Yoga and Surfing

I began my morning kayaking the La Jolla Cove in CA, where I was able to see the national wildlife in its natural habitat.  I could not believe how friendly see lions were as they allowed me to glide my kayak within 2 feet of them.  The waves would crash up against their bodies as they rocked back and forth on the shoreline.  People would swim by them barely looking as I would be taking photo after photo of the wild creature. 

After taking my very first surf lesson I was exhausted.  I have yoga to thank for my perseverance through out the surfing lesson.  I was able to relate everything the instructor was showing me to a different asana.  My patience was tested during the lesson, because all I wanted to do was stand on the board.  The instructor, Cocoa was patient with me and actually told me I was a natural. 

When the instructor would say push up, I would think of an Ashtanga push up.  When she told me to arch my back I would relate the posture to high cobra.  Because of my yoga background I had decent balance for a first comer to the surfing world.  

Although insanely sore the following morning I pushed myself to a Kundalini style yoga class where the teacher read my body and guided me through gentle meditation.  I was relaxed and could almost fall asleep.  We practiced our breath of fire and breathed in the sun lit air. 

Between the surfing lessons and great yoga, I do not know how I will leave the city of San Diego.  Each venture out into the world here leads me to a different reason to why I should lay my head here.