Big-Wave Mindfulness: Surfing For A Connection

Surfing is mindfulness in action. Riding the biggest waves is an all-out, fully-present-or-die-trying proposition.

Thanks to a persistent case of aquaphobia, I've never tried surfing. However, I've done my share of snowboarding, and I am trying to imagine what it would be like to carve the slopes with several tons of avalanche chasing me down the mountain.

First of all, I would have to hike to the top and wait to catch the biggest avalanche, getting pummeled by several in the process. Oh, and then try not to think too much about the abominable snowman poised to take a hunk out of my leg when I least expect it.

Yeah. I'm stoked.

I don't really "get" surfing, but I stand in awe of it. It's impossible to avoid acknowledging the strength, timing, grace and heart-blazing courage required just to catch those enormous waves, let alone ride them smoothly without wiping out.

Whether or not you're into water, "Riding Giants" is a breathtaking film guaranteed to raise your pulse rate. Following the rise of big wave surfing from its ragtag roots in the fifties to the jet-ski boosted endorsement deals of today, "Riding Giants" offers a fascinating look at surf culture in all its guts and glory--not to mention its sun-bleached hair, wave-toned bodies, and plenty of pre-cancerous skin cells.

Although several world-class surfers are profiled, the one I find most amazing is Jeff Clark, a 43-year-old native of Half Moon Bay, California who is credited with discovering Mavericks, a notoriously gnarly big wave mecca twenty miles south of San Francisco.

Clark spotted the monstrous waves from the cliffs of Half Moon Bay as a teenager. One day, he decided to paddle the half-mile in chilly ocean water to check it out. Never mind that he was too far out for his worried friend--or anyone else--to save him. Forget that these waves would turn out to be so huge that, years later, seasoned pros from Waimea would find them jaw-dropping. Disregard the razor-sharp rocks waiting to chew up anyone unfortunate enough to be slammed to the shore.

Clark had his first of many ride-of-your-life experiences that day. He couldn't believe the power of it, the magic, the unimaginable thrill.

He went out to surf that incredible vortex every day. Alone. For fifteen years.

I'm guessing that his parents were either a) clueless about where he was, or b) powerless to prevent him from returning. He couldn't find anyone insane enough to join him.

He wasn't doing it for the attention, for the chicks, for the cameras, or for the money. He was out there getting pounded for the sake of that big ol' grin on his face and the unfathomable sense of connection to something larger than himself.

Clark was like some modern day ascetic, putting himself through tortuous rites and death defying acts of faith while living in seclusion. He became one with the water on a daily basis through rigorous attention and exhaustive exploration.

I am humbled. I envy him. And I can't stop thinking about how most of us will never have this all-consuming passion or such a magnificent opportunity to experience oneness with anything.

Jeff Clark may be crazy. He may be obsessed. But he is a man whose mindfulness has inspired and elevated him--and saved his skin on numerous occasions.

We should all be so lucky to discover such a wondrous wave.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

---

Need A Boost? Take a Look at How Far Youve Come

Too many of us are too hard on ourselves, always... Read More

Trusting Yourself and Others

How come, as women, we always second-guess ourselves? Are we... Read More

Remember Within

Remember when you were really young? It was an era... Read More

Supercharge Your Dreams!

We all accept the fact that the lighter the backpack,... Read More

Go Between

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 16,... Read More

Whats Simple?

If you walk up to a stranger in the grocery... Read More

True Inner Guidance

It's easy to tell the difference between true inner guidance... Read More

Food for Thought

We all love picnics. They represent a fun time as... Read More

Do You Suffer From The Chef Personality?

As a chef I have a unique perspective on anger.In... Read More

Are You Afraid of Change?

Change, no matter how you cut it, can certainly be... Read More

Wisdom of the Worlds Proverbs

You don't have to excavate diamond mines or oil fields... Read More

Dream Board

DREAM IT, CREATE IT, BECOME ITIf you've been reading my... Read More

Fail Your Way To The Top

Have you had a challenging day or week? Feel a... Read More

What Will I Do When I Grow Up? Says The 45 Year Old Woman

I have always rather envied those people who have a... Read More

Just Say, I Love You to Those Who are...

Life is beautiful and lovable with the type of people... Read More

Personal Fear of Change and How to Change It!

It's interesting how we intellectually know that tomorrow will be... Read More

Loving You

The difficulty in finding love that is good for you... Read More

Begin With the End In Mind - Tips to Make Your Life More Meaningful

What would you change if you knew you would be... Read More

Life lessons - An Inpirational Story

Ju was physically abused as a child. She lived with... Read More

Tim McGraw had it Right - Live Like You Are Dying!

Chorus: An' he said: "I went ski diving, I went... Read More

What in the World are You Doing?

Here is the typical life ? typical, though not everybody... Read More

Long Odds

Direct Answers - Column for the week of March 31,... Read More

A Rush Home to Rapture

Riding a rush, being juiced, flying high-this is the feeling... Read More

Turning 40

Most of us, at one point or another, take a... Read More

Magical Wreaths

Wreaths are like rings. They represent the Universal Circle ("Let... Read More

7 Strategies to Overcoming Anxiety and Panic Attacks

You Can Overcome panic attacks and anxiety! That is great... Read More

A Global Empathy Deficit- 2 Lessons

"...We've got a budget deficit that's important, we've got a... Read More

And How Do We Feel This Morning?

Without question, going to the hospital is teamwork from the... Read More

There Must Be More To Life Than This

If you suffer from a nagging feeling of "there must... Read More

Divination

A LOST WORLD OF SOULWhen you hear the word 'divination',... Read More

Call To Action

Direct Answers - Column for the week of February 3,... Read More

Synchronicity

It is hard to capture the synchronicity of this next... Read More

The Seasons of Life, Part 1 of 5

Life is about constant, predictable patterns of change. For the... Read More