Amanda Ramcharitar Yoga

I’ve always heard that surfing and Yoga go hand and hand.  I’ve surfed and played with the ocean for years, i thought i understood this symbiotic relationship until recently.  For many years i wrangled with the fear in surfing, first the confrontation of huge waves of Bali.  Almost every time i went for a surf it was a psychological exercise of quietening my fear.  Using my practice of Yoga to first hear the fear, and slowly calm myself through breath and will, this a strong lesson developed through endless Virabradrasana’s and handstand’s!  My will had been masterly developed!  Slow pointed concentration unleashed into the world and ocean… but it always was a battle and confrontation.

I became comfortable with the feelings and carried on.  Another Yoga lesson, discipline and dedication.  It won’t happen in one day i tell myself and have learned through the practice the process of mastery will come step by step and then even this accomplishment is meaningless when you’ve found the contentment of being, yes i understand!  This growing strength and understanding was a door into my soul, what could be done with this body, with this being, with this day?  The fear slowly subsided to an amazing power of strength of mind.  When one wave knocked me down, i’d just flip onto my board and wait for the next wave to come, frustration and determination were my companions in the surf, but as on the mat, i took the lessons…

The strength from many Surya Namaskar’s began to pay off, i no longer had the struggle of the dreaded pop up, balance, fall off, it was a clean landing, light.  The body had learned to move with the breath and maintain the lightness of landing.  Wow this was an amazing moment!  I will give my total gratitude to Yoga for creating this capacity fully.  The body becomes like a feather, and blows like the wind with consciousness and freedom, even my very hardened Aries mind was surprised by the growing capacity of change and capability.

Then magically one day, i left a Yoga class of Pranayama, and headed for the surf, ready for the ocean, i climbed into my wetsuit, toes felt the cold water, dismissed the idea of great whites as a side thought and popped onto my board and paddled out.  As i was getting hammered by the endless waves crashing in front of me and telling myself i’m almost behind the white water, i noticed my breath, i noticed how i held my breath at times and then breathed heavier at other times, i thought what is this??  So i started to pay attention to this erratic rhythm and began to stop missing that breath.   I made it out to where i needed to be.  I sat there for some time and then the perfect wave came my way, instead of my usually excitement, frantic paddling and rapid heart racing, i just followed my breath, rhythmically paddled with the wave and all of a sudden i had more time than i thought, the wave came, i felt the push, with an inhalation i rose to my feet and there i rode the wave, no break in rhythm or breath… It was Yoga and Surf in the same moment… I had finally felt the symbiotic relationship… and it was magic…