve the quality of your surfing. This is a good example for anything you aspire to do in life, be prepared, train, get the right equipment and plan. Its what I'm doing for realizing my yoga dream. 

STEP 2. DON'T BE AFRAID. 

What with sharks, rip currents and waves which look like billowing monsters its easy to be so intimidated by the ocean that you never actually get in there. Whatever you do in life there is scope for danger and failure, better to be as wised up as you can and fearless than to live a life half lived. 

STEP 3. PADDLE, PADDLE, PADDLE. 

Getting to the sweet spot where you know your going to catch a wave takes patience and a lot of effort. Sometimes the white water is frothing so much you get pushed back several times before you manage to make it out back. There will always be things greater than you trying to push you back but if you put in the right amount of effort you can conquer anything you put your mind to. Be like the surfer getting outback, work your ass off to be where you want to be! 

STEP 4. THE LEAP OF FAITH. 

Hearing the roar of a stella wave behind you can sometimes turn your arms to noodles and make you feel like your trying to paddle through syrup, this is the moment where you either catch a wave or wipe out. I can guarantee (having done it all the time) that the quickest way to wipe out is to bottle it and not muster the courage to take the drop. Life is scary but if you commit you might just catch that radical wave. 

STEP 5. REFLECT. 

One of my favorite places in the whole wide world is sat astride my board waiting for a set to come in. I am at peace and have a moments respite to take stock and reflect on how awesome what I'm doing is. We all need this time, an opportunity to look around and acknowledge how far we've come. Try to do this in your everyday life, take a look around and find slithers of happiness in the extraordinary ordinary. 

Right I'm getting into dangerously preachy territory and lets be honest I'm already a bit of a cheesy yogic surfer bum so let's leave it there for a day! 

Until next time 
Stay strong, surf well
Love

The Selfish Surfer.

"Special agent Utah! This is not some job, flipping burgers at the local drive-in! Yes! - your surfboard bothers me! Yes! - your approach to this whole damn case bothers me! And yes! - YOU BOTHER ME!".

"If you want the ultimate, you've got to be willing to pay the ultimate price. It's not tragic to die doing what you love." 

Point Break (1991) 

How selfish is a surfer? Dropping in on a wave is a cardinal sin in the world of surfing, but this isn't the kind of selfishness I'm talking about. No. I'm instead referring to the passion for surfing interrupting land based life. As a land locked surfer my ocean obsession is contained and very much compartmentalized to fit around my schedule and is restricted by my geographical shortcomings. I allocate time, but even so distance does not stop me disappearing off for ocean based frivolity at the drop of a hat, perhaps to the expense of my work and family.  

There is the stereotype surfer being a somewhat vacant, monosyllabic caricature (Bodhi anyone) and whilst I don't subscribe to this persona I do believe I have morphed into a blinkered surfer girl whose attention is focused on the next set rather than her immediate surroundings. Couple this with new found love and one could suggest I am an incredibly self centered beast at present. 

This post is largely inspired by recent events, you see, I let a friend down when she needed me and whilst my inaction wasn't malicious or intended my blissful ignorance hurt her none the less. It is a terrible thing to let someone down, I'd rather be punched than not be there for a friend. I feel particularly heinous about the whole incident, considering my job as a care worker involves being perceptive, looking for non verbal clues as to someones emotional well being and being compassionate. How did I get it so wrong in my personal life? 

I can't blame all my misdemeanors on surfing because that's shirking responsibility but I do think its shaped me an awful lot, particularly when I think that my choice of university was predominantly based on my proximity to a beach break, (as well as a great course I might add)! 

As much as surfing has saved my life and continues to be a massive source of inspiration I hope that I am able to strike a balance and continue to be there for my friends as well as getting board time. 

How does surfing affect your life? Are you too in flux trying to balance ocean love with land based life? Let me know I'm ever fascinated to learn about other surfers out there... 







































Until next time, 

Stay strong and surf well 
Love 

Bodhi.

Surfing found me today exactly when I needed it. Listlessly flicking through T.V. channels the weirdest thing happened. My DVD player randomly started up the film Point Break (which I don't have on DVD) and I was allowed to enjoy classic lines as: 

"22 years. Man, L.A. has changed a lot during that time. The air got dirty and the sex got clean." 

"This was never about money for us. It was about us against the system. That system that kills the human spirit. We stand for something. To those dead souls inching along the freeways in their metal coffins, we show them that the human spirit is still alive."

AWESOME. 

Also lets talk about Keanu Reeves in a wet t-shirt...

Any who moving on. 

To be honest I've needed a little respite today, I am restless, a nomadic kind of restlessness. Perhaps I've had too much time to myself (forced annual leave to be precise), but I'm starting to think wildly about journeys. My method of making decisions in life tends to be very haphazard and spur of the moment. The kind of journeys I want to accomplish however are the sort which take months of saving and planning. I think I'd like to go to Australia for a year whilst I can get a working visa, or maybe New Zealand or Asia...The list is endless.

To accomplish all of these dreams I must have patience which I undoubtedly lack when it comes to myself. I've also got a job interview coming up soon, the kind of job which asks for a 60 question psychological questionnaire and ten minute presentation. *Gulp* So perhaps I'm reverting to old gypsy habits to cope with the stress and potential of a 'proper' job. 
A great ape keeper role has also come up at Twycross Zoo I can barely talk about it, I want it so much. Gorillas. Bonobos. Orangutans. Oh my gawd. Please let me get this. 


Well that's enough feeling sorry for myself for one day! Let's talk about something else. 

How to make Bare Foot Sandals. 

*for under £3

Making bare foot sandals is a really easy way to update last summers flip flops and give your winter feet some much needed pep. You will need: 

Cotton (I got mine for 20p each from the local market) 
Shells/beads/bells (I destroyed a few broken necklaces to get beads and shells). 

1. Measure out 9 strands of cotton (various colours give a really cool effect when plaited) and cut approximately 1/2 a meter, you need it to be long enough to wrap around your second toe and be able to tie round your ankle. (See below). 

2. Tie a loose loop around around your middle toe and start plaiting. 

3. As you plait on individual strands thread shells, beads and whatever else you fancy. 

4. Secure around foot and voila your very own barefoot sandal! 

Stay strong, surf well. 

X 

Aesthetica.

Lets go to the sea and unravel. 
                      Lykke Li  

 
 

  

     

I had a dream that I owned two guinea pigs called 'Bodhi' and 'Utah' now I really want to own them for real!(Bonus points who can name the film characters they are named after - here's a clue it was surf inspired...) 

Stay strong, surf well 

X 

The problem with hard work.

the cure for everything is saltwater.

sweat, tears and the ocean.

Ever noticed how in feel good films when the main character strives to achieve something, the hard work part tends to be a four shots montage? Cue emotional music, scenes of sunrise, shadows against sunset and high fives...

The hard work part lasts all of about ten seconds and voila, hero is suddenly skilled and goes onto win the game/girl/day.

This is no better illustrated in the film Point Break, a surf movie which I admit to loving (despite never having actually watched the end). Keanu Reeve's character Johnny Utah learns to surf in what looks like a day, with the help of gorgeous surf girl Tyler (played by Lori Petty).

This delusional idea of being able to surf in a short amount of time accompanied me to Senegal, where I worked as a yoga teacher for three months. I thought by the end of my stay I'd practically be a surfer.

I was not.

In fact I was possibly worse, because I inherited 'the fear' having had a board whack me in the face splitting my lip and numerous waves hold me under. Surfing is difficult and beginners can often reach a plateau after initial jubilation subsides. I got frustrated and still do. I know the basics i.e. where your feet are supposed to land and that paddling is the most important part, but the consistently standing up part eludes me.

Lets be honest. Surfing is cool. The people who do it are cool and they make it look cool. So you'll forgive me for thinking that it takes ahem *balls, to paddle out into a line up knowing your going to look like a toddler taking its first steps, when you try and catch a wave.

Whatever your putting your heart into it takes hard work and commitment. At the moment I'm not in a situation where I can go surfing everyday, so with hard work and determination I need to/can amend this.

Being a 'youth of today' I can identify with the now culture we seem to have, we want things yesterday. The achievements and goals we aspire to we want immediately, which combined with a recession don't make for good feelings. I've been chastising myself for not having things sussed when in actuality what I need to do is find a passion (i.e. surfing) and work dam hard to achieve it.

If this means slogging my guts out as a dogsbody then so be it, because every stage of the journey leading up to success is important in the grand scheme of your life.

Don't give up kids. Keep on working.

I've not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work

- Thomas Edison