1.  Angle = 45 degrees relative to the downstream current or current inside the eddy.  When we have the right angle we expose just the right amount of our kayak to the current which, in turn, does the work of turning our kayak for us so we don’t have to.

2.  Edge = Lifting our upstream edge when we’re peeling out and lifting our downstream edge when we’re performing an eddy turn.  Lifting the correct edge allows the water to hit the bottom or our boat so that we don’t flip while performing this skill and allows the current to turn out boat.

3.  Speed = Taking good, strong strokes to gain some momentum, but not paddling so hard that you blow your angle and edge…

4.  Look where you want to go.  Self explanatory!

As a kayak instructor I drill people on these skills on the water all the time.  Practicing them helps to create better reading water skills, balance, effortlessness and control.  Plus, good eddy turns and peel outs are a lot of fun!  Almost anyone can paddle straight down a class II and III river, but they’re missing out on a lot of fun and are not learning to paddle to their potential.  Beginners often resist eddy and ferry practice because it can feel unstable and challenging, but if they stick with it, the benefits are awesome.

Interestingly enough I’ve realized that the components of eddy turns and peels are just as relevant off the water as they are on the water.  Take the peel out for example…  We’ve all experienced times in our lives when we’ve felt stuck.  Perhaps we feel uninspired or maybe we’ve been repeating habits and patterns that make us unhappy.  In these times remembering the elements of a good peel out can help us get unstuck.

1.  Set your angle = Pay attention and set your intention.  Ask yourself:  “What do I want to look different in my life?”  Allow yourself some quiet time so that the answer bubbles up from inside of you.  You know what’s best for you so trust yourself and set the intention that you want for your life, or for this year or this month or just for today.  It can be as simple as:  “Today my intention is to find 3 things to be grateful for.”

2.  Find your Edge =  Find your balance.  Take time out in your day to find your center, your balance point.  Sit quietly or go for a walk or bike ride or paddle!  Instead of constantly sending your energy out to everyone else, save some for yourself.  You can only take care of others if you take care of yourself first.  Going a step further, you can find your balance on edge — don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, to push your limits just a little.  Step outside of your comfort zone and hang out there for a bit and you’ll find that what you were so afraid of isn’t so bad after all.

3.  Speed = Start moving and move in a different way, in a different direction.  If you’re on the river and you get stuck in an eddy you don’t say to yourself:  “Oh, I’m stuck, I guess I’ll just have to stay here all day.”  If you said that you would never get off the river!  Somehow you find the courage, strength and determination to paddle out of that eddy back into the current.  You may not be sure of how you’ll end up at the bottom of the rapid, but you take initiative and you go for it.  Same thing when you feel stuck in life.  Big projects start with one little baby step, and then another and then another….  You don’t have to paddle like crazy, just start taking some strokes and the momentum will build on itself.

4.  Look where you want to go = It’s important that  when you have a goal that you’re reaching for that you don’t sabotage yourself by telling yourself stories about how you can’t do it.  I love the quote that says something like:  “Whether you believe you can or you can’t you’re probably right.”  Keep your focus on where you want to go, on what you want to create in your life.  When you hear yourself starting to doubt, coming up with excuses or being negative you can simply say:  “That isn’t true for me anymore.”  This is a very powerful statement!  Just because something went one way in the past doesn’t mean that it has to repeat itself.  We all have the power to choose where our attention is focused.  Using affirmations can help with this.  Find an affirmation that is believable to you and say it over and over.  Stick it on the fridge or somewhere you can see it.  It can be as simple as:  “Everything I do I do with ease.”  Keep it simple and keep looking where you want to go.

Eddy turns can be important to.  Maybe you need to catch an eddy to take a break, rejuvenate and find your balance.  Stopping to take stock of what’s going on in your life is important.

As I mentioned, I drill my students on the water on this stuff and it take some practice to refine peel outs and eddy turns so that they feel effortless.  If I had given up on kayaking after my first trip down the river because I couldn’t eddy turn or peel out or stay upright I wouldn’t be where I am or who I am today.  On the river I’m sure that you get out there and practice as much as you can, even if you don’t feel like you’re getting it right all of the time.  The same thing goes when applying this stuff to life.  Don’t give up the first time that something doesn’t work out the way you want it to.  Keep going back to the basic steps mentioned above and recognize the lesson.   Being open to the learning will help you do it differently next time.  With practice peel outs and eddy turns become effortless both on and off the water.

Amongst our many stops during the GAP summer tour, we spent some in Canada visiting Anna’s friends and paddling the Ottawa river in Beachburg, Ontario. We enjoyed kayaking on the Ottawa, the beauty of the Canadian countryside, the kind and hospitable folks Canada is known for and french fries drenched in gravy. In the south we put gravy on everything except french fries, you’ve gotta go to Canada for that! And the most unexpected experience I had was a belly dancing class with Anna and a group of lovely women. I learned a little bit about belly dancing and had a blast.

Our teacher that night explained the history of belly dancing and how in the past it was a form of exercise that women gathered together to perform for the goddess of fertility. Adorned in the shiny and colorful costumes, they would use the isolated movements to strengthen their bodies for bearing children. She also explained that because women back then were usually covered up in large robes, they maintained their natural feminine shape and movement that we have lost over the many years of trying to blend in and not call attention to our curvy shapes and bodies. So when the women did gather together they could honor their feminine shapes without being ashamed or self conscious of their curves.

We had a blast that night jingling and shimmying around the candle lit room to exotic music. Its amazing how well it seemed to relate to yoga and kayaking. Isolating different sections of the body is challenging, you must be very aware of each part and how you can use it. My focus lately in kayaking is my core; trying to rotate it and be aware of it especially in slower moving or flat sections of the river so that I create muscle memory in that area. Hips are also very important in kayaking, snapping them under you as you roll or maneuver through obstacles down the river.

So celebrate your hips and belly! Try a belly dancing class sometime with your friends. Besides getting a great little work out, you’ll laugh, brighten your spirt and friendships and have fun stories to talk about. And who knows, it may help your paddling!

So, I went for it. I got certified as a Wilderness First Responder, started working with Girls at Play, met an amazing guy, and moved to Asheville, the city where I had always wanted to move. As soon as I started following my inner guidance, everything began to roll into place. Each wonderful thing, nourishing the next with the joy and energy it provided. So, as all of these amazing things were happening I would stop every now and then in disbelief and think “when is this going to stop, this can’t be reality…”. I was talking with a close friend one day, telling her about all of the unbelievable  changes falling into place and then started babbling, resisting and analyzing them, telling her I knew they would end and struggling with the rush of new emotions I was feeling. She then said “let it happen”. That stopped everything for me. It suddenly made since. Let it happen.

We often have difficulty believing that we deserve the good in life. We are too busy worrying about what we should be doing rather than letting what is happening, happen. We sometimes refuse to recognize what we are curious about and what brings out the life in us. But once we do, everything falls into place. It feels crazy and you want to think about it, resist it or explain it. When you stop and let it happen, you feel the moment. The moment may feel different, and overcome you with new emotions that make you want to resist. It can be something big, and life changing or something like the moment you are upside down in your boat, you want to pop your skirt and bail but instead you take a moment to relax a little before you set your paddle and roll up in your kayak. Or it may be that moment in relaxation pose when you resist fidgeting and let the fresh blood and oxygen flow through your body. These little moments lead to bigger moments. Once you start “letting it happen” or being in that moment in the small moments, it is easier to “let it happen” in the big moments. You breathe and let that moment pass. If the moment you feel, feeds you goodness, you can take that with you, feeding the next and eventually passing the warmth and energy you feel to others.

One of the coolest things (and there are many!) about working with Girls at Play is being able to share the sport of kayaking with other women. Kayaking is what lead me to changing my life, and opening myself up to adventure and a healthy vibrant lifestyle. I have only helped with a few clinics so far and feel so grateful to be meeting so many amazing women and guiding you on the water as you explore this new experience. You never know what this new experience may bring. If you open yourself up to that newness, just let it happen and enjoy the amazing changes it can infuse into your life.

I love the physicality of kayaking.  The adrenaline rush, being outside and being active is really fun, but it wasn’t the physicality that really hooked me to the sport.  It was, and is, an intense feeling of happiness and fulfillment that comes with focusing on and enjoying the present moment.   I remember one of the first times that I experienced this feeling and it wasn’t on a hard run, or doing a cool move, or anything like that.

It was late afternoon and I wanted to go kayaking, but couldn’t find anyone to go with me.  I was so fanatical about getting to the river that I paid a friend to drive me to the put-in of the New River Gorge, drop me off and then pick me up at the take-out. At that time Ender Waves was a popular surfing spot and I knew there would be others out there.  I paddled down to Ender Waves, surfed for a while and then headed down the river behind another group.  I lingered just far enough behind so that it felt as though I was the only one on the river.

The sun was low and the whole Gorge was bathed in beautiful golden light that brought out the pink hues in the cliff walls.  It was a gorgeous evening and as I approached Double Z and looked up at Ramshead cliff a feeling of deep gratitude and beauty swept over me.  I felt a joyful connection with the river, the gorge, the trees, the stones.  It was a feeling of oneness, a merging with the natural world around me.  I felt that in that moment I had everything I needed in life and that I didn’t want to be anywhere else but right here, right now.

Yeah, I know that may sound cheesy to some of you, but what I’ve come to know for myself is that living in the present moment and feeling that sense of connection and happiness is what life is all about. That’s why I didn’t follow the path of ‘responsibility’ after college and instead became a raft guide so I could paddle all the time.  Kayaking has been a significant teacher in helping me understand how to create a happy, fun, successful and adventurous life for myself no matter what others think or what society tried to dictate that I should do instead.   I decided to let the river and kayaking be my guides and I have learned a lot of amazing things!

The river is a teacher with many faces:  Soft, easy, playful and gentle as well as scary, pushy, powerful and intimidating.   We as kayakers have the unique opportunity to receive the rivers’ teachings in a way that few others can because we have a deeper understanding of how current works.  We learn the subtleties of the currents in order to do the dance of successful maneuvering.  What’s really cool is that we can use the lessons that we learn on the river to assist us in navigating our lives off the river too.

It’s worked for me and I know it can work for anyone who takes the time to practice.  I’d like to share with you my favorite five teachings from kayaking and the river that have had a positive influence in my life.  You already practice these when you’re paddling so why not try them in other parts of your life too?

Pay Attention

On the river the number one rule is pay attention! It’s easy to pay attention when we’re paddling because when we don’t we usually end up getting trashed.  I’ve heard many paddlers tell me that they love kayaking because it forces them to focus on the present moment and everything else fades away. That feeling of focusing on what’s in front of you and what you need to do to make it through the rapid is very freeing.  In that moment there is nothing but you, the river and your goal.

If you misjudge the timing, read the water wrong or make a bad move the river will let you know immediately.  When we get trashed on the river, or miss a wave or mess up a move it’s not because the river is out to get us.  We can’t blame the river for our mistakes, lack of focus or bad timing.  We have to take responsibility for our actions and our thoughts that may have caused us to mess up.   I’ve heard paddlers try to blame the river before.  It makes them feel better, but it doesn’t fool anyone else!

Paying attention and taking responsibility for our words, actions and thoughts isn’t always easy because it means that we have to look at ourselves and admit that we make mistakes.  In our daily lives there may not be an immediate physical trashing when we don’t pay attention like there is in kayaking, but there are consequences to careless actions and words that can include drama, anger and unhappiness.

On the river, if we make a wrong move once and get trashed we’re going to do it differently the next time.  I haven’t met very many paddlers who continue to mess up because they like getting their butts kicked, but I have experienced people who get addicted to drama and blaming in their lives.

Being truthful with yourself about your behavior is an opportunity to change course.  It’s also an opportunity to practice compassion and forgiveness toward yourself and others.  Remember that no one is perfect and that we all make mistakes.  Even the best paddlers in the world mess up and swim.

At first you may only become aware of a pattern after it’s happened and you feel bad.  The next time you may have more awareness and you’ll notice that you’re doing it in the moment.  Eventually you’ll notice your pattern before you even speak and you’ll be able to choose to act differently.  It’s just like learning to read water and anticipate on the river.  It may not feel like it at the time, in the heat of the moment, but we always have a choice between reacting and responding to a situation.

Look at were you want to go

Once you become aware of that point of choice how do you choose what route to take?  You can start by looking at where you want to go.  Most paddlers have experienced what happens when they stare at that big rock that they’re trying to avoid.  It never fails that every time you stare at a rock you paddle right into it.  On the other hand, if you focus on the current that leads you beside the rock you’ll make it around the obstacle.   In kayaking looking where you want to go is key to making it down a rapid successfully.  The same technique can be used in everyday life, especially when setting goals.

It doesn’t matter where you are now, that doesn’t have to define where you’ll be 1 week, 2 months or 3 years from now.  Just like when you’re on the river and you’re in an eddy. You know where you are and by looking to where you want to go you find out what moves you need to make to get there.  You don’t sit in the eddy all day feeling sorry for yourself because you’re not at the bottom of the rapid already.  You take action to get out of the eddy and head down the rapid.  You don’t always know if your moves will work out exactly how you thought, but one way or the other you’ll make it to the bottom of the rapid and learn something along the way.

If you’re feeling like you’re in a rut in your life think of it as though you’re caught in an eddy.  You have the skills to get out and you have the vision to see where you want to go.  Keep your eyes on your goal as you make that first move of peeling out.  To help with building up the courage to break out you can practice using affirmations. Affirmations are positive statements that assert our goal (even if we haven’t met it yet) or assert how we want to feel. They are statements that we use to replace the negative voices and feelings that come up when we’re challenging ourselves.

Affirmations are useful in those times when you’re looking to where you want to go and your mind starts going wild with stories about why and how you’re not good enough, too scared and so on…   An example would be “I feel relaxed, confident and focused.”   When we repeat affirmations to ourselves we feel good and that helps to overpower the negative voices and thoughts.

This takes practice.  The affirmations we use need to be believable for us or have the possibility of being believable.   It’s important to repeat them to yourself often and over and over again.  When you wake up, before you go to bed and when you feel calm and quiet.  Writing them in a journal 10 to 20 times is also a good practice.  It’s like practicing those hard moves in easy water first.  The more you repeat them to yourself when you’re calm, the more natural it will become to call on them in situations when you’re challenged and really need them to help you keep your eyes on where you want to go.

Be Grateful to overpower your fears

Another tool I use to work through fear and intimidating on the river and to keep good things flowing in my life is gratitude. It’s impossible to feel badly when you express gratitude for something and the more you express gratitude the more you’ll have to be grateful for.  Just try it and see what happens.

When I’m paddling a tough river I take the time at the beginning of the run to express gratitude for the river, for my paddling friends, for my skills, for the sunshine and for whatever else comes to mind.  Doing this gets me into a positive mindset and immediately replaces any negativity and takes power away from my fears.

Off the water I continue this gratitude work by thinking of five things that I’m grateful for when I wake up in the morning and five things I’m grateful for when I got to bed at night.  I start with simple things like how grateful I am for my comfy bed.  From there more and more things pop-up. Being grateful for what we have is the first step in creating more happiness in our lives.  Just like in kayaking when you practice the good basic skills that you know you build a strong foundation upon which you can easily and quickly progress.

Build a supportive team

The paddlers you surround yourself with are an integral part of how comfortable, confident and happy you feel on the river. In my experience as a paddling instructor, women thrive and progress much faster when they feel supported and trust those around them.

I’m picky about who I paddle with, especially when I’m paddling a river that challenges me. I like to feel safe with and supported by my fellow paddlers. I don’t like to paddle with people who are overly aggressive, who put their needs before the group or who get frustrated if the group isn’t moving at their pace.  I don’t have fun in this type of environment and the point of paddling is to have fun.

The same is true for me in my life in general.  I surround myself with friends and family who accept and love me for who I am and who support my endeavors in a good way.  That doesn’t mean that they always tell me what I want to hear.  I count on my good friends to call me out on behavior that isn’t productive.  The key is to not take things personally.

My students like to joke about my ‘tough love’ method of teaching.  I definitely make them do things that they don’t want to do like run a rapid without a paddle, practice their roll or practice back ferries.  I don’t do it to make them suffer I do it because I know it will help them get better.  They know me so they recognize my intention and they don’t take it personally.   In this way they feel good about pushing their limits because they know they are supported.

Another requirement of a good paddling buddy is that they’re willing to fish your gear out of the river and give you words of encouragement when you swim.  Same goes for your friends off the river.  It’s easy to feel good, to have fun and to let yourself shine when you’re surrounded by people who support, encourage and inspire you.  Surrounding yourself with a supportive team on and off the river helps you flourish as a paddler and as a person.

If you flip over roll up and keep going

Imagine giving up kayaking after your first swim.  I’m sure it’s happened to someone, but for most of us we didn’t let a swim discourage us into giving up.  It’s important to learn from the swim, but not to internalize it as an indication of your self-worth.

This is a big one for women.  In my own kayaking I have allowed the results of a competition or a bad line or a swim equate with my self-worth.  This wasn’t productive at all because it led to me feeling sorry for myself and feeling like a bad person.  This was especially true for me if I felt that others were judging me.  Really, no one was judging me but myself.  We are our own worst critics.  Most people want to see us succeed at what we do.

Set backs like swims can enhance our knowledge and experience. We stand to learn a lot when things don’t work out the way we want.  Sometimes it takes four or five times of flipping over on an eddy line because we had the wrong edge lifted before we understand what we’re suppose to do.  When we figure it out we don’t forget it.

I read recently in a small business magazine that venture capitalists like to invest in someone who has failed in business ventures before because it shows them that the entrepreneur isn’t afraid to push the innovation envelope.  The investors see this as a good quality.  Playing it safe all the time keeps us comfortable, but doesn’t help us progress.  Facing challenges can be uncomfortable and rewarding at the same time.  That’s why most of us love kayaking so much!  That rush of satisfaction, accomplishment and joy that we feel at the bottom of a scary rapid that we just ran is addicting.  And if there were no chance of messing up it wouldn’t be that exhilarating.

So don’t let fear of failure or setbacks get you down or stop you.  There is opportunity in every experience so when you flip over, roll up and keep paddling!

Learning these five lessons on the river and then applying them to my kayaking and to my life in general has helped me live a happy, successful life. They assist me in living in the moment.  Just like there are infinite possibilities of paths that current can take down a river, there are also infinite possibilities of how our lives can look and feel.  The next time you meet a challenge or come up on an obstacle in your life just imagine what you would do on the river and you’ll discover that you already have all that you need to get through it!

This article was first published in the AW Journal.  If you’re not yet a member of AW please join!  Click here for more information.

Our thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs shape our lives today and for all of our tomorrows.   I recall a native elder telling me some years ago: “Be careful what you pray for because you will receive it.” As I traveled along my spiritual path, I began to understand that this elder was saying that the power of our thinking, our words, and our beliefs demonstrates itself in our external world.  This is why I am a big advocate of the use of affirmations, as well as affirmative prayer to help us create what we want in our lives.

Through a regular practice of using affirmations our lives can greatly change for the better.  We so often unconsciously measure out what we shall receive in terms of the limitations of our previous experiences.  Through the practice of replacing the old, small mind, repetitive, self-limiting and fear-based thoughts with affirmations, we can cultivate a sweet and joyful life for ourselves. By repeating the affirmations every day we see, little by little how we open ourselves up to infinite possibilities. To think in new ways is to allow Grace into our lives, to extend our personal horizons, and to let ourselves out of our self-imposed box.

As you work with affirmations, it is important that you are able to feel the believability of each affirmation you are working with; that even though it may not be true for you now, that it feels right for you.  Otherwise, I suggest you scale it down to where you can feel it in your body that it can be true for you.  Practice, practice, practice, first thing in the mornings, last thought before you fall asleep at night, and in moments of self-reflection.  Writing them down between 10 and 20 times is also very powerful.  Choose an affirmation that you want to work with and make it your mantra.  With this practice of affirming the truth in your life, I promise you will see that you are nurturing a happier, sweeter life for yourself and your loved ones.

In addition to using affirmations it’s important to express gratitude for the goodness that shows up in your life.  Whether it’s for working through the fear of a particular river or a successful run of a rapid or for your paddling friends that make kayaking so much fun!  I have found that by standing in my gratitude on a daily basis and expressing that which I am grateful for each and every day, I nurture more of the good that is yet to come.

Below, I am sharing with you some of my favorite affirmations to work with as you prepare yourself to go out on the river.  You can use these exactly, change them to suit what feels good to you or make up your own.  The idea is to find positive statements that allow you to shift fear, worry or doubt into something positive and empowering.

Daily Affirmations:

I feel relaxed, confident and focused.

I choose in this moment to release ANY sense of burden, struggle, or fear.

I anticipate today with enthusiastic expectation.

I let go of all doubt, distrust, worry, and fear.

Everything I do is done with ease and good timing.

The river of life’s good never stops flowing.

I give freely and fearlessly into life and life gives back to me with fabulous increase

I am grateful for the river, grateful for my paddling friends and grateful for my skills

Sharon Mitchell is a healer and beginner kayaker who co-facilitates the Whitewater Goddess and Outdoor Goddess Retreats.  In these retreats you’ll work with her to open up to the infinite possibilities on the river and in your life!  Click here to learn more about the Goddess Retreats.

This study sheds light on the communication breakdown that can happen on the river between men and women. Women like to feel supported when stressed while men take a more individualistic approach to river running. Because the sport of whitewater kayaking has traditionally been male dominated and the paradigm for behavior on the river has been set by men, miscommunication can lead to women doubting their ability. This situation is very unpleasant for women and, in my opinion, is one of the major reasons why there are fewer female enthusiasts in whitewater kayaking.

There were times in my kayaking career when I struggled being the only female kayaker in a group of highly skilled paddlers running difficult rivers. The men in the group seemed to be able to make quick decisions when it came to making the choice to run an intimidating rapid. I often felt inadequate because it took me longer to make the decision, I was less confident and I sought out opinions from others on their choices. I would get really nervous and when I looked around the men seemed very confident and calm. They rarely offered advice and assumed that I was dealing with the situation in the same way that they were.

The most common words of advice from men to women in whitewater kayaking seem to be: ‘just follow me’ and ‘you’ll be fine.’ These words may motivate men, but can actually make women feel unsure of the situation. And, in my experience, when women begin to doubt themselves and feel unsure they don’t perform to their potential. Women are not looking for men to tell them how to kayak or to show them all of the lines. In my experience, what women are looking for is someone who will allow them to take it a bit slower at first, give them encouragement and give them support beyond ‘just follow me.’

Several women who have had bad experiences kayaking with men end up in white water kayaking classes for women because they’re looking for a friendly, supportive and safe environment in which to learn. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly believe that there are times when women need to step up and be more confident and aggressive on the river. Most women are willing to step up when they feel supported and encouraged by the group because the support enhances their self-confidence.

Understanding and respecting each other is the key to positive experiences for both men and women paddling whitewater together. There are times when male paddlers can slow down and offer more support to their female counterparts. Women kayakers can learn to be more physically aggressive and confident about their decisions on the river. When men make a commitment to paddle with women it should be because they actually want to paddle WITH them. Offering to take someone paddling means that you’re agreeing to spend time with and offer support to that paddler, maybe not getting as much out of the session as you could if you were with paddlers of equal or more ability. This is true for both men and women who offer to take friends paddling.

Even though recreational kayaking is a very low-risk outdoor activity, it may still be intimidating to some women. It’s important for women who are feeling nervous about trying kayaking to surround themselves with a supportive group of people who will allow them to learn and explore at their own pace. Women’s workshops and outings can be a great place to start.

The study cites that: “Women in women’s social groups show more affiliative behaviors,
including smiling, disclosure, attention to others and ingratiation.” (Taylor, et al 2000) In
my opinion, this is why kayaking classes for women are so popular with and enjoyable for
the participants. Sharing their experiences with one another, women build a trust in others
as well as in themselves.

I realize that this article was written using generalizations. I know that some women don’t relate to what I’m saying and that some men do. The important thing to take away from this is that there isn’t one paradigm for how paddlers should deal with stress or fear. Everyone is different and the study that I have quoted throughout suggests that there are very obvious gender differences when it comes to stress response. As a woman you may have a different approach to and reaction to kayaking and that’s O.K. Give it some time and find good instructors, classes and trusted friends to start and paddle with. The more you communicate with your paddling partners the more fun you’ll have. And having fun is the whole point!

1. Consider that changing bodies have changing needs
As we move through life, our bodies change and so do our lives and our needs. In order to make sure to give our bodies the nutrients they need to thrive under all conditions we need to know how to listen to our bodies. Chronic diseases such as arthritis is not an inevitability, neither are menstrual cramps, fatigue or hot flashes; these are sometimes indicators that we’re not feeding and cleaning our bodies as we should.

Take action: Ask yourself some simple questions: Has you blood pressure increased? Do you have new bone pain? Do you have hot feet, especially at bedtime? Do you have heart palpitations? Do you have joint and muscle aches in new places? Is your memory failing? Do you have “brain fog”? Are you gaining weight, especially around the abdomen? Are you experiencing a change in energy or sleep patterns? Are you having mood swings or panic attacks? Are you having new digestive problems or new food sensitivities?

Though these are symptoms often linked to perimenopause or menopause, they could indicate system imbalance; taking a look at your nutrient intake is warranted.

2. Consider the level of processing in the foods you choose
When pulled apart through processing foods lose much of their health benefits. Food, when in its natural form, is packaged to perfection; eating the whole food helps ensure that all the nutrients available are absorbed and that glucose levels are maintained. Also, when foods are processed additives need to be added to help preserve them; eating whole foods helps us avoid chemicals and additives.

Take action: Comprise the majority of your diet of WHOLE, NATURAL, LIVE foods. That is, make sure the foods you prepare are as close as possible to their original form (eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice, eat whole grains instead of germs or bran, eat whole milk yogurt instead of fat free, etc). Make sure your food has its VITALITY intact; fresh, crisp, raw foods have their enzymes and phytonutrients still active and available. The best way to do this is to find as much local and organic food as possible.

Investing in good quality food is investing in your health.

3. Consider the following supplements:
¸ Multi pack for Women or for Active Women
¸ Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids in the form or fish oil
¸ Bone building formula

I’d like to say that we can get all our nutrients from food but, unfortunately, I no longer think this is possible 100% of the time, even with a wholesome diet. Consider again the quality of the food we have available to us along with our typical lifestyle: food is harvested before it is ripe; it is grown in nutrient depleted soil and a polluted environment; it is stripped of nutrients during processing; our diet is less varied than it was traditionally; we eat parts of plants, not the whole; we take medications and birth control pills, are exposed to chemicals and toxins, and experience a high degree of stress – these factors all deplete nutrients. This is why you might consider a multivitamin. But they aren’t all created equal. One size does not fit all and everything you need should not be in one capsule.

Omega 3 fatty acids are very hard to get through diet alone. Most dietary sources are in the form of ALA (the most popular being flax oil). ALA is used by the body as is, but is also converted into the essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA – also essential. As we age we are less able to convert ALA to EPA and DHA. Consider: over 60% of ingested ALA is not useable; of the remaining 40%, most is used to create cholesterol and other fatty acids in the body and is used up in various processes and reactions; 3% of the amount eaten is available for conversion to EPA and DHA. The enzymes responsible for the actual conversion become less active as we age and are further impeded by medical conditions such as underactive thyroid gland, hypertension and diabetes. The best direct source of EPA and DHA is fatty fish. But we need to consider the quality of the fish and are advised against eating too much of it. Look for a quality fish oil that has a higher ratio of EPA to DHA (unless you’re pregnant, in which case you want more DHA and EPA) and has been filtered for toxins.

Calcium in calcium rich foods is hard to absorb due to oxcalic acid and phosphorus that also tends to be in these foods. Our bones are at risk due to lifestyle, excess hormone disruption, medications, and diet. See below for more info.

4. Consider your bones:
Hormones, good nutrition, healthy liver and kidney function and immune system all work together to maintain bone health. Take an especially close look at your bones if you have taken regular corticosteroid meds, thyroid hormones, antidepressants, diuretics, antacids – these all can deplete bone density. A calcium supplement alone will not prevent bone deterioration and, research is showing, a calcium supplement alone might, in fact, actually decrease bone density! Pay attention to quality!
Take action: Maintaining bone density involves two components: ensuring bones can properly regenerate; and preventing mineral depletion. Remember that load bearing exercise is essential to prevent bone loss and to improve bone regeneration; it’s even more important than calcium! To properly metabolize calcium, consider the following: sugar and caffeine lower calcium absorption; low stomach acid, which tends to happen over time, leads to poor calcium absorption; an acidic system (characterized by inflammation, and typically a high animal foods diet) will pull calcium from the bones; calcium should be taken at night when blood levels are low; poor quality calcium supplements are often full of calcium carbonate which, while cheap, is poorly absorbed and adversely effect digestion; vitamin K, found in green leafy veggies, is essential for calcium absorption; alfalfa is a good source of ipriflavone needed for healthy thyroid gland and to stimulate bone formation as well as inhibit inflammation that pulls calcium from bones; load bearing exercise is essential to get calcium into bones as is vitamin D and boron.

5. Consider a Detoxification program

Over time, toxins and hormones build up in our bodies; this is more true now than ever! They need to be cleaned out periodically to prevent chronic diseases, ensure a smooth menopause and avoid hormone related cancers.

Take action: Detoxification programs should ONLY be done when the bowels are clean and the body is vital. NEVER do a cleanse if you are constipated. Avoid cleanse formulas that have laxatives in them such as Senna and Cascara Sagrada.

6. Consider your digestion
We are not really what we eat, we are what we absorb. We can be eating the most nutrient dense and healthful foods but, if we can’t properly break down these foods and absorb the nutrients, we leave ourselves malnourished. Most of us suffer from incomplete digestion and might not even know it. Some early signs are: bloating or gas after meals, acid reflux or heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, trouble digesting fats, fatigue after meals. Some late signs are colitis, colon cancer, candidiasis, allergies, and autoimmune diseases. If you have a food allergy, you have poor digestion. Proper digestion involves a combination of factors including proper mechanical action (chewing, peristalsis and stomach churning), proper stomach acid levels, a healthy liver, a healthy balance of intestinal bacteria, clean colon walls, adequate enzymes and fiber.

Take action: Though every case is different, some general tips to improve your digestion are: ensure you have lots of fiber in your diet, eat fermented foods, eat some raw food every day, eat sprouts, drink lots of water, ensure you have essential fatty acids in your diet, relax when you eat, pay attention to foods that cause discomfort. Ensure you have at least one good quality bowel movement a day. It should float, be well formed and not to smelly.

7. Consider your level of Stress
Stress is a state of mind, but it causes some very real chemical reactions to occur in our bodies. Not only does stress cause blood pressure to rise and digestion to slow, but it also causes the release of hormones that pull calcium from bones and leads to adrenal exhaustion, which lowers estrogen levels that are needed for proper bone maintenance.

Take action: pay attention to stressors in your life, learn to communicate, learn deep breathing exercises, take time out of each day to “decompress”, exercise, re-evaluate.

8. The soya debate
Many women are advised to increase their soy intake as they get older. Soya has been touted as a source of minerals and complete protein for vegetarians and a great source of phytoestrogenic isoflavones. It is a “health” food that is said to reduce the risk of heart disease, lower total cholesterol and triglycerides in people with high levels, prevent cancer (especially colon and hormone related cancers) and decrease the symptoms of menopause.
However, consider the following: soy is one of the “big three” genetically modified foods, the effects of which we do not know; it is one of the most common allergens; tofu, while traditionally a fermented food, is no longer fermented; soy protein powders, isolates, textured vegetable proteins and milk are processed under high heat which alters the protein structures and experts disagree about whether this is positive or not; soy beans contain a particularly high level of phytic acid which is very hard to digest if not fermented and seems to block the absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc; soy contains protease inhibitors which interfere with protein digestion so tofu might not be the great source of protein is was once thought to be; the phytoestrogens in soy seem to have a negative effect on thyroid function in people with already poorly functioning thyroids.
All this to say, the jury’s still out about soy. It seems to have some proven benefits but there’s also cause for some real concern. If you are going to add soy into your diet, don’t go overboard. Remember that you are likely eating more soy than you think in the form of soy lecithin, soy oil and soy protein isolate. Eat soy in its fermented form such as miso and tempeh. Also try to find non-GMO soy. Some protein powders are made from fermented soy. Avoid raw or roasted soy beans as they have the highest level of protease inhibitors and phytic acid. I would avoid extracts from soy such as soy protein powder, Genistein, or soy isoflavone since we really don’t know if the benefits of soy are still available when components are isolated like that. Do not give soy based formula to infants.

For more information on Jessica and her suggestions for healthy nutrition visit www.jesssherman.com

What I had shared with the group is my thought that the river is totally impersonal. It doesn’t do things to me because it doesn’t like me — how I react to the river determines the outcome of my experience.

This is something that I really like about the river. It is not playing any games. It is not having an agenda beyond the obvious. It can’t be fooled by bluster and intimidation. It only recognizes what is real and what really matters in the situation.

For me paddling and the river are big metaphors. They both are teaching me an enormous lot about myself and about life. They teach me on one hand, who I am at that moment and what my life is like at that moment, but also teach me progress and show me how it could be different. No person can step into the same river twice, for she is never the same person and it is never the same river. Every experience changes me, but I feel that experiences on the river change me a lot more, than most other experiences. And that is because I know that the river is impartial and accurate in its judgment.

Here’s an example of what I mean: One of my big challenges in life is to stay relaxed with a good energy level and not to take things personally. The river helps me with that in two ways. It gives me instant feedback on how relaxed I generally am at the time and what my energy level is. The river does this in a truly honest and unbiased way. The more relaxed I am, the better I can meet the challenges of the river to make it a good experience. The more tense I am the more goes wrong with my boating and the less I am able to deal with the challenges.

The most striking example was to completely freeze in the face of running a stretch of the Kettle in MN. I had had a fun run of it the day before, but the next day I was tired from the exertion of the day before and from worrying about my instructor being very critical about my boating skills. When I say I completely froze I mean I had to remind myself to keep breathing, I certainly didn’t want to run the rapids and I didn’t even feel up to paddling the flat stretches. Learning from that I try and make sure to stay well rested and relaxed at all times to be able to meet the challenges and absorb the “bumps”.

I have a very clear experience now, that the world and what it presents me with looks very different depending on my attitude when I am looking back at it. The nastigram a colleague sent me could just run off my back like water off a duck’s back, or that unreasonable request could be just as easily dealt with in a humorous way. Just like I can better manage my fear of running challenging water, when I am at a high level of relaxation, which means a low level of anxiety and I am well-rested, knowing that I have the energy to face everything I meet on the way. Hey and when I’m really relaxed, I don’t feel scared at all and I don’t even think about not being scared, I may even go out looking for more challenge in life and in water.

I mentioned how Paddling is a big metaphor for me and here are a few examples. Recently I had to give a presentation at work and I was really nervous about it because I felt that part of the audience was going to be very critical about my presentation. I kept telling myself, that this is really nothing to worry about, because after all it is not like I could drown during a presentation! It helped me a lot to see much clearer — I had a brain-wave on how to deal with my main critic, which worked like a treat!

Here are a few more mantras I repeat to myself in various situations, which I learned from being a paddler:
When in rough water, keep paddling!

• When someone/something seems to be about to knock you off balance, brace!

• It’s ok to swim, just get back into the boat and keep going.

• And most important: Being relaxed and well-rested are the alpha and omega of having good experiences. I can choose to stay relaxed and to make sure I am well rested!

Now I don’t know if they sound cheesy to you, but this really helps me in life and in water!

Anna said in the circle I started this post out with, that paddling is her spiritual practice and that has been reverberating with me ever since. I would definitely consider myself a practicing paddler! (Maybe sometimes even a proselytizing paddler

Paddling is not always easy for me, but it makes me happy! It helps me forget that work week that was pretty tough. It makes that heart ache fade over the cute guy that doesn’t like me back. And, if gives me confidence in sticky situations, because my subconscious mind remembers how I handle those challenging situations on the river. I arrive at the take-out with as Amy said: “something that [I] found in myself that wasn’t there before, but now that [I] found it will always be there.”

Rosmarie “Rosie” Dauth http://leanupstream.blogspot.com

The title is slightly inspired by Joel McCune’s motto/philosophy of Excellence Through Paddlesport www.joelmccune.com

I’ve been tossing around the idea of combining yoga, kayaking and transformational work for a few years now. Kayaking has taught me many lessons that enrich my day to day life. Whitewater kayaking is an exceptional teacher because it brings up, as one woman this weekend put it, “emotions that you didn’t even know you had.” I’ve witnessed many women over the years grapple with the fears and emotions that come up in kayaking — with the wet exit, the roll and pushing their limits on the river. Some women get so scared that they think about quitting, but there’s something very exhilarating and satisfying about facing those fears which is why many of us choose to stick with it.

In my opinion it’s not enough to just stick with it and ‘push through’ or ‘attack’ the fear. It’s important for us to understand that the fear never goes away because it’s there for an evolutionary reason to make us pause and think about what we’re about to do. That can be very healthy. The key is to learn tools and practices that help us to move through the fear and focus our attention on what we want and where we want to go. When we learn how to manage the fear it doesn’t overwhelm us and we can choose to respond to our nervousness instead of immediately reacting to it. I feel that retreats like Whitewater Goddess weekend that combine kayaking with transformational practices like yoga, meditation and Native American spirituality can go a long way in helping all of us transform our lives for the better both on the water and off the water.

Although I wanted this weekend to assist the women who attended, I ended up with a really big discovery and transformation for myself that I’m grateful for. It was a bit painful at the time, but seeing our shadow selves is not usually pleasant and is often necessary for change. During the weekend I was very concerned with the logistics and making sure that all ten women were getting enough attention and instruction for their skill level. I wanted to make sure everything was awesome. Although these are important things for a leader to work out, there were times when my worry and concern took me out of the moment and out of the joy of the moment. Instead of acting with compassion and patience I felt as though I was being impatient and thinking about what I had to do next to make sure everything was o.k. Instead of allowing myself to enjoy the weekend and the people around me I felt worried and tired. There was no reason for me to feel that way because everyone was having and did have an amazing time!

The piece that I got for myself is to relax, slow down, enjoy the moment and recognize that I don’t have to control everything for things to go well. And things don’t always have to go as planned. How many times have I learned that on the river!? There’s always enough time, especially when you’re focused on the moment. And when I’m focused on the moment I give better attention, instruction and experience to my students. This is actually very similar to what I wrote about my Grand Canyon trip. Interesting how things keep coming up until we really get them… I’m also reminded to be gentle and compassionate with myself as I face my shadow self, learn and transform. We’re all perfect right where we’re at and we improve by realizing and focusing on where we want to go from here. These are all teachings that we explored during the weekend and I’m grateful for the reminders and the opportunity to apply them in my life.

So, I’m very grateful to all of the women who participated: Carol, Carol, Caroline, Deidre, Shannon, Shelly, Joyce, Helene, Erin and Rose. Thank you for your energy, your insight, your openness and your presence. I also want to thank Anne for being the awesome, mellow kayak instructor who always has a solution for everything. And of course to Sharon who gently and compassionately guides us as we learn and grow. I look forward to many more Whitewater Goddess Weekends in 2009. For those of you interested in learning more click here. 2009 dates will be up soon.

Below are some photos that Helene took from the weekend:

When you’re in the Canyon you’re wedged in between walls of stone beings that have been around for billions of years. It’s as if they hold you in the present moment. There’s no space for thoughts about your other life to enter the depths of those walls. The instant you start down the river there is no other moment but the present and the people that you’re sharing the present with. I would wake up every morning to majestic, ancient beauty and stillness that immediately inspired feelings of gratitude and wellbeing. It’s so easy to feel joyful and peaceful in a beautiful, inspiring place like the Canyon.

After waking up I would roll out my yoga mat to practice and meditate. The view made entering into stillness easy and natural. On the days that I was paddling my kayak through flatwater I would paddle out ahead of the rafts, stop, close my eyes and listen. I could hear every little riffle of water magnified. That was usually when I saw the best wildlife too. A few times I floated up to unsuspecting bighorn sheep and other animals hanging out by the side of the river. When I was still like that I would notice little details about the birds, lizards, insects and water that surrounded me. I couldn’t think about the outside world if I tried — there was too much interesting stuff going on all around me.

One morning while I was packing up our camp site I flicked a good sized black spider off of my drybag. I kept an eye on it while I was putting other stuff away to make sure that it wasn’t going to make a run back to my bag. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that a lizard was checking out the spider. As I watched, the lizard pounced on the spider, chomped it in its mouth and ran up the cliff wall with it. It’s pretty cool to be so relaxed, still and in the moment that you notice this kind of interaction in the animal kingdom. I learned a lot by being still, listening and watching — from my yoga mat, my kayak, the raft and on hikes.

On the white water side the trip was really fun. I kayaked on all of the days with big rapids and spent most other days in Andrew’s raft. He rowed the whole river deciding to trade in his kayak on this trip for an 18 ft raft weighing 2000 -3000 pounds! There were only two of us paddling kayaks on the trip. On some days I was the only kayaker and I would go down before the rafts. The rapids on the Canyon aren’t hard, but they are big and they can be intimidating when you’re the only one in a kayak. I love big water so I had a blast running through the big waves. Lava is definitely the most challenging rapid. It was at one of it’s most difficult levels the day we ran it, and it was really brown. The brown water makes reading the water more difficult because you can’t really see the white water — everything looks meaner. As I was going down the meat of the rapid I got pushed under by a huge crashing wave. I remember asking myself: ‘Am I upside down or just underwater?’ It was a cool feeling because I wasn’t upside down, but the water had pushed me under right side up. When the water released me I came flying out of the water, still upright doing kind of a stern stall. It was really cool. Andrew said that I was down for a 2 count. Everyone else was still scouting the rapid when I went so they saw me disappear from up above.

The rapids are great, but the side canyons are my favorite places to play. One of the best features of the Canyon are the multitude of crystal clear creeks with waterfalls that flow into the main Colorado. Some of the hikes are long and tough while others are short and sweet. I love the feeling of standing under waterfalls, filling my water bottle up at the mouth of a beautiful spring or making ‘butt dams’ for shoe races down small side creeks. I saw a few pristine water sources that give me hope that the Earth still has a chance to survive and thrive. We are so blessed to have natural places like the Canyon that are protected and appreciated.

As we were traveling down the river I felt I was a part of a small tribe. In our case there were 16 of us and it was a fantastic group of people of all ages and backgrounds. The youngest was in their early twenties and the oldest was in their sixties. I really love being part of a small community that is interdependent. Everyone treats each other with compassion knowing that the success of the group depends on the attitude and actions of each individual. There were no egos on this trip and I am very grateful for that. In a world where a lot of people don’t even know their neighbors it’s refreshing to pitch in to make the community work — setting up and taking down camp, cooking, eating together, playing together, helping each other out with lines in rapids and so on. Our body rythms adjusted to the natural light. We were all in bed by 8 p.m. most nights and waking with the light at 6 a.m. Everything flowed nicely and simply.

The trip reminded me of some of the important things in my life: joy, play, beauty, the present moment, community, simplicity, awareness, stillness and compassion. The biggest and best reminder for me was that it’s ok to take time off and not worry about it. While I was gone everything was taken care of — nothing fell apart, everything was o.k. There may have been glitches with my website and I may have accidentally deleted my entire inbox when I got back, but I was amazed at how this didn’t bother me. It really doesn’t matter. I came back from the trip with a deeper knowing that when I do what brings me joy everything is taken care of and I attract more joyful things into my life. I read an Oprah magazine on the plane on the way home in which she says: “The one thing I know for sure is that what’s best for me is already on its way.” After this Canyon trip I know that this is true for me too.

Below is a photo gallery of our trip: