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.

It only costs $40 and that includes lunch and shuttle. All proceeds go to AW so that they can continue to work for the river access and conservation that we whitewater paddlers have the privilege of enjoying.  Meeting time is 8:30 a.m. at NARR on Friday the 17th of September.   Our team of female trip leaders and safety boaters will include accomplished paddler and women’s Green Race record holder, Adriene Levknecht, Girls at Play ambassador, Mary Frances Hansford and more!   Join us for an awesome day of girl power on one of the most beautiful and exciting rivers in the world — and give back to the community.   Call North American River Runners to book your spot and make a difference. 800.950.2585 www.narr.com

See you on the River!

The Girls at Play Staff

We want to thank our sponsors for providing the latest and greatest demo gear for the ladies:  Kokatat Watersports, Dagger Kayaks, Shred Ready Helmets and AT Paddles. This year there was added excitement thanks to the generous donation of an Eddy paddle from AT Paddles worth $329.00!  The paddle will be raffled off and one of the lucky women who participated in select Girls at Play Summer Tour events will win!  The raffle will take place August 31st, so stay tuned….

We also want to thank our hosts:  Green River Adventures, Riversport, Northeast PA Kayak School, Madawaska Kanu Center, Brown Ledge Camp, Appomattox River Co, Bearpaw Outdoors, The Outside World and River City Canoe and Kayak!  Below are some photos from the events.  Enjoy and see you tour!

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.

“I can’t thank you enough for such an amazing week! I don’t think I had
any idea I was going to have SO much fun!” — Mary Frances Hansford, Atlanta, GA

“I feel like a lot of attention has been paid to detail and catered to women. Meaning, just enough sensitivity and pampering (smiles, positive, constructive criticism and wine) yet still a full on paddling trip. I loved the yoga too. What a great compliment to paddling and for an exhausted mother/ co-business partner!” — Greyson Briere, Asheville, NC

“I learned so much about kayaking, Mexico, and myself. This trip was more than a kayaking trip, it was an introspective, cultural kayaking experience. You have put together a fantastic vacation.” – Salli Katz, AL

” Anna has weaved a wonderful creation of fun exciting rivers, gradual skill progression, authentic foreign cultural experiences and a supportive environment to let your guard down and just have fun learning the wonderful sport of whitewater kayaking. She calls it Girls at Play and I’d recommend it to any woman!” — Angie Purcell, PA

“This trip exceeded my expectations!  I’ve been paddling for a year, but I learned more this passed week than in the past 12 months.” –Eleni Fargos, NJ

“It was a real pleasure to see the level of skill exhibited by the women support staff and yourself especially since I have mostly paddled with men.   Also, appreciated the way the week was structured both on the river and off.” — Janice Fiore, PA

“I am still a little high from the trip, must be something in the air down there. Life always brings exactly the gems I need to grow and prosper… many thanks.” — Cindy Frost, Austin, TX

At this year’s Symposium I taught paddling classes, sat on panels, tried a SUP, did a kick-butt kayak fitness workout, paddled with old friends, learned from industry veterans and just had a really good time! I met a lot of great people and soaked in the beautiful fall colors of New England.  The vibe was positive, full of excitement and cutting edge ideas.  One special element for me was getting to catch up with my friend Jessie Stone and her organization Soft Power Health.  Back in 2004 I traveled to Uganda to help her with her grassroots efforts of preventing and treating malaria in local communities along the White Nile River.  Since then the organization has taken off and continues to grow and do amazing things at the grassroots level to improve people’s lives in Uganda.   Jessie’s work is very inspiring so please check it out.  Click here to learn more about the organization.

Thanks to Zoar and Janet Cowie for organizing and running an awesome event!  Here are two photos taken by Mark Singleton.  And here’s a link to photographer Adam DuComb’s website where many more photos from the weekend are posted.

Enjoy and see you at the Symposium next year!

Ladies on the Lower G kicked off the weekend with a river run down the Lower Gauley on Friday.  We had 20 women participate and raised $500.00 for AW.  It was a sunny day full of paddling, chatting and smiles.  At the end of the day there was a raffle with prizes donated by Kokatat and Girls at Play.  Everyone won a prize!  The ladies left feeling tired, yet energized from the day.   I’m grateful for all of the women who participated and to Kokatat for donating some great gear to raffle off!  I also want to thank Kathy Zerkle, Karen Mann and Anne Conolly for helping out and taking photos.

On Saturday I headed to the festival site to set up the Kokatat booth out of which I also promoted Girls at Play.  It worked out great!  I had samples of the ’09 line of Kokatat gear, including the new Ronin Rescue Vest which is now available in the US.  And new this fall, I also had a few samples of the Girls at Play Limited Edition Ronin PFD — Now available on the site!

Kokatat teamed up with AW to raffle off a new Rogue drytop embroidered with the AW logo. The raffle was open to AW members only.  Members signed up with AW, filled out their ticket and brought it over to the bucket at the Kokatat booth where the drytop was hanging.  The raffle took place around 10:30 p.m. and we had hundreds of tickets to draw from.  I got to meet lots of great people in the process.  The winner was a woman by the name of Erin who was very excited!

Sunday and Monday I spent paddling with awesome friends whom I hadn’t seen in some time.  I had a blast catching up with pioneer female paddlers like  Shannon Carroll, Harriet Taylor, Colleen Laffey and Katie Johnson, among others.  It was great to paddle and enjoy the river with them.  There was lots of giggling…   Here are some photos for you to enjoy.  See you on the river!