The easiest way to find mindfulness - Paddling?

Yes?  No!  Maybe . . . I guess your paddle state-of-mind depends on many internal and external influences.

Internal influences may be your own health --- how you are feeling mentally and physically. You come to the water with a good attitude or with pent up stress from daily life and issues you just can't let go of. You may have a sore knee, a tummy ache, or a fit body that feels good all-over.

External influences may be the weather and conditions that you consider awful or totally perfect. A shoreline you'd like to land on is too rocky, or is very welcoming with a sandy beach.

Many things can affect our paddle state-of-mind and influence our ability to be mindful and enjoy our paddle.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness involves being in the present moment and paying attention with openness, interest, receptivity and without judgement.

Practising mindfulness on land can help us be more relaxed paddlers when we hit the water.

My next story is up on the Wanderlust Journal. 

It's about mindfulness. I enjoyed 4 days of yoga classes and events at the awesome Wanderlust Tremblant yoga festival from August 21-24 in Quebec, Canada. On the first day of the festival I took a mindful meditation class in the historic St. Bernard Chapel.

Here's the link:


Mindfulness is a great thing to practice and share.
Happy trails!
The BaffinPaddler

Comments

  1. PenobscotPaddlesSeptember 1, 2014 at 8:23 PM

    Such an important lesson; I will have to print this and keep it by my desk.

    ReplyDelete
  2. BaffinPaddlerSeptember 4, 2014 at 8:39 AM

    I'm happy you find it useful :) Cheers from Canada and happy fall paddles!

    ReplyDelete
  3. SteveNovember 24, 2014 at 8:28 AM

    Yes! Paddling led me towards mindfulness, I just didn't know it at the time :) Moving through the water with a paddle and noticing the positive effects both during and afterwards nudged me into investigating meditation on dry land...

    ReplyDelete

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