There is a reason why pro surfers stretch every time they paddle out for a heat. Meanwhile, evergreens like Gerry Lopez, Nathan Hedge and Tom Carroll are firm advocates of yoga as a means of improving and prolonging your surfing life.
Flexibility increases performance and reduces the risk of injury. For the rest of us, it can still be really important. As we get older, and particularly if we work at a desk, the muscles in our hips, hamstrings and lower backs tend to seize up. Unfortunately, we need to maintain flexibility in these exact areas, if we are going to stick that late take off, or squeeze out the doggy door of that long winding barrel. All of this is especially true on your backhand.
Flexibility became an issue for me in my early thirties. It wasn’t something I needed to worry about before that, but after ten years hunched over a laptop, problems started to arise. As mentioned above, it all started my hamstrings and lower back. It was like the muscles had shortened permanently. My take offs were indeed becoming more cumbersome, but I was also getting a lot of soreness after exercise. When my girlfriend mentioned that I should try yoga, I almost laughed. That stuff is for hippies I thought.
Not long after, I was sitting out the back of my local break chatting to an older chap. After hearing about my troubles, he looked at me earnestly and said… “I do yoga everyday. It’s the only thing that has kept me surfing all these years”. Just as I was reflecting on his comments, he swung easily for a nice little runner, dropped in smoothly, then raced briskly down the line. Perhaps I’ll give Yoga a try I thought.
My girlfriend dragged me along to my first class. I spent the next forty five minutes lumbering around my mat and messing up poses, while the women nearby moved with both grace and poise. I left the studio nursing a bruised ego, wondering if I would ever return.
Rather than subject myself to further embarrassment, I decided to purchase a Yoga app. It took a bit of effort, but I was soon putting in twenty minutes everyday day, just doing the beginner class. And within a week or two, I was definitely feeling the benefits. My various aches and pains disappeared and my take offs improved. In fact, my surfing improved in general. Being able to crouch with more freedom, and stay lower to my board made a huge difference. I could take off later, come of the bottom with more speed, and turn on a dime… well… sometimes.
I continued to use the yoga app. Over time, as I became more familiar with the routines, they became easier. I used it to switch off after a long day at work, relaxing into the movement and breathing into tension, then letting it all go. It took a bit longer for me to really appreciate the headspace benefits, but after a few months, I was feeling those too. I was more relaxed, and when life’s various annoyances came up, it was easier to put them aside.
Traditionally, my preferred method of stress relief was two generous glasses of red wine. Unfortunately, this approach wasn’t working so well as I hit middle age. My drinking was starting to affect my sleep. I would wake up the next day feeling worse, and would go back into the office with a short fuse. Telling my colleagues exactly what I thought of them felt good at the time, but it never did much for my career.
Time went by. I maintained my yoga practice but was eventually facing yet another failed relationship. Break ups are never easy, but I had always found that getting really drunk and blaming others for my problems helped somewhat. In my case, this would sometimes go on for months. But this time, something had changed. In one of those bleak, desperate ,hungover moments, my mind returned to my yoga practice. That calm, clear state of being felt like it was a million miles away, but at least now I knew that there was another option.
I purchased a monthly pass at my local yoga studio and took a break from the booze. Dragging myself out of bed for a yoga class instead of heading to the beach was quite an adjustment. But it was worth it. Yoga is a great way to start the day. I also discovered that there was an amazing community at the studio. Once I got to know a few people, I started hanging around afterwards for a chat. Drinking herbal tea while surrounded by beautiful women wearing tights was another new experience I needed to adjust to, but it was an adjustment I was more than willing to make.
A few weeks later I went along to my first Ecstatic Dance. The full moon rose majestically into the heavens as the DJ dropped throbbing electronic beats. People danced half naked as the stars wheeled overhead. It ended up being one of the wildest parties I’ve ever been to, and everyone was completely sober. Since then, I’ve been to Cacao ceremonies and Kirtan (chanting), and I even attended a short Tantra retreat. There were more unique experiences here.
In recent times, I’ve been doing yoga before the early. Getting up at such an ungodly hour takes real motivation, but most days it’s worth it. Paddling out into the crisp dawn, feeling clear and connected can be pretty satisfying. Watching the sun rise over a fresh swell is the icing on the cake.
I’ve started the group below to post about some of the topics above. Feel free to join if you are interested…
