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| L to R: Claire Howard, Katie Berge and Joy Lyons |
The sun was
warm, and Joy Lyons' face glowed with, well, JOY, as she practically skipped
her way through the campground. Dripping in my wetsuit, longboard in hand, I
asked her how her afternoon was going. Her eyes sparkling, this long-time yoga
student who recently had struggled with family/work/fun balance, explained that
she and a few new friends had just climbed the giant sand dune that shadows the
beach at Cape Kiwanda, on Oregon's central coast. "It was hard," she said.
"And it was awesome!"
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| Kong's Head at sunset |
Joy Lyons was among 12 participants at my "Yoga at the Ocean" retreat Oct. 3-5. The quaint seaside town, framed by Cape Kiwanda on the north and Nestucca far to the south, is beloved for its views of the west coast’s largest monolith, a giant rock a mile offshore that locals call Kong's Head and map makers label Haystack Rock. Surfers love PC for the cape that shields north winds and sets ups a sweet ride when the swell hits right. With campground cabins and a clubhouse right across the street from the beach, PC is the perfect spot for my retreat, now officially "annual" with two years completed and plans for a third, Oct. 2-4, 2015.
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| L to R: Maggie Evanson, Claire Smith and Jeff Wagner |
The 11 women
and one man who registered knew they would be challenged. At our opening circle
Friday evening, each shared a perception about her/his relationship with the
ocean. Biggest on the fear list was whether the wetsuit would seriously guard
against the Pacific's chilly waters. Yes! (My assurance was easy to offer, as a
warm swell had upped the water temperature from a usual 50 degrees to almost
60.) A few had trepidations about stepping into a forceful ocean with unknown
elements. We talked about using the experience as a metaphor for moments in
life when we need to step into our fear with confidence, trusting our strength
and our skills. And that same ocean that could knock us down could also cradle
us and wash away our tensions, some noted. Its vastness provides perspective to
the troubles in our lives. The conversation stayed away from where we work, our
kids, responsibilities. These souls were ready to play with their planet--and
each of them was all-in!
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| New friends united by yoga and a love of water |
Our yoga
sessions at the Cape Kiwanda RV Resort clubhouse were set to surfer tunes and
offered plenty of opportunities to practice "popping up" and taking a
surfer's stance on our yoga mats. We stretched and strengthened our paddling
muscles and imagined ourselves swimming through a glassy sea and crouching
"in the barrel" of a wave. Recognizing the power of "mirror
neurons," which can alter body chemistry when one body mimics the motions of another, I knew that pretend surfing could build almost as much stoke as
the real thing. Our funky little clubhouse positively buzzed with energy and
was a cozy home for practice, meals, early morning meditations--and suiting up
to hit the surf.
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| Maggie Evanson |
The actual
ocean waves that weekend were potent, bigger than I had "special
ordered," but a good example of how we can't always get what we want but
we can choose to climb aboard or instead complain--oh, how the ocean can teach!
Theodore Roosevelt famously said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or
worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life
envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people
who led difficult lives and led them well.”
Throughout the
weekend, the yogi surfers washed away some personal troubles. A few brave souls
dove in with only their bathing suits! We chanted Om to an epic sunset and
burned our intentions into a campfire. Small groups took turns traveling to
Tillamook for paddle board yoga on a warm lake with a local friend of mine,
Jodie Dodge. And the weekend ended with a windy sunset (easy on the eyes but
tough on the biceps) "Serenity Paddle" at the mouth of the Salmon
River near Lincoln City.
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| Laughs after a SUPer time on the lake |
My husband,
Matt, and I offered 1-on-1 surf lessons, and all 12 yogis suited up to ride on
long boards, boogie boards or just their bellies at some point during the
retreat. Sue Barham, a regular student and member at Elements of Health, walked
out with me through some pretty rough shore pound. We barely got her turned
around on my long board in time, but Sue belly-rode a beastly wave like a rodeo queen all the
way to the beach while I floundered in the whitewater worrying that I'd just
broken one of my best students. No worries; stoked and smiling she turned back
to the sea to paddle out for more.
"I want to do that again!"
It was
hard....and awesome.
Click the
following for video highlights from our 2013 retreat:
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