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.

I see a lot of head yanking when I teach the roll and most of us have experienced the sensation that if we just try hard enough, lifting our heads will make us roll.  Unfortunately this technique doesn’t work and no matter how many times you try to roll, if you lift your head it’s just not going to work.  In our society of hardcore striving, many people do tend to yank their heads and bodies around trying to get to an end goal, not paying attention to how it affects the alignment and health of their spines.  A lot of us store tension in our necks and sit with our heads/necks jutted forward staring at a computer screen all day, driving our cars and even kayaking.  If we can learn to sit with our necks and heads in alignment and let go of the tension in our necks it can lead to better posture, reduced neck pain, and the ability to ‘roll up’ without having to yank our heads around.

Here are a few poses and tips on how to strengthen, align and stretch the neck to counter our head yanking tendencies.

1.  Learn to sit with your spine and neck in alignment.  This will not only help your posture and neck when you sit at your desk in front of a computer or drive your car, but it will also help you sit up better in your kayak.   If you can sit well in your kayak then your paddling strokes and torso rotation will improve.

Notice in the difference between these two photos — Photo 1 is shoulders rounded and neck jutting forward and photo 2 is proper alignment.

To practice, sit on the forward third of a firm chair that allows your feet to touch the floor and your thighs to be parallel to the floor.  If your feet don’t touch the floor then you can stack books underneath them and if you have long legs then you can fold some towels and stack them to sit on.  If you do this make sure that you fold and stack them evenly.

Sit up straight, open your chest, lift your front and back ribs evenly so you’re lifting the front and back bodies evenly.  Draw the shoulders back and down and draw the chin back until you feel that your head is centered on top of your spine.  Once you feel in alignment, find the top of your head, imagine that you can lengthen up just a bit more to sit up taller.  At the same time feel your sit bones grounding into the chair so as you lengthen your spine down. This will create a beautiful lengthening in the spine.  As you breath in feel your spine extending from the sit bones up all the way up through the top of the head and as you exhale feel the spine extending from the top down into the sit bones.

Once you feel this alignment try to keep it throughout the day the best that you can.  It will help if you can find a comfortable chair that allows you to maintain this posture.  Leaning back into a chair with a rounded back will only accentuate your slump forward.  This is also true of kayak seats and back bands — especially in recreational kayaks where the backs of the seats are designed to lean back.  Although it may seem that leaning back is more comfortable, it can actually accentuate back pain because the spine is out of alignment and it hinders your ability to paddle properly.  So, while you’re paddling tighten that back rest or back band so that it supports your back and helps to hold you a position of proper alignment with your spine extending.  If you don’t have a good chair then practice sitting on the front of your chair various times throughout the day.  Positioning your computer monitor so that it’s in line with your gaze when you’re sitting at your desk will help too.  If you use a laptop a lot then prop it up on something so that you’re not hunched over and staring down at it.

Once you feel like you’re in tune with proper spine and neck alignment then try to bring your attention back to your alignment several times throughout the day.  At first you may not think about it as often as you’d like, but the more you practice, the easier it will become and the better you’ll feel.

2.  Ear to Shoulder Stretch

Sit with proper alignment either on a chair or in a comfortable cross-legged seated position.  Inhale as you extend your spine and exhale, drop your right ear toward your right shoulder.  As you do this make sure that you don’t lift your right shoulder toward your ear.  Keep your shoulders down and back.  Breath deeply, slowly and fully in and out through the nose.  As you breath feel the left side of your neck gently lengthening.  Once you’ve held this pose for 5 deep breaths, inhale the head back to center and exhale the left ear toward the left shoulder.  Again, take 5 deep, slow, conscious breaths.  Once you’ve held this pose for 5 breaths you can then start slowly turning your chin toward your shoulder.  Breath into any tension and move gently and slowly.  Hold for another 5 breaths.  To deepen the stretch you can extend your arm and fingertips toward the floor on the side that is stretching.  These stretches are easy and quick to do at your desk and while sitting in your kayak.

3.  Head to Knee Pose Variation with Neck Stretch

Sit on a flat surface with the legs extended in a wide stance.  Bend one leg and bring the foot in toward the inner thigh.  Flex both feet to keep the extended leg dynamic and the knee of the bent leg protected.  We’ll start with our right leg extended and left leg bent.  Inhale the left arm up and exhale it behind your back, taking hold of some clothing or, if your flexible enough, holding the right thigh with your left hand.  Drop your right ear toward your right shoulder and gently and slowly allow your upper body to fall out over the extended leg in a side bend.  Really allow your neck to stretch in this position.  Just allow your body to hang over your right leg.  You can use your right hand on the floor for support if you need it.  Hold for 5 deep, slow, full breaths.  Imagine and allow your neck to release and stretch.  On an inhale roll up slowly, your head being the last thing to come up.  Release the pose.  Take a few breaths here to notice the difference between both sides of the neck.  Switch sides and repeat on other side.  Once you’re comfortable with this pose you can gently roll your chin toward your shoulder and breath into any tension.

Remember that we want to let go of our ‘head yanking’ attitude so practice these exercises slowly and mindfully.  If at anytime any of these stretches cause pain then stop immediately and consult a yoga teacher that you can see face-to-face or consult your doctor.

Anna is available for private, custom yoga instruction that fits your body and your needs. Her private yoga and private kayak instruction are open to both men and women.   Click here to learn more!

Namaste

Now that I’m older and more experienced I’m more willing to admit that the boats are pretty heavy, especially creek boats, and that the ability to carry a kayak can be a barrier to entry for some people, especially older women.  I’m also more sensitive to how carrying my boat affects my posture and my body alignment. Shouldering a 40 lbs boat for years can create pain and misalignment in the body. For people who come to the sport with previous injuries, carrying can be very challenging. Unfortunately the impacts of carrying kayaks is rarely discussed within the sport of whitewater. Mostly, I think, because paddlers feel that it’s something they have to do to be successful.  And, it is to a certain extent, but perhaps we can soften to be more inclusive of new and diverse paddlers.

Yes, if you’re a class IV-V paddler you need to be able to carry your own boat for obvious reasons.  Fair enough. I suggest paying attention to your alignment when you’re carrying on one shoulder.  Try to keep your spine and hips as straight as possible. Don’t sacrifice your body to keep up with others.  If you know you need more time to hike in then start earlier than everyone else.  Don’t be stubborn about switching shoulders half way.  You may feel cool at the time, but as you get older you’re body will revolt. You can also explore carrying your boat on your head or using a pack for really long hikes on expeditions.

If you’re a class II/III boater that paddles Rivers that have easy access there’s no reason why you shouldn’t ask for help if you need it.  Double carrying your kayak is a great way to get to the river.  I know that most older women I teach prefer to double carry.  I would rather they double carry and enjoy kayaking than decide that they don’t want to kayak at all because they can’t carry their boat and feel that it’s absolutely expected of them.  One advantage of double carrying is that it’s easy on the body.  If you can carry your boat on one shoulder, place a piece of foam, sponge or your PFD strap between the boat and your shoulder to alleviate any pain.  And if you feel like you’re struggling right now when you carry your boat, know that it does get easier the more you do it.  It build strength and stamina that will also help you on the water.

I do push my students to carry their own boats because it gives the paddler more freedom to move around and get where they want to go without having to wait on others.    It also gives paddlers, especially beginners, an idea of what the sport entails  and what level of physical strength can be developed. However, I’m much more available and willing to help students who are struggling.  And I don’t expect them to carry their own boats at all times.  I feel like there’s a balance I can strike between encouraging my students to carry their own boats and allowing them to enjoy kayaking without feeling the pressure of having to be proficient at it right away.   Awareness, compassion and understanding are key to inviting and encouraging new paddlers into our sport.  And this is one area where we can help beginners feel more at ease.

If people who don’t kayak are susceptible to the shortening of the iliopsoas then you can image what can happen to kayakers!  We sit with our hip flexors flexed for long periods of time and most of us rarely stretch out the front of our hips, but focus more on the hamstrings and back.  So, it’s especially important for us to focus on stretching this muscle group because we are especially susceptible to its shortening.  Upward Frog pose is a great way to tone the Iliopsoas.

Yes, this is a strange looking pose, but I’ve found that kayakers really get a lot of benefit from it.  My husband and Team Dagger paddler, Andrew Holcombe, now practices this pose almost everyday and it has really helped reduce his lower back and hip pain. Try it and see how it feels for you!

1. Lie on your back and bend your knees so that your shins are parallel to the floor, your thighs are at a right angle to your upper body and your feet are flexed.  Keep your knees from rising up to your shoulders.  In fact, you want to move your knees away from your upper body until you feel the stretch.
2. Allow your knees to fall apart and continue to fall apart with every exhalation.  This stretch can feel very intense.  When it gets intense bring your attention to your breath and notice the stories that your mind is telling you about how you just can’t do it anymore.  Try to just observe these thoughts and take two more breaths than you think you can.  Once you release the pose hug your knees into your chest.  Try to work up to holding this pose for 2 minutes at a time.  And, you can even add some crunches to make it more interesting as long as you continue to focus on your breath.  (What!?  Crunches in Yoga?! Yes, they’re good for us!)
3. For crunches try inhaling deeply, then exhale in three parts as you crunch up in three parts, reaching the top of your crunch at the bottom of your exhale.  Then as you bring your upper body back down toward the mat inhale and lower on a three count so that you come down at the top of your exhale.  Keep the movement slow and controlled.  Lift your chest toward the ceiling and don’t wrench on your neck as you lift up.  If your knees start creeping up toward your armpits make sure to lower them away from your body so that you continue to get the stretch in the illiopsoas.  Start with 5 crunches.  Hug your knees into your chest when your done.

1.  Drysuit — not just any drysuit, but a really, really good quality drysuit!  Trust me, it’s worth the money to invest in a drysuit that actually keeps you dry, especially if you’re going to do a lot of winter paddling.  A good drysuit will totally transform your attitude toward paddling in the cold, at least it did mine.  There’s nothing better than unzipping the suit at the end of the day with dry clothes underneath… especially a dry sports bra, socks and underwear!  All of your wet, cold friends sans drysuits will be very jealous!  My personal recommendation:  The Kokatat Meridian Gore-Tex drysuit as modeled by Emsky and I.

2.  A fleece union suit.  Yes, the fleece union/bunny suit is my newest favorite paddling accessory!  I can’t believe that I only started wearing one this year.  It makes you feel snug as a bug like a kid in pajamas.  And, yes, it’s still easy to pee after you’ve got both your bunny suit and your drysuit on if you have relief zippers that match up.  My preference is the back relief zipper for both. Some women have been skeptical in the past about the back relief zipper, but it doesn’t interfere with the seat of your kayak and is very comfortable.  I don’t even notice it except when I need it!  Kokatat makes awesome union suits to go with their awesome drysuits.

3.  Poggies and/or gloves.  Ahh, the feeling of not being able to unbuckle your helmet or lifejacket because your hands are too cold. I think this is my very least favorite part about winter paddling.  I remember some years ago experimenting with dishwashing gloves under my poggies, a desperate move to try to keep my hands from freezing off!  I have to say that I’m really happy that companies like Kokatat and Glacier Glove are now making comfortable neoprene gloves and poggies that keep my hands warm.  I suggest wearing both gloves and poggies at the same time, especially if it’s a windy day.

4.  Skull Cap.  Since large amounts of heat escape quickly through the head it’s obvious why you want to have a skull cap for winter paddling.  Look for one that fits snuggly and that has a chin strap so it doesn’t move around.

5.  Hot chocolate at the take-out.  It’s a good feeling for thawing hands to hold a warm cup of hot chocolate once you’re changed into your regular clothes.  And, it takes me back to fond memories of my childhood winter days coming inside after playing in the snow for hours.  You can always spike it with your favorite adult addition to make it more interesting and yummy

So these are my top five winter paddling accessories.  And, if you don’t consider yourself much of a winter paddler I’ll add this sixth important accessory:  A plane ticket to a warm paddling destination!  Stay safe, stay warm and happy winter paddling!

It’s an important and fun skill, especially in class IV and V when it can be  a necessity.  There aren’t always nice banks or beaches from which you can slide back into the water easily and you may have to seal launch.    Even if you don’t ever paddle class V, you can still find some fun seal launches on class III and IV rivers that are just fun to do for the sake of doing them, like Lunch Rock on the Nantahala (pictured below).  There’s nothing like launching yourself down or off a rock into the water.  It’s like running a little waterfall… except there’s no water.  It’s fun, really!

Here are the seal launch basics:

1.  Make sure that you find a secure spot to get into your kayak on the rock.  You don’t want to be teetering on the edge of the rock too much or on a slippy part of the rock.  There’s nothing worse that flying off the rock before you meant to without your sprayskirt on because your kayak wasn’t in a stable position.  Get a friend to help hold your kayak for stability if you need it.

2.  Use one of your hands or a boof stroke to propel yourself off the rock or to pick up speed if you need it.   You can also ask a friend to give you a push.

3.  Once you’re, going commit to it.  Don’t second guess yourself and lean back or try to stop once you’re going.  It’s better to commit and keep your weight forward and balanced.

4.  Look at where you want to land.

5.  If you’re seal launching from a height then you’ll probably want to push down on your heels so that your bow hits the water at a 45 degree angle.  You’re most often seal launching into flatwater so if you land totally flat it can be jarring.

Remember to have fun with the seal launch!  It may seem scary or intimidating at first, but if you’re with a group that you trust on a river that’s within your ability it’s easier to trust yourself too and enjoy it.   You may want to watch a few people do it before you go so that you can make a more informed decision for yourself.  On the Girls at Play Intermediate Trip in Mexico (pictured below) we offer to lower people using a rope on one of the seal launches down a slopping rock.   This way paddlers can choose if they want to be lowered the whole way or want to be let go of and experience the slide.  It’s exhilarating!

If you have a set time, like a week or two weeks and you prefer to have all of the logistics taken care of  you can book onto an international trip with a reputable outfitter.  This is a fantastic way to travel because there’s very little prep time needed.  You buy your plane ticket, pack your stuff and show up!  From there you’re taken care of and you can relax (in between paddling) and focus on taking everything in.  Usually the food is really good too.  With good outfitters running cool paddling trips all over the world it’s easy to plan the perfect adventure!   I encourage every paddler to take an international kayaking trip at least once.  Some fantastic destinations include Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, Africa, Bhutan, Nepal or Europe.  In case you’re still not convinced,  here are my top five reasons you should take an international paddling trip this winter.

1.  Learn something about yourself

We all know that whitewater kayaking reveals a lot about how we each uniquely deal with stress and fear.  Combine that with traveling to a foreign country where you aren’t familiar with the customs or the language and you have the opportunity to transform your life with a great deal of enhanced self-awareness.  There’s nothing like learning about the attitudes, customs and beliefs of others to help you better understand your own attitudes, customs and beliefs.  This self-awareness is empowering and life changing as you learn new ways of being.  It may inspire you to let go of old habits and patterns that no longer serve you on and off the river!

2.  Paddling new and different rivers improves your skills and confidence

If you’re getting really comfortable on your local rivers then a good challenge is to travel and paddle rivers you’ve never seen before.  This will especially develop your river reading skills and confidence.  Choose a reputable outfitter with outstanding guides that will create a safe, trusting environment that makes it fun to push your limits beyond what you normally do with your buddies.  This can be especially effective if you feel that you’re stuck in a bit of a rut.  Doing something new and outside of your comfort zone can help bring new energy into and improve your kayaking.

3.  Expand your horizons by immersing yourself in a foreign culture

One of my favorite aspects of traveling abroad is learning about new cultures.  What they eat, how they live, when they take naps, their sense of humor.  I find it fascinating to learn about people because it expands my horizons of what I think is possible.  The coolest thing is that you realize that even though we may look, sound and act a bit different, all of us are human and share the same desire to be loved, accepted and to feel good.  It’s fantastic to meet and paddle with kayakers from other countries because you immediately have a connection to a passion you both share.

4.  Go somewhere warm when it’s cold in the northern hemisphere!

This is a no-brainer!  Most of us living in the norther hemisphere welcome a little warmth, light and sunshine during the coldest winter months.  If you don’t get to paddle in the winter because of the weather then a paddling trip to the Southern Hemisphere can cure your paddling withdrawal and the winter blues!

5.  The opportunity to see places off the beaten path

Not only are you traveling abroad when you go on an international paddling trip, but you’re also visiting locations off the beaten path within that country.  This usually means that there aren’t many other ‘tourists’  who visit the area.  My favorite aspect of this is that the locals are curious and friendly and not always in your face trying to sell you something.  And, the food and customs are usually traditional because the demand for ‘tourist amenities’ is lower.  This gives you the opportunity not only to see pristine flora, fauna and rivers, but also have a friendly, safe and unique interaction with the locals.

I hope that I’ve convinced some of you to take the plunge into the world of international paddling.  It’s easy.  You can search the internet for good kayaking trips right now. There’s no better time to infuse adventure and excitement into your kayaking!  If you’re interested in joining one of the Girls at Play kayaking trips in Mexico then click here!

See you out there!

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.

There are five key words to remember when you want to perform precise and effortless eddy turns: Vision, angle, edge, position and speed.

Those of you who have taken a clinic with me know that I am very adamant about starting the lateral momentum toward the eddy early.  This means that if you want to catch an eddy it’s important to set your angle and vision early so that you can paddle with commitment toward the eddy.  If you wait until you’re beside the eddy it’ll be too late because the current is always moving you downstream.  To enter an eddy with precision you need to start your move early, before you actually get to the eddy.

Focus your vision on the eddy you want to catch early. When you’re learning these basics the sooner you can identify the eddy you want to catch the better. The idea is that you don’t have to change your angle once you start moving toward the eddy. Keep your eyes on the eddy to help you set your angle and paddle into the eddy with commitment.

The angle at which you’re approaching the eddy is about 45 degrees relative to the current inside the eddy.  The angle does vary depending on the speed of the current and the shape and size of the eddy, but, in my opinion, this 45 degree angle is a great place to start.  You’ll want to focus not only on the angle itself, but the positioning of your boat relative to the eddy.  If you’re catching an eddy on river right and you come down the current right beside it then it’ll difficult to get the momentum you need to paddle into the eddy while maintaining your angle.  On the other hand, if you start in the middle of the current upstream of the eddy, get your angle and then paddle toward it you’re setting yourself up for success.  You’ll have the room you need to make that left to right move into the eddy.

You want to enter the eddy as high as possible because that’s where the eddy line is the most defined and where you’ll get the smoothest carving turn. If you enter low in the eddy you may actually miss it and get swept downstream. This isn’t such a big deal for big, easy eddies, but once you start pushing your skills and running harder rapids with smaller eddies missing an eddy could mean you end up going down a part of the rapid you don’t want to.   Your positioning will depend a lot on your vision.  If you feel like you’re catching eddies low then practice looking at where you want to go earlier.  In the end, side slipping into eddies or catching eddies low wastes energy because you have to work harder to get where you want to go.

As you cross the eddy line you’re going to lift your downstream edge. This is the opposite of the peel out and ferry because the water inside the eddy is flowing upstream. You want to edge your kayak as your shins cross the eddy line. You’ll edge your kayak and the water flowing upstream in the eddy will turn your kayak.  This is the whole idea behind smooth paddling:  Let the water do the work!

Speed is important, but not so important that you should forget about everything else and paddle like crazy.  Take good, strong paddle strokes and, in the beginning, always take two more strokes than you think you need.  Paddle in a strong, controlled manner that allows you to maintain your angle, vision, position and edge.
In the beginning practice holding your paddle up as the water turns your kayak so that you feel how your edges and angle are affected by the current. Until you feel comfortable with the bow draw you shouldn’t be planting your paddle in the eddy turn at all. If you plant your paddle too early you’ll come to rely on your paddle to turn you instead of letting the water do the work. When you rely too much on your paddle the important skills like edge control can suffer.

Once you bring the concepts of vision, angle, position, edge and speed together into your eddy turn you’ll feel a sweet, clean, effortless carving turn.  And when you do it right it will feel so effortless that you won’t forget that feeling.  Remember to keep it simple and let the water to the work!  Have fun and happy paddling!

There are four key words to remember about performing a precise and effortless ferry. And, yes, if you’re doing it right it will feel effortless. The idea is to allow the current to do most of the work. The key words are angle, edge, vision and speed.

Angle refers to the angle of your kayak relative to the current. For a successful ferry this angle needs to be about 45 degrees to the current. Another way to visualize the angle is to imagine a clock superimposed over the current with twelve o’clock being upstream and six o’clock being downstream. The bow of your kayak will want to be angled toward 10:30 or 11 o’clock if you’re moving from right to left and toward 1:30 or 2 o’clock if you’re moving from left to right.

Not only do you want to set your angle before you proceed into the current, but the idea with the ferry is that you maintain the angle all the way across the current. If you take the time to set your angle properly from the beginning, maintaining it will be easier. To help you do this it’s best to position yourself close to the eddy line. If you try to set your angle sitting way back in the eddy, by the time you paddle up to the current you’ll already have lost your angle. It’s much easier to maintain your angle if you don’t have to paddle as far.

The other tip for helping you set and maintain your angle is to pay attention to your paddle strokes. You only need a few good, powerful strokes to break across the eddy line so don’t feel like you need a ton of speed. Taking fewer strokes also allows you to focus on your last stroke as you enter the current. If you take a stroke on your upstream side as you’re entering the current you’ll start turning your kayak and will loose your angle immediately. If you take the stroke on your downstream side you’ll be more likely to maintain your angle.

Once you’re in the current the water will start pushing on your bow and will want to turn you downstream. To counteract this you’ll want to use stern draws on your downstream side. Make sure that you practice correct stern draw technique so that you feel comfortable performing the stroke with a very strong torso rotation. If you do the stroke correctly you’ll only need two or three compared to six or seven bad ones.

Edge refers to lifting and maintaining your upstream edge as you ferry across. This keeps the majority of the edge of your boat out of the water so that you stay upright. The surface of your kayak that is exposed to the current allows the water to push your kayak across.

If you lift your edge at the beginning of your ferry and then set it down half way through you’ll end up flipping over or turning downstream. It’s important that you maintain that edge all the way over.

Vision refers to looking where you want to go. Once you’ve set your angle and you’re making your move into the current it’s important to look at where you want to go. This will actually help you keep your boat angle because you’ll see the big picture of what the current is doing. If you stare at your bow or at the current right in front of your bow you loose track of your angle and positioning relative to the rest of the current and it’s more difficult to perform an effortless ferry. So, make sure that you look where you want to go from the beginning all the way to the end of your ferry.

Speed refers to how much momentum you have crossing into the current. As I’ve already mentioned when discussing angle, it’s not necessary to have a crazy amount of speed when you’re learning. It’ll serve you better to focus on your angle and edge more than speed. Now, that doesn’t mean that you can float across the eddy line. You still want to paddle, but no so much that you forget about everything else.

Make sure that you switch edges once you get to the eddy or flatwater on the other side of the current you’re ferrying across. This will keep you stable.

As you progress as a paddler you’ll learn that you can relax your ferry angle for easy going current. You’ll also learn to read the water and notice that the current is not uniform and the current right next to the eddy you’re starting your ferry from may be stronger or weaker than the current out in the middle. This means that you may have to adjust your angle halfway through your ferry. These subtleties will become more apparent with more experience and instruction. No matter what, if you’re struggling remember to come back to the basic principles of angle, edge, vision and speed.

More intermediate paddlers will want to practice taking the least amount of strokes possible while ferrying to improve their technique and their finesse. You can also practice keeping your blade in the water in the position of the stern draw with your wrists feathered up so that you maintain pressure on the current. This will help you maintain your angle in a more fluid way.

Practicing back ferries is also important for intermediate paddlers who need a challenge. This adds a whole new dimension to boat control, edge control and balance. Most paddlers avoid this practice, but if you really want to improve your intermediate skills this is a great way to do it.

If you’re getting turned downstream immediately and are having a hard time keeping your angle, focus on taking the time to set your angle properly. Make sure that you understand the angle. If you enter perpendicular to the current or at a three o’clock angle you’ll get turned downstream. If you end up facing straight upstream and getting turned back toward your starting point then you’re starting out with too much angle or correcting too much. Remember that when you do a proper ferry it looks and feels like your gliding across the current.  This may take some time, but the more you practice the easier it will become.

This article is excerpted from Anna’s latest whitewater kayaking instructional DVD for women.  Look for the new DVD in stores and online in spring of 2010. Also look for video clips of the DVD coming soon to this blog!