The Zen of Body Surfing

Here's a little summertime lesson I once learned while body surfing in the Atlantic Ocean at the beach on Fire Island. I was deep into my self-work process at the time, trying to learn what letting go meant, and why it was important.

I've always loved body surfing, and all of my life, I always did it the same way - arms out, body stiff like a surfboard, jump into the breaking wave. As part of the game, sometimes I would get a smooth ride all the way into shore, and sometimes I would get slammed by the wave into the sand. I just accepted that was just the way it was. Random trashing. Just like life.

Then, one day, like the proverbial light bulb turning on in my head, I thought: What if instead of making my body rigid, I just totally relaxed and stayed soft? Hmm. I tried it. When the wave broke, I just eased into the curl and floated while I was carried all the way to shore. Wow! I tried it again. Same results. Again. The same. Over and over. It was infallible. Long, smooth rides all the time. I got it!

That was my message. To ride the waves (of the Atlantic and of life), one has to not be rigid and try to control the flow, but rather stay open and loose and let the wave take you. You'll get a smooth ride every time.

Okay, then... see you at the beach!