Surfing made me realize things in my life needed to change.
Between the ages of 23-26 I struggled to learn how to surf. In that time I learnt how to read the waves, understand tides and the etiquette of surfing. I never rode a green wave in those 3 years.
Growing up I was always shy. I didn’t like talking to people I didn’t know, or asking for things in stores. I remember feeling so self conscious for so many years; and I’m sure bullying about my weight and appearance early on in high school didn’t help. However, by the time I was 23 and moving to Peru with only a very basic understanding of Spanish, I thought I had those years behind me. Until I tried learning to surf.
Learning to surf is what made me realize that I was not the healthy, confident person I thought I was. Physically, it was exhausting. Mentally, it was torture. Yes, taking lessons and being in better physical shape would have helped. That came later. However looking back, the core issue was the way I spoke to myself.
I was critical about every little thing
From the board I used, the way I looked in my wetsuit, how early (or late) I got out of bed to go surfing… and that was before I even got in the water. In the water I would remind myself of how all my friends were learning faster than me. I would tell myself that I didn’t look like a surfer, that I didn’t deserve to be in the water. The constant inner dialogue was never ending, I was too slow, too heavy, and just not good enough.
After a few months and a scare in the water I took a long break from the ocean. Eventually, with some encouragement and coaching from my husband (boyfriend at the time) I started trying again. This time, I just focused on getting myself in the water. Now, on top of not feeling ‘good enough’ to be a surfer I was also very afraid.
The Commitment
When I finally made the commitment to taking lessons I started becoming conscious of how I was speaking to myself.
It turns out, how you show up while you’re surfing is a direct reflection of how you show up for yourself on a day to day basis.
I had this fixed idea about myself and I let that get in the way of me learning to surf and also the way I took care of myself. In all of my adult life, I didn’t exercise or eat well because of how it made me feel. I viewed those things as a means to an end. That ‘end’ was the change, rather, fix my body. This body of mine that I had viewed as being wrong for so long.
I realized that if I was ever going to be able to surf consistently on my own, that I would need to make some permanent changes. I needed to catch myself in those moments of panic of not being able to hold my breath long enough, feeling intimidated by others, and feeling like I didn’t deserve to catch waves as a beginner surfer.
I also knew that in order to get better I needed to increase my time in the water and that meant improving my physical fitness. Around that time I started experiencing the benefits of a whole foods plant based diet. As I made this shift – everything started becoming easier. My food was actually energizing me and I could actually wake up early for the first time in my life. I started feeling good in my body. I felt capable and confident. And this was the motivation I needed to keep going.
It’s all connected
I have been surfing consistently since March 2016, and it’s not a coincidence that my diet changed around that time too.
The thing is, we are not this being made of all these separate compartments. Everything we are is connected and related. When we aren’t nourishing ourselves properly, whether that’s with our thoughts, food or relationships, our bodies suffer. When we aren’t taking care of one area of ourselves or our lives, other, seemingly separate, parts of ourselves feel it.
I work through this process with each of my clients in the Her Surf Nutrition Method™ Program. This is the exact framework I’ve used to transform my own health – and the health and habits of other women who surf. If you’d like to join us, more info can be found here.