Ever since we released the Yoga for Surfers DVDs, we’ve heard from thousands of people who have used those programs to stay in shape not only for surfing but for snowboarding, skateboarding, wake boarding, skim boarding, body boarding, kite sailing, paddle boarding, kayaking and anything else you can imagine. And a lot of people asked for a program that encompasses all of the various board sports. So, I’m happy to share with you some of my all-time favorite poses. This is the exact routine that I’ve been doing lately before and after I go surfing.
I grew up as a competitive swimmer here in Southern California. And later, I started doing long distance ocean swims in California and in Hawaii. And as an adult, I learned how to surf, thanks to my husband who also got me into yoga. And even with my background of ocean, knowledge, of swimming, of all of my strength, and endurance, and my feeling of being at home in the water, the one thing that really helped improve my surfing was yoga.
Yoga is not about executing a perfect pose. Yoga is about experiencing the pose fully aware so that you can learn to be present in the now, and then you take that awareness into your everyday life whether you’re riding or working.
The first part of the program is pre-ride warm up that will help you develop a sense of calm energy. This poses will get the blood flowing and help you prepare mentally for the ride ahead. It’s perfect to do as a stand-alone routine or anytime you want to get energized. If you plan to be out riding all day, you may not want to do the entire routine so feel free to just choose a few of your favorite poses that you feel you need the most.
The second part is the post-ride recovery with deeper stretches designed to help you relax and recover after a day of riding. This routine will improve your flexibility and speed your recovery so you can get back up and riding the very next day. Don’t worry if you think you’re not flexible enough to do yoga. Yoga is really not about flexibility although you will become more flexible but it’s more as a side benefit. Yoga is really about experiencing what’s going on in the present moment. With yoga, you’ll develop a sense of calm energy and focused awareness that will bring each moment into a razor sharp view, whether you are carving a cut back, laying down a rail or busting an air, you’ll tap into your flow more effortlessly and with a greater sense of stoke. No matter what you consider to be your own magic carpet, one thing is for sure, we all want to fly and yoga for board sports will help us do just that.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services