…to pursue surfing not just as an athletic endeavor or as a sunny day diversion, but to try to glean whatever lessons you can from the practice. It means being aware of your surroundings, and respectful of the people and places that you interact with. It means being patient, mindful, kind, compassionate, understanding, active, thoughtful, faithful, hopeful, gracious, disciplined and…good.
Brad Melekian, author for Surfer Magazine, explains soul surfing.
I had the pleasure this weekend of hanging out with some very cool people in San Diego. Some of that time was spent in the water, but much more of it was spent in thought and conversations which allowed me to reflect on surfing as a discipline.
Surfing, as with any other physical activity you dedicate yourself to (such as running, martial arts, yoga) is a discipline. A discipline, to me, is any set of rules by which you can bring order to your life and allows you to act in harmony with those around you. Disclipining yourself through physical activity provides a benefit not only to your body, but to your mind. As Leonard Koren says in “Wabi-sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers”:
“Nonthinking repetition of mechanical forms allows one to concentrate simply on being without the distraction of having to make decisions, artistic or otherwise.”
Surfing, then, is also a form of meditation. In college, I used katas from my karate class to clear my mind. When I run, bike, surf, my perspective opens up and I can think better. Your mind is your most important part of your body, and you must remember to take it out and clean it off at every opportunity.
Or, as Nasir Jones succinctly puts it:
“Take care of my body’s the temple my mind is the power.”