Just what the doctor ordered. Photo: Jaider Lozano
Surfing is my medicine. I know I am not alone when I say I’m not sure what I would do with out it. A Hawaiian uncle once told me HAS to go surfing every day–his wife prescribes it. “She knows that if I don’t get my daily dose of waves,” he explained with an ear-to-ear smile, “I’ll be worthless all day.” Surfing is pure medicine to the body, mind and spirit. When taken regularly it only gets better and better.
Dale Webster, a man who has surfed every single day for most of his life, said that surfing is “the ultimate spontaneous evolvement in a natural medium.” He’s completely right. Surfing is the ultimate experience. It’s challenging, freeing, exhilarating, joyous, addicting, calming, scary, cleansing, purifying, expressive, and a pure rush of endorphin pleasure. It’s a full circle experience. The spontaneity of surfing is what pulls one back time and time again. It is a life long-study of reading what’s coming at you. It’s learning to adapt quickly to each particular situation, adapting to each new wave. In the end, you have no control–the ocean is the divine orchestrator. It’s extremely humbling. No two days or two waves are the same. Thus the desire to catch another ride will always remain.
Why do we keep chasing the wave? Because we need its medicine. More and more, studies are showing that surfing plays a huge roll in stress reduction, mindfulness, increased happiness and body/mind calmness.
So my advice? Get your daily dose of ocean medicine and glide on with glee.
