Sit back and enjoy the ride!

Let me let you in to a secret. I am a terrible surfer. I mean, for the amount of time I have actually spent in the water, I am absolutely shocking. Trust me. My abilities have absolutely no bearing on the brave souls that have endeavoured to teach me over the years. I am currently chocking up nearly 9 years of having someone shouting across the waves “Hayley! Hayley! LOOK UP!” Stop looking at your board!”

Of all the pursuits I have tried over the years; snowboarding, kayaking, paddle boarding, climbing, the frickin flying trapeze for god’s sake, I have at least achieved an acceptable level of participation. But surfing, nah uh. 

You think I would be annoyed by this. But no. It does not matter. Not one jot. Not anymore. For me, the whole experience is far richer than a single moment of success.

Most of my time spent in the water has been in the company of women and I think this has made all the difference. The support, the camaraderie, the sisterhood (the clue is in the name people!) form a part of that experience. It’s bigger than just hoofing your gear to the beach and paddling out.

There is drive if you want it, don’t get me wrong. The environment that women seem to create amongst themselves, with each other, engenders a total feeling of support. It’s something older than we, it’s in our genes. Something that the dudes, despite their best intents, don’t really get, but every gal with her hair plastered to her face, scrubbed clean of make up is always rooting for you to stand, to catch, to paddle, whether you get there or not. Because she is you.

Stepping in to the water for me is the most amazing leveller. Everyone out there on their board, whether they be supermarket check out girl, Momma, teacher, doctor. You are one, and all in it together, especially as the next set rises up to meet you. And some will go, some will catch, some emerge triumphant, others (namely me) tumbling to the beach, sand in unspeakable places, but all with a smile on their faces.

Hayley (Surf Sistas Yogi)
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Kinda liking the idea of hair plastered to your face and sand everywhere you don't want it!?  Come and learn to surf with us this summer on one of our beginner weekends in  Cornwall or Wales  

In the outside .. welcome to the world of grounding

The practice of yoga is one of integration, mind and body, if we are going down the simple, 30 second elevator pitch definition. Anyway, it's on my mat where I find my place to put everything back together, or at least I remember that they weren’t actually separate to begin with.

Long proclaimed are the benefits of Yoga, and surfing for that matter or any other physical activity in order to keep us healthy. Now health, thats a funny word, what does it mean to be healthy? Well, in my view, it’s not just an absence of disease or ailment, but a state of balance. And nowhere do I find my balance more than being outside. 

Yoga, surfing, snowboarding, running, walking, swimming you name it, just put me outside and I already feel better. I breathe easier, my body loses it’s holding patterns, I soften and I can actually feel those little electrons inside of me settling back down in to a slightly more balanced arrangement.  

Now I’m no doctor, but I know what makes me feel good. Outside, feet on ground and in the water even better. And lo and behold I learn recently this is an actual thing, an actual real life thing, with a whole host of health giving, life enhancing benefits. Welcome to the world of Grounding. Grounding or Earthing, something that used to happen naturally, so old it didn’t even have a name (I think with all our cleverness we just get more stupid).

The idea is that we, human beings, are conductive things, able to conduct electricity. And all the crap that makes us feel icky, free radicals FYI, are usually positively charged and the causes of disease and illness. The Earth in comparison is negatively charged and by connecting to it we can balance. Ta da! Now I don’t know if any actual real life science backs this up, but purported benefits include:

• Lowers blood pressure and regulates heart rate
• Improves circulation
• Promotes deep sleep and increases energy
• Reduces inflammation 
• Regulates hormones (inc. hormones we associate with the stress response)
• Eases chronic pain and eases muscular soreness
• Improves recovery time post injury

Now we can all do this for free, or course, by going outside and taking off our kicks and sticking our feet in the mud, we can walk around barefoot, or even just sitting on the ground. Water is even better apparently and sea water with all that salt and minerals is just pure magic when restoring health, just ask anyone who now spends more time in the ocean if they sleep better or do you when on holiday?  Skin on warm sand, soft water lapping feet or waves moving through you… Mmmmmm… sorry I seem to have digressed.

So, going outside, an actual thing huh? Would’ve thought? Not just a space we move through but a destination all in itself. Destination health and balance. All aboard!

Hayley 
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Photos by www.kateczuczman.com