
“For me, surfing is as close a connection I can have with being truly alive. To surf, you’re riding a pulse of energy from Mother Nature. And it’s strong. It’s real. It’s there. And you’re dancing with that. You’re connecting with that. You might be the only person in the history of the universe who connects with that particular pulse of energy.”
Xavier Rudd
14 Practical Steps To Bring Mindfulness To Surfing (And To Life):
- Before entering the water spend 10 minutes of sitting in meditation.
- Take the time to sit down and enjoy eating breakfast at home.
- Remind yourself every day of your gratitude for being alive and having 24 brand-new hours to live AND surf.
- Try not to divide your time into “surfing” and “work.” More time can be surfing if you stay in the present moment and keep in touch with what’s happening in your body and mind. There’s no reason why your time at work should be any less pleasant than your time anywhere else.
- Resist the urge to check the surf on your cell phone while on your way to and from work, or on your way to appointments. Allow yourself this time to just be with yourself, with nature and with the world around you. Arrange a breathing area at work where you can go to calm down, stop and have a rest. Take regular breathing breaks to come back to your body and to bring your thoughts back to the present.
- At lunchtime, eat only your food and not your fears or worries. Don’t eat lunch at the beach. Change environments. Go for a walk.
- Make a ritual out of drinking. Stop and look deeply into your drink to see everything that went into making it: the clouds and the rain, the sources and the workers who made it.
- Before going in the water, visualize someone very peaceful, mindful and skillful being with you. Take refuge in this person to help stay calm and peaceful.
- If you feel anger or irritation, refrain from saying or doing anything straight away. Come back to your breathing and follow your in-and-out breath until you’ve calmed down.
- Practice looking at other surfers as your allies and not as your enemies. Recognize that surfing collaboratively brings more satisfaction and joy than being alone. Know that the success and happiness of everyone is your own success.
- Express your gratitude and appreciation to other surfers regularly for their positive qualities. This will transform the whole beach environment, making it much more harmonious and pleasant for everyone.
- Try to relax and restore yourself before going to the beach so you don’t bring accumulated negative energy or frustration with you.
- Take some time to relax and come back to yourself after surfing and before starting home. Recognize that multitasking means you’re never fully present for any one thing. Do one thing at a time and give it your full attention.
- At the end of the day, keep texts on your phone of all the good things that happened in your day. Water your seeds of joy and gratitude regularly so they can grow.
Thank you to my good friend Bojana for sharing this with us