“Soul surfing to me is what you do when you are thoroughly in the moment- enjoying and expressing yourself on the wave and being one with the ocean.”
- Tom Carrol, Australian Surfer
We encounter waves in every minute of every day. There are the light waves which make things visible and sound waves so we can hear. I was at the beach (my favorite retreat away from life and the best place for introspection) and I observed the behavior of the waves. On this rocky shore of the Punta Fuego beach, (a secret spot that I found) I could see how energy changes from one state to another and back again as the waves came crashing madly against the rocks. So I may not be on my best shape ever and I am fully crediting the fact that I am not consistent with my “gym, tan, juice” life as it is the “off season” and I am giving my body a break from the drought Labor Day at Boracay has brought upon. Just like the tides, my body also goes through changes: high and low. But no matter where the wind blows, I am comfortable in my own skin to know that I am beautiful just the way I am and my value as a person does not rely on the value stated on the weighing scale. As long as I am into clean and healthy living, I am more than happy… I am fulfilled.
Now I shot this outfit (if you can call it that) at noon time in a very secluded beach which in other words mean: no cabanas, no lifeguards, no shade (except if you stand under a tree which was a scarcity in that cove) and of course, most importantly it translates to: swim at your own risk. I found the cove beautiful. I am not the usual prissy girl, as I have said and I love climbing up and down rocks and exploring the beach. I didn’t mind that it was hot, the sun was out (it was a cloudless day) and that I didn’t have slippers on. I eased into each rock and climbed on to the next one and before I knew it, I was far away from the shore than I should’ve been. That’s the things about water babies: you cant leave them to their own senses at the beach because chances are, they will explore and you will worry. Now I didn’t get a sun burn at all which never happens as I have very fair Asian skin that burns easily. A day at the beach would leave me burnt like a lobster. I never tan, I just get burnt, red and then white again…which is kind of something I was always unhappy with. Getting a golden glow required timed daily exposure to mild sun for two weeks and surely, no one has that time. But on this particular day, I didn’t burn at all and I learned that there was a trick to that (and I will give you tips later on at the end of this entry…)
I love to watch ocean waves and I can probably spend a whole day with this scenic backdrop just watching the waves. I don’t have to say anything or do anything but watch. It centers me. There are times, depending on the tide, that the waves are big and strong and then times that they are gentle and calm. I realized on that day that I was spelunking (or at least attempting to and failing miserably) that a wave can throw you back to the shore (I was so desperate to get to the other side, where more rocks and a cave awaited) or if we are not careful, it can suck us in. Whatever wave you see, one thing you can be sure of is that they will come, crash and then smooth itself out. If you learn to read the pattern of the waves in your life through your interaction with them, you can understand the energy of a wave, how to use it to your best advantage, how to dance amidst its awesome power and how to avoid crashing into one. Then you learn to ride the
waves of life.
