Sneak peek of a surf and yoga camp in Australia
This month, together with Wild Women Journeys, we ran a Surf & Spirit Retreat at Crescent Head, Australia.
Wild Women Journeys is my friend’s company. She creates awesome adventures in Australia and a few other countries, women only! They include hiking, sailing, kayaking, surfing, immersing in lifestyle of local communities and getting to know their ways of living. Going back to basics, being fully present and one with nature. It is so special for women to connect, spend quality time together, expand their comfort zones and have a good laugh!
The Surf and yoga camp included 5 nights at a pretty luxurious venue – Surfaris, which used to be an old timer surf hostel, nowadays turned into a bit fancy retreat space. Surf Spirit packed in a Luis Vuitton gift wrap ;). Xalia and staff organized a beautiful welcome, daily surf lessons, healthy meals – eaten all together and private space with pool and yoga shala, just for us!
What did we do?! Our morning activity was taking 4-wheel drives to little secret point breaks. Sipping freshly made coffee and admiring coastal views on the way. It was about 10 of us getting ready to surf, almost empty waves with no one else (That’s a real luxury ;))! A little side shore breeze, 2 ft swell and crystal clear water by the remote campsite…
We had really ideal conditions for beginners. For some of the girls these were the very first steps on the board. For the others – we had a couple of tries, but didn’t really understand the ocean, tides, swells, the environment. It’s amazing to have a diverse group as everyone learns from one another! It reminds me of team sports at college, when you motivated each other, one team spirit. One person might have been faster, another stronger and someone else warming the hearts with their cheering. We all have something to offer!
In surfing, there’s a lot of information to digest. Many little details to pay attention to. It comes with time and practice. Our subconscious mind registers and remembers, even though we think we already forgot everything. What are the waves doing, how to handle the board, how to paddle, position, stand up and maintain the balance.
It’s important to be patient, appreciate your progress and work on steps, which require more attention and practice. It will be slightly different for everyone, so it’s the best to compare yourself – how you did a week ago, rather than what’s on for others. Surfing is a long, windy road, but so worth it. It develops both body and mind, resilience, strength, determination; teaches us to be in the state of Flow, in and out of the ocean.
It is so special to share these moments of joy with the Wild Women. Perfect little green waves and such a progress made throughout the camp! I am proud of being a part of the team igniting this spark that will burn and spread the seeds of surf stoke across wonderful women.
It’s not all butterflies. Sometimes it was hard to wake up at 5am, muscles were sore and bodies covered with bruises, there were windy and washy days, north swell blue bottles stinging and itching… However, going through these struggles connected us even more!
In this surf journey, another significant part was our daily yoga practice. It helps to wind down, move and mobilize the body, quiet the mind and balance the breath. Girls remembered my yoga nidra from one of the desert adventures, so upon request we did a session of sleepy yoga, working on layers of consciousness. Fascinating! Myofascial release and Xalia’s surf movement training helped us to open the hips, strengthen the core and arms. All necessary ingredients to made surfing more enjoyable!
At the end of our days we sat together at the dinner table, exchanged highlights of the day, giggled and either chill out with a book or enjoy a couple of drinks by the pool. What a life… 🙂
Thank you @wildwomenjourneys for making it happen and @surfaris for hosting! Photos by @chickwithorangebrick
Until next time… 🙂