Like most physical endeavors out there, kayaking is extremely mental.  The success of a run can be determined by your attitude, confidence, and nervousness to excitement ratio.

Every kayaker has figured out her own personal tricks to get in the right headspace for a river, especially a challenging or new run.  Coping with fear and nerves is universal, no matter what level of  kayaker you are.  While many of us try and share our strategies with fellow boaters to help a sister out, I’ve found that one’s mental game is so personal, it’s difficult to take someone else’s trick and use it effectively as your own.

The best way to train mentally and practice getting your mind and nerves ready for a big run, is to create your own routines and practice them often. Here are two tricks I’ve recently added to my mental game repertoire.  While I know they may not work for you, hopefully they’ll spur something inside of you that helps grow your mental game and tackle whatever river or rapid you face next.

Lots of mental preparation went into this moment

1) My Headband.

The headband came on in a round-about fashion.  I’m also an avid soccer player, and adopted the straight across headband look when I cut my hair and could no longer put it up.  The look was sported by many pro soccer players I watch and admire, so I gave it a shot.

But the importance  of the headband is much deeper than this.  I put on my headband at the put in, just before my helmet.  As I carefully place the thin piece of athletic wrap around my forehead, I say to myself “It’s go time”.  The headband signifies a mental switch.  It gets me out of my previous mode of hiking in, driving, or hanging with friends at the put in, to a game-face, ready-for-action, time-to-focus mentality.  Once the headband is on, so is my attitude.  I take a deep breath as I mindfully put my helmet over my headband, ensuring a solid placement.  From here, there is no turning back, and I know that I’m ready.

The removal of the headband at the end of a run also provides a significant mental switch.  When the headband comes off, I can relax.  I take a sigh of relief, or let out a shout of excitment as I literally let my hair down.  Taking off my headband is the symbolic representation of the phrase, “Heck Yeah! That was badass!”

When I wear it, Mary Frances thinks I look like a fairy, and Anna thinks I look like some medieval character….I don’t really care how I look, because it helps my mental game.  And that’s all that matters.

2) Noseplugs.

Non-boaters laugh at them.  New boaters are addicted to them.  Many boaters rely on them to allow for longer down-time when they find themselves upside down.  All types of paddlers wear them, playboaters to creekboaters, novices to pros.  Some love ‘em, some hate ‘em.

I’ve personally gone back and forth on the matter.  There is no doubt they let me hold my breath longer and more easily in a beat-down situation.  I also agree that rolling is more comfortable with them, since you don’t get water up your nose.  There are many benefits…so what’s the dilemma?

I’m not the kind of boater who wears them all the time.  I used to put them on selectively above big rapids, or places I knew flipping was very likely.  But this created a glitch in my mental game.  When I put on my noseplugs, I was inadvertently telling myself “There’s a good chance you might flip here, or get beat down and need to hold your breath for awhile”.  Then I realized…why would I want to send myself that kind of message, even if it’s subliminal!?!  On one hand I’m saying “It’s go time, you got this, paddle hard, you’re gonna style this shit!” and on the other hand I’m saying “you might mess up or get in a bad situation and need some extra help”…such mixed messages!

Part of my mental training is to eliminate all negative or self-destructive thoughts…including premonitions of beat downs.  So in order to stop sending my brain the subtle message of potential wreckage, I decided to stop wearing my noseplugs all in all (with the exception of playboating, because then it’s just inevitable).

I now go into every rapid with the thought of “You’re gonna kill it!  You’re not gonna flip!  And if you do, you’ll roll up so quickly it won’t even matter that you’re not wearing your plugs”.  Now THAT is a powerful  and positive message.

For more tips on improving your mental game, check out a weekend clinic or a day of private instruction!

The roll is often seen as a daunting skill which can perplex novice boaters and frustrate more experienced paddlers.  But it doesn’t have to be!   Starting in November, Girls at Play will be offering weekly rolling session to help you learn or master this critical skill.

The sessions will take place on Sunday evenings starting November 6th through December 11th from 5-7 at the Zeugner Center pool in Arden, NC!  Everyone is welcome, not just women!

Girls at Play’s knowledgeable and experienced staff will be present to guarantee that you receive the help you’re looking for.  We truly enjoy teaching rolling, because the skill lends itself to so many valuable “ah-ha” learning moments.  In my personal experience, I’ve found that teaching the roll has been one of the most gratifying skills to instruct, making the process of learning fun for all!

If you’re looking for a more personalized one on one session with an instructor, we will also be available for 30 minute private sessions.  These individualized instruction times cost an additional $30, but are well worth it if whether you’re just beginning to learn the process of rolling, or are becoming puzzled and frustrated by a lack of consistency in your roll.  Spots go quickly so email us (info@watergirlsatplay.com) or call us (828 333-4482) to book your spot now!

These sessions are not just for beginners or folks experiencing difficulty however!  There are many different types of rolls, and the pool is the ideal location to learn all of them!  Maybe you always execute one specific type of roll, but would like to expand your repertoire or rolling skills!  Come and practice a C-C roll, an off-side roll, a back deck roll, a hand roll, or a skulling roll!  Once you have a tool box full of rolling techniques, you may find yourself feeling grateful in whitewater situations where a variety of techniques become needed.  I certainly have!

Maybe you’d rather not focus on your roll, but would like to keep your strokes and other paddling skills in top shape during the colder months!  The pool is perfect for practicing any kayaking stroke as well as skulling, bracing, and edging!  I personally attended a pool session every week for three years, and it tremendously improved my kayaking!

Perhaps you feel confident about your rolling abilities but would like to work on some flatwater playboating skills, this is the perfect opportunity you as well!  The pool is a forgiving and comfortable environment to practice squirting, the double pump, the bow stall, and countless other skills which transfer directly to playing in the river.

No matter what skill you’re working on, pool sessions are a great way to improve your paddling, sharpen your skills, and stay in touch with the skills you already have during the colder months.  Girls at Play creates a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment, where fun and learning come hand in hand.

Come on out and join us!  Here are the details once more!

Where: Zeugner Center Pool in Arden, NC

Dates: Every Sunday from November 6 through December 10 (no session Nov. 27th for Thanksgiving) – November 6th, 13th, 20th, December 4th & 11th

Time: 5-7 pm

Cost: $15 entry fee; additional $30 for 30 minutes of private instruction (optional) OR Register for all of the classes as a series and save $10! 5 classes for $65!

Who: EVERYONE!  Women, men, children, friends, family, beginners, experts…anyone!

Hope to see you there!

If you’re looking for more instruction in the comfort of your own home this winter, check out Whitewater Kayaking with Anna Levesque.

Lifting the head is the most common inhibitor to a good roll.  The head lifts because the paddler is punching out with the left hand, pulling down with the right blade or maintaining a tightness in the left hip (not allowing the left hip to relax so that the right hip can perform a good hip snap).  In addition to these physical causes that lead to the head lifting there is also the underlying emotion of fear that essentially manifests all of these physical reactions.

Considering the fact that humans can’t breathe under water it’s understandable that we feel fearful when we flip over.  However, if we want to learn the roll and develop a bombproof whitewater roll we need to change our reaction to being upside down from one of fear to one of acceptance and maybe even of fun (at least when practicing).  Here’s why:  When we resist flipping over we are sending the message to our bodies that we don’t want to be in this position and that makes our bodies tense which in turn leads to all of the physical reactions previously mentioned that in turn make us miss our roll.  Shedding the resistance and fear will physically manifest as loose hips, light paddle, strong hip snap and head down.

At first glance it may appear that acceptance implies apathy; however, there is a big distinction between the two.  By acceptance I mean accepting that the situation is what it is in this moment without judgement of good or bad.  The judgement is what creates a story in our heads which can, in turn, lead us to believe things that just aren’t true.  For example, when we flip upside down and panic because we don’t want to be there it can seem like we’re under for 30 seconds when really we were only under for 5.  Because it seems like we’re under for 30 seconds we get scared and rush our roll which leads to tight hips, head coming up and missing our roll.

In the same situation if we just accept that we’re upside down without the story of how scary that is we could say to ourselves: “OK, I’m upside down and now I’m going to try my roll.”  The situation is much more relaxed and you are able to set an intention to roll.  In this scenario you’re mental state is relaxed and so is your body.  Feeling relaxed is the first step in accomplishing a roll.  When we accept what is and act from that place of acceptance our actions are more intentional and powerful.  Acceptance actually empowers your actions.  So the next time you flip upside down accept that you’re upside down and then do something productive about it — roll!

This same concept applies to situations off the water as well.  For example:  A few weeks ago the city of Veracruz in Mexico experienced an upsurge in drug-related violence that prompted us to move our winter paddling trips to Costa Rica.  In the beginning I resisted the whole situation because I didn’t want it to be happening.  I love paddling in Mexico and I didn’t want to have to change my plan.  My resistance to the situation caused me suffering and stress.  Once I accepted that the situation is what it is and that I had to take action to ensure safe and fun trips the prospect of new opportunities in Costa Rica became exciting!  I took action and changed our plans and allowed for new experiences to flow in.  Now we have amazing trips planned in Costa Rica!

The next time you feel that life throws you a curve ball by flipping you over in a rapid or introducing change accept what is happening and then take action that will bring you in the direction you want to go — usually up!

If you’re interested in more kayak instruction and helpful kayaking tips check out our instruction programs!  And if you’re interested in an awesome paddling vacation in Costa Rica CLICK HERE!

The world needs more female kayak instructors…wouldn’t you agree?

Girls at Play has teamed up with ACA (American Canoe Association) to help make this ambition a reality.  We’re offering an official ACA instructor course, specifically designed for women.  Robin Pope of the ACA and Anna Levesque are co-teaching the course, and we couldn’t ask for a more qualified and inclusive teaching staff!  The entire course involves two weekends of time together on the water, with a month in between to improve on technique and teaching abilities.

This past weekend we kicked off the course in Sylva, NC with an incredible group of 7 excited and talented women.  We spent this weekend at Tsali Lake, nearby the Nantahala Gorge in NC.  The course focuses on many aspects of kayak instruction.  We had plenty of oppotunities to observe how Robin and Anna teach, and to practice teaching mini-lessons to each other and receiving quality feedback from peers and instructors.

Another key aspect of the course is focusing on personal technique and modeling ability.  It’s important as an instructor to not only be able to speak about a stroke or boat maneuver, but also to demonstrate it in a clear and accurate manner.  As we re-learned the basics and foundational strokes of kayaking, we tweaked our own strokes, offered feedback to one another, and practiced using our critical eye to pick out minute areas of improvement in one another’s strokes.  At the end of the day, we were also video recorded doing several strokes and maneuvers (including the roll) and later watched the videos in slow motion while Robin, Anna, and our peers offered suggestions for improvement.  It was unbelievable to see how many tiny adjustments can be made within a stroke to make it undoubtedly more effective.

When I first learned we’d be spending the entire weekend on flatwater, I admit that I was slightly disappointed.  I envisioned these two days being boring, tiring, and overly elementary…BUT I WAS WRONG!  Flatwater is an amazing thing, because it brings to light the true effectiveness of your strokes.  On the river, we often talk about using the water and the current to your advantage.  People who are good at going with the flow and not fighting the river often appear to be super smooth, when in reality they’re just covering up for poor technique.  Strength is another cover up we see on rivers and mistake solid paddling as proper technique.  Men especially often has so much brute strength that they can power down a rapid making it look easy, so no one questions their technique and true stoke effectiveness.  Flatwater acts as a mirror to showcase your technique.

I’ve been paddling for 4 years and have been teaching kayaking for 3 of them.  Although I constantly try to focus on my own technique, and was taught how to instruct by talented and capable people, this course has taken my own paddling and instruction skills to the next level.  It completely surpassed by expectations in terms of what I would take away, and gave me plenty of additional information to confidently teach to a variety of learning styles and abilities.

Girls at Play and ACA will continue to offer instructor courses throughout the future.  In the Spring of 2012 we’ll offer another 2 weekend course, as well as a 5 consecutive day course.

Whether you’re an advanced paddler who has been instructing for years, or you’re fairly new to the sport and are looking to improve your own technique, this course will certainly meet your needs and expectations!  Keep an eye out for more information and another update after the second weekend!

Check out this link for more information and details about the course – GAP/ACA Instructor Course

For ways to improve your technique and paddling skills at home, check out Anna’s Instructional DVD Whitewater Kayaking for Women!

Tip #1:  Remember that you have a lot of room to maneuver in big water.  One of the reasons why I feel so comfortable in big water is because to me it’s like paddling a big highway.  Most of the time the ‘V’s at the entrance of rapids are bigger so  you have more room to set up for your moves. This is especially true in class III and IV big water.  There is less margin for error in Class V big water as with all class V.  Having said that…

Tip #2:  The water may be more powerful than it looks so you need to commit to your moves and paddle aggressively.  This is especially true if you have to make a lateral move from left to right or right to left to punch through a reactionary wave or avoid a hole.  Since you do have a highway to start you can give yourself even more room to get that lateral momentum going.  Paddle harder than you think you need to when first starting to paddle big water and make your moves earlier.

Tip #3:  When you paddle big water you’re going to have to punch through big waves and wave holes so be aggressive about it.  Make sure that you’re paddling strong and not freezing up in the middle of wave trains.  Waves are less likely to flip you over if you’re padding and maintaining a speed that is as fast or faster than the current.  Stay focused on your paddling not on your nerves.

Tips #4:  Paddle through boils with speed.  Boils can be the most disconcerting part of paddling big water because they even bubble up in flatwater!  The best way to deal with boils is to get speed and paddle through them.  As you get more comfortable with boils you’ll be able to use your edges to stabilize better as you paddle through and you’ll be able to slow down and even use the boils to play!

Tip #5:  Take paddle strokes as you’re moving up a wave.  This will give you momentum up and over the peak.  Then be ready to do it again in the next wave.  Not only is this good technique, it’s also a lot of fun!  As you get more comfortable in wave trains you’ll be able to relax more, keep your hips looser and take fewer strokes when needed.  The tops of waves are also great places to take a look downstream to see what’s coming.  It’s your highest point so practice looking around from the top.

Tiip #6:  If you swim in big water be as self sufficient and aggressive as you can.  If you paddle whitewater you know about the ‘feet up/safe swimmer position.’  The safe swimmer position on your back with your feet pointed downstream in front of you is important for shallow, rocky rivers.  In big water you want to be more pro-active, especially if you know where to swim.  Keep a hold of your boat and paddle if possible because they can get swept away quickly in the powerful water — especially the paddle.  When you have the opportunity to swim into an eddy or toward a friend who can help swim aggressively.  The eddy lines are bigger and swirlier so they are going to take more energy to get across.

Tip #7:  The water is deep so take your time setting up for your roll and try as many combat rolls as you can before bailing.  One of the big advantages of learning to paddle in big water is that you can hang out upside down much longer without running into rocks.  And if you do swim you’re not bouncing off of rocks which makes it easier to swim aggressively.  On our Main Salmon trip I witnessed some big shifts in paddlers from not wanting to hang upside at all to getting impressive combat rolls.  Everyone likes that!!

I hope these tips are helpful on your journey to paddling bigger water.  Enjoy and see you on the river!

These are my tips for learning to kayak in big water.

If you enjoyed this article you might also be interested in our Idaho Main Salmon trip, September 5-10 2012. Or if you are in the mood for a tropical escape, check out our Mexico adventures!

Why set goals?  Because goals are inspiring and give us something positive to focus our energy on, which, in turn, brings about positive change in our lives. Setting goals helps us to envision our best selves being at our best and accomplishing amazing things. According to Brian Tracy, an expert in business achievement consulting, “When we set goals, we develop direction, we develop focused and channeled energy, and we accomplish more in a short time than we could accomplish in years.”    Setting goals for your paddling will get you motivated to paddle, get you on the water more often, which in turn, means more time to enjoy yourself and have fun!

Goals are for everyone, not just high-end competitive athletes.  We don’t have to always set lofty goals like making the National or Olympic team.  Our goals may be simpler like getting in our kayak once a month, or once every weekend during the summer.  Maybe your goal will be to improve your forward stroke or build strength in your core for more effortless paddling, lifting and loading. Goals come in all shapes and sizes because we come in all shapes and sizes!

If setting goals is so awesome and brings about so much positive change then why doesn’t everybody do it?  There are a number of reasons, but ones that stand out in particular are lack of support and fear of failure.  Have you ever thought of a really cool idea that you were excited about and shared with a friend only to be told that it wouldn’t work?  I certainly have.  When I first came up with the idea of producing an instructional kayaking dvd for women and offering women’s only kayak classes I definitely got some negative feedback.  Luckily I didn’t let it discourage me and kept my focus on my goals.  Now I have a thriving business based on women’s kayak instruction, trips and retreats!

I’ve read a lot of business books and one of the most common threads in all of them is that entrepreneurs often get told that their ideas are crazy, silly, or unrealistic.  This was said to the founders of companies like Starbucks and Microsoft!  We usually only hear of people once they are successful and assume that they have some special talent that we don’t have that made them so successful.  That just isn’t true.  For instance, I started my paddling career working in the kitchen of a rafting company.  Most of the guides and paddlers never thought that I would ever paddle.  Their nickname for me was ‘kitchen girl’ and they wouldn’t give me the time of day.  But I had a goal:  Learn to kayak.  And I stuck with that goal and sought out people who would teach me and got on the water every chance I had until I was good enough to make the National Freestyle Team.

We all have amazing potential to be successful and good at something.  And becoming good at something like kayaking can skyrocket our confidence and self-worth in all aspects of our lives.  Setting goals is an important part of developing that success on the water and off the water.

You may ask:  What if I set a goal and then fail to achieve it?  Fear of failure is probably the biggest reason people don’t set goals.  Yet there is opportunity in failure.  Most successful people know this.  When I was competing on the whitewater kayaking freestyle circuit I always learned more from the competitions in which I ‘failed’ than the ones in which I made the podium.  Failure is in the eye of the beholder.  You can choose to see an opportunity to learn from your mistakes and experience or you can choose to allow ‘failure’ to hold you back.  It’s all in your attitude and if you have a strong set of goals then it’s easier to learn from the situation and then set those lessons in motion toward your goal.

Now let’s get to the good stuff of how to set goals.

1. Get a pen and paper (I wasn’t joking at the beginning of this article!) and write down the question:  “If money were no object I would…”  Write down your answers below in bulletpoints.  Write up to twelve answers.
2. Choose the ones that sound the most realistic to you.  This is important because to be achievable goals have to be realistic.  That doesn’t mean that you don’t write down the super lofty goals.  Please do!!  But it’s important to discern that winning the lottery tomorrow may not be the best goal to focus your energy on.
3. Take another sheet and make two columns.  At the top of the left-hand column write ‘Goal’ and at the top of the right hand column write ‘Steps.’  Write the goals in the left-hand column and then write down the steps or actions you are going to take to achieve each goal.  Start with an action you can do right now.  Perhaps it’s emailing friends to plan a kayak outing or maybe it’s starting a savings account for that new boat.  There is always some action, however small, that you can take right now.  Maybe it’s changing your attitude. Check the steps up as you go and modify them as you gain experience and momentum.
4. Post your goals in a spot where you see them everyday.  Read them everyday and only share them with people who support your goals, especially if you’re setting goals for the first time.

These are the basics of goal setting.  I encourage you to reflect on your paddling and set a few goals for the summer.  Start off small with goals and steps that you feel are attainable. Once you see the results from these then start setting loftier goals. Keep your goals in sight, take the steps and get ready for your potential on and off the water to explode!

For more inspiration and ideas on how to improve your kayaking and personal life, check out line of instructional DVDs.  Also, a Winter kayaking getaway to Mexico is a great way to build confidence and practice setting and working towards goals!

Interested in doing more yoga, or merging yoga with kayaking?  Check out our new Yoga for Kayaking DVD!  Also remember, all of our clinics and trips to Mexico and Idaho incorporate yoga into the daily schedule!

Check out another great blog post about yoga, kayaking, and THE BREATH!

When and why did you start kayaking?

What is your favorite river? My favorite river is the White Salmon River in Washington (Columbia River Gorge).  It has something for everyone . . . class I to class V.  Best of all, it’s at my front door.

What sort of cross training do you do? I have started training through a program called Crossfit. It’s sort of like a boot camp type of class. We train using 3 modalities – gymnastics (using your body weight to increase your strength), metabolic conditioning (cardiovascular exercises) and power lifting movements (lifting using resistance to increase power and strength). After each workout session, I cool-down and work on releasing any tension in my body and mind. Balance is so important to remain injury free . . . so, I will finish my workout with 15-20 minutes of mobility work and deep, relaxed stretching & yoga. My workout isn’t finished until this time, as it leaves me feeling calm, relaxed and re-energized.

Since crossfit workouts vary each session, it keeps me fresh and excited for the next workout. One thing I do have to mention about Crossfit training, is that it is very intense and to avoid injury, you must have a good coach to work with you on technique and form.

My favorite kayak specific training program is as simple as this:
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats
20 sit-ups
Continue through this cycle for 10 minutes (work your way up to 20 minutes) . . .
Finish with 5-10 minutes of full-body stretching or your yoga practice.

During the off-season (which is hard to find in the Pacific Northwest), I will train using Crossfit 3-5 times a week.  During periods of time where I’m paddling 5-6 days a week, I will back off of my crossfit training to 1-2 times a week and add an extra day of stretching and yoga.
*Please visit a personal trainer if you want to implement this program and have any questions about the movements.  And visit your doctor if you have any health risks associated with starting a fitness program.

How does cross training help your kayaking? Since starting this new training program, the most significant things I have noticed in my paddling are an increase in stroke power output and ‘boofing’. With a stronger core from the functional movements that I train with, each stroke I plant comes directly from the center of my body, giving me ‘more bang for my buck” in each stroke placement. That powerful stroke along with a strong core and legs have given me the power to aggressively “pull” when I need to during an important boof stroke.
Flexibility isn’t one of my “natural gifts”, so I have to make a conscious effort to make this a priority. Since stretching and yoga has now become a regular part of my routine, I have noticed that my torso rotation has improved, as well as my rolling technique.  So ladies . . . DON’T FORGET TO STRETCH!  Flexibility helps with the kayak roll
I can’t express how important off-river training is for paddling. I will say that a strong body does create a strong mind.  A strong mind creates confident paddlers!

What advice can you give women who are looking for a cross training program? My biggest pieces of advice are . . .
1.  “JUST DO IT!”  There is no excuse not to!  You know why? Because anything is better than nothing. Even if you have only 10 minutes out of your 24 hour day to run in place, do 10 push-ups on the wall or squat up and down off of a chair 20 times, YOU ARE MAKING YOURSELF BETTER! It doesn’t take hours and hours in the gym to get fit and improve your paddling. YOU CAN DO IT FROM HOME . . . “JUST DO IT!”  I like to tell my personal training clients to make a commitment to themselves for at least 6 weeks. Cross-training should become as “normal” as waking up and brushing your teeth!
2.  Working out doesn’t have to be painful! Remember that it’s all about balance. Strength training, cardiovascular training and flexibility are all needed to improve . . . don’t do one without the others.
3.  See your doctor or a personal trainer if you have any questions about whether a workout routine is right for you.  Don’t hurt yourself . . . if you do, you’re setting yourself back even further than where you started.

How do The River Angels promote women in kayaking? The River Angels consist of 5 women from 5 different countries – Ruth Gordon, Tanya Faux, Mariann Saether, Nouria Newman and myself. Our goal is to empower women through outdoor activities. The team of River Angels come from a variety of backgrounds – playboating, competitions, expeditions, motivational speaking and more. If there is one thing we hope to inspire women to do, it’s to “get out there and do it!” There are so many girls and women who feel limited by their physical, mental and/or emotional state. We’ve all gotten to where we are today by experiencing hardships, challenges and successes . . . every experience becomes “learning moments” to help us achieve our dreams and goals. We want to help others realize their full potential and forget about “perceived” limitations, and we do this through “sharing our stories” and encouraging women to get out and paddle. Visit www.riverangels.com to learn more.

What do you think it means to be a woman paddler? We like pink kayaks, pink helmets and blue drytops . . . haha! But seriously, I hear people say, “Woman are more timid than men!” Well, in a way that’s a bit true, as we don’t have the hormone “testosterone” as heavily in our body as men do. But, I think more than anything, women “voice” their fears more often then men. There’s nothing wrong with that . . . it’s just a different way of approaching the same situation. I don’t think men are used to this approach quite yet, as kayaking has been a male dominated sport since its’ beginning. However, with the increase in women paddlers over the past few years, I think the approach of “just paddle hard and go for it!” is being replaced and accepted as “if you don’t feel like running that particular rapid today, no big deal!”  . . . And, this is a great breakthrough for the sport.

What advice can you give to women who would like to be more confident paddlers?
1.  Paddle with people you feel safe and confident with and most of all . . . paddle with people you enjoy being with!!!  Kayaking is all about having fun. There should never be that negative pressure to perform. If you want to do something, ‘want to do it’  for yourself!
2.  Paddle with other women.  For the first 4 years of my paddling career, I was always ‘following the guys’.  It was only until I started paddling with other women that I became a more confident, individual paddler. Just go out there, be safe and have fun!
3.  “No one is perfect!”  You may watch kayaking video’s that showcase all these awesome paddlers and notice that each stroke is perfectly timed and executed and each rapid is navigated without a flaw. But, remember . . . these video’s are edited!!!!!!! Paddler’s don’t paddle perfectly ALL THE TIME! Everyone makes mistakes . . . every paddler swims! So relax . . . if you miss your line or your roll, remember that it happens to everyone! Brush it off and create your ‘learning moment!’

What inspires you to keep getting out there? The feeling of ‘satisfied accomplishment’ is what keeps me going. Whether it’s playing around in class III, learning how to slalom boat or paddling class V . . . it’s the feeling accomplishment and the look on my hubby’s face that says without words, “Nice job, I’m so proud of you!”

To paddle some of the rivers where Heather calls home, check out our Idaho adventure, or paddle with us on the next Summer Tour!

Go with the Flow

“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.” – Bruce Lee

Anyone who has kayaked in currents whether they be strong or easy-going has witnessed what Bruce Lee is talking about.  When water comes up on a rock it flows around it, when water hits a fallen tree in the river it flows through the branches.  Eddies on the river are formed when water flows around an obstacle, such as a rock, and then flows back upstream behind the rock to fill the void that is created by the diversion.

Water accepts what is and continues on its path.  When we accept what is happening at this moment in our lives we are better able to go with the flow without creating suffering for ourselves and others.  This doesn’t mean that you just let life happen to you and become apathetic.  On the contrary, when we accept what is we are better able to take right action.  The water flowing down a river doesn’t resist when it hits the rock.  It doesn’t complain, feel victimized or react in fear.  The water simply changes shape and direction to flow around the obstacle.

We can refer to the same example as paddlers.  If we get stuck on a rock while we’re kayaking down a river we have some choices. We can resist and react in fear and tell ourselves a story about how we’re stuck and can’t get unstruck and about how scary it is.  Or, we can pause for a moment, accept that we are stuck and calmly lean into the rock and push ourselves off.  By staying calm we are better able to respond to the situation instead of reacting out of fear and creating unnecessary suffering for ourselves.  We wouldn’t just sit there apathetic saying oh well, I guess I’m stuck and I can’t do anything about it.  We always have a choice to respond out of a sense of acceptance or react out of a sense of resistance.  Acceptance allows us to go with the flow like water.

Effortless Doing

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it” – Lao Tzu

I have a funny story that I feel illustrates this quote.  One day I was using a toothbrush to scrub out the shower — very vigorously – so vigorously that I was getting frustrated that the bits of mold I was scrubbing weren’t coming off!  I looked and noticed that the bristles of the brush were almost flattened from the force of my scrubbing so they weren’t really doing much.  At that moment I remembered the teaching of effortless doing and started to scrub more gently and guess what!? The mold came right off without resistance.  I had a good laugh at myself – especially since such an inspiring reminder came to me in such a non-inspiring situation.

I always tell my students that the goal of good, strong kayak technique is to look and feel effortless on the water.  There should be no power struggle or fight against the water, but instead an effortless dance with the water.  When we feel effortless on the water we’re actually embodying the powerful gentleness of water that Lao Tzu is talking about.

When I first started to kayak I loved it so much that I wanted to be good immediately.   There were days when I would spend hours and hours on the river trying to get better.  I would push myself hard and when I wasn’t paddling well I’d get frustrated and sometimes end up breaking down.  Now that I think back on some of my most frustrating and emotional experiences on the water I realize that I was trying too hard to force things to come to me.

Frustration and unhappiness with our progress in any aspect of our lives is a sign for us to take a step back and remember that gentleness, effortlessness and patience can generate amazing results.  We don’t have to push and do all the time. What I’ve come to realize is that sometimes it’s not about making it happen as much as it’s about doing the work mindfully and then allowing it to all come together – effortlessly.

Compassion Towards  Ourselves and Others

“We are both the wave, individual and unique, and the ocean. Both.  At the same time.”

– Erich Schiffmann

Each drop of water, each river, stream, lake and ocean is part of all the water there ever will be on this planet.  They are all unique expressions of the collective that we call water.  Just like we are individual, unique human beings that are a part of the bigger collective called the human race.  And all of us at our core want the same thing – to feel happy and fulfilled. Being human connects every human to each other and yet we often, too often, forget this connection.  This is more apparent when we feel wronged by someone else.  It’s easy to judge and lay blame than to set our egos aside and feel compassion towards another.

A wise kayaking student of mine recently told me:  “Never assume that you know someone else’s story.”  Maybe the woman who was rude to you was having a bad day.  Is that an excuse for her to be rude, no, but perhaps receiving some compassion will soften her mood and brighten her day.  It may not happen instantaneously, but it will have an effect. One of my favorite quotes attributed to Gandhi is:  “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and it takes more strength and faith to be kind.”

And remember that compassion is not only reserved for others, but also it’s important to practice compassion toward ourselves.  Even though each drop of water in the ocean is small, each drop is an important part of the whole.  Appreciate your unique contribution to the world!

Pay Attention

“In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

Paying attention to the present moment has been one of the most transformational practices in my life.  The present moment is all we have because the past no longer exists and the future has not yet happened.  When we focus our attention on the past and the future we are missing out on the awesomeness unfolding right now.

One of the reasons I love whitewater kayaking so much is that it forces you to focus on the moment.  If you don’t pay attention in a rapid you could end up somewhere you don’t want to be.  People are addicted to whitewater kayaking because they feel that intense joy that comes with being really present, in the moment.  You don’t have to be a whitewater kayaker to experience this.  Sea kayakers experience this and lake paddlers who are able to get really quiet and pay attention to the beauty around them are also able to experience the present moment.

A really simple way to tune into the present moment that anyone can do is pay attention to your breath.  You can do it right now as you’re reading this article.  Notice the path of the breath through the body and stay with it for a few breaths.  See what happens.  I bet you’ll feel calm, relaxed and energized!  This is the cheapest stress-relief available to you anytime.

I hope you’ve enjoyed a few of the lessons I’ve learned along my kayaking way.  There are many more…  These lessons are not meant to be practiced only once.  Just like we enjoy going back to the water to paddle over and over again, these teachings are meant to be referred to over and over until they become second nature. This could take years, just as developing good kayaking technique takes years.  Enjoying each part of the journey is important.  I remember some really awesome moments from when I was a beginner kayaker – there is joy in every part of the journey.

Article by Anna Levesque

Photos by Paul Villecourt www.outdoor-reporter.com

If you enjoyed this article, check out our latest instructional DVD, Yoga for Kayaking. You might also enjoy our awesome weekend clinics and trips that blend yoga and kayaking.

To keep our bodies healthy, remain comfortable in our boats and paddle well into our golden years, it’s important to learn about and take care of the major muscle groups used during paddling. Have you ever heard of the illiopsoas? If not that’s ok because you’ll know all about it by the end of Anna’s talk.  You’ll leave with knowledge and stretches that will help your body feel comfortable, strong and supple for many years to come in and out of your boat.  This talk is important for paddlers or all ages and abilities.

If you would like Anna to come talk to your paddling group, club or school please contact her at anna (@) watergirlsatplay.com