drift, perspectives in surfing

I returned home from the subcontinent three weeks ago, and as I focus my energy on the activities of ‘here and now’ my memories have been steadily fading.

Visual interludes of apricot sunsets, decorative Hindu festivals, the fervent heat of thali in banana leaf, beautiful people and smiles are all now spaced further and further apart. Normally my overseas experiences are met with a return to Byron Bay, to my fun and familiar surfing clients, warm water, and endless right-hand point breaks. Lets not forget to mention a lively town atmosphere injected with colourful personalities, diverse multiculturalism, unique board craftsmen, and incredible surfing talent.

This time I have chosen a different route. I am currently residing in the quieter, rustic, and naturally rich surrounds of the mid-north coast. I am in a small coastal town with my girlfriend, both of us surrounded by National Park on all sides. The town is so small I dare not mention its name for fear of retribution from the grand total of 5 local surfers. In Byron you can find yourself strategically positioning and jostling constantly for your spot in the line-up. Contrast this to the past 3 weeks where the locals here track each other down so they have a surfing partner. With such a high wave per head of surfer ratio the focus shifts from energy of underlying competitiveness to that of relaxed conversation and sharing.

To be honest I am taking a little break from my perennial teaching practice. Recharging the batteries, nourishing the soul for new ideas, and opening the inspiration channels for saturation. I am still busily excited with the daily challenges of running Surfbodysoul online, and will be embarking on regular road trips to visit clients. This involves checking in with their injuries, customising new surf fitness programs, and in general enjoying a catch-up. Over the next month I will travel north to visit Chippa Wilson and Anthony Walsh, before voyaging to Ulladulla on the south coast of NSW. Here I will touch base with underground hell man Paul Morgan, whose recent vimeo clip highlighting his paddle in antics were nothing short of mind blowing. Even now I am in Sydney, preparing to meander to Avalon and assess before customising some Surfbodysoul programs to the crew in the ‘Surfing World’ office.

With my extended bouts of computer-based work I have been taking regular breaks to lye on my roller, open the chest, pectoral muscles and heart space. Below I have included a great exercise from my office floor to offset all the nasty postural habits we develop behind the screen. I hope you enjoy this exercise as much as I did!

Median Nerve Stretch on Roller

Benefit
Stretches and lengthens the median nerve which branches from the nerves of the cervical spine or neck. By keeping this nerve flexible you unload or take pressure off all the muscles for which this nerve runs through and activates. This therefore unloads the muscles and joints of the neck, shoulder, elbow and hands.

Drift now exercise

Instruction
Start lying on your back so that your buttock, spine and entire head are comfortably resting on the roller. Bend your too 90 degrees, feet on the floor.
Take your upper arms towards the side of your torso, let the forearms fold out to the side, and extend or tilt the wrists backwards as far as you comfortably can. (Image above)
Exhale to slowly reach and straighten both arms away from the side of the torso in line with your shoulders. It is essential to maintain the fully extended or backward tilt of the wrists during this movement. Stop when you feel a moderate stretch through the arms.

Inhale, keep the wrists extended as you bend the elbows and return the arms to the starting position.
Repeat 15 times
Rest 6 breaths
Repeat a second set of 15