Aloha Tribe,
So, what is a Surf Shaman? What do they do? And, on a more fun note, how can one become one?
A Surf Shaman is, in part, a Watergirl or Waterman. He or she embraces the seas and swells as forms of personal healing, prophetic, and magical expression, as well as for artistic experiences for happiness and living-in-the-moment.
In a way, there really is nothing that a Surf Shaman can not do, at least in one way or another, and that's the truly exciting part of it. If you can imagine it, you can do it. All that needs to be done, in such a case, is to figure out how. And that precisely is what a Surf Shaman is gifted at doing.
To the Hawaiians, such a person was a Kahuna, a spiritual eldar and leader, gifted in the more esoteric arts of life. In our way of thinking about it today, such a person could be a truly gifted Professional Surfer, though, they may not actually think of themselves as such nor now it. Some might see them in the light of the Kahoona from Gidget, in a way, or, in the term we'd use today of the Surf Bum or as they say in Australia, the Feral Surfer.
Such people spend so much time with the sea that they truly understand her ways. They can predict how to ride a given wave, where to ride it, and, when. They can, seemingly, call waves, at least, some seem to have this ability. And, they are completely in-tune with the weather as it relates to the seas, as well as all sea life and all sea physical geography of any given place.
A person like this needs a lifetime of studying the seas in all that she offers, as well as in riding waves, often, perhaps, upon a single semi-battered board which they truly know literally perfectly.
Explorations into a field such as this lead to thoughts of what comes first, the board, or the rider? Naturally, the answer is both. For as the rider develops in his or her surfing skill, they begin to truly and fully understand their surboard or boards.
So, what does such a person do? And, how do you find one, if, they even happen to literally exist? Well, in answer to the second question first, they could be anybody, anywhere, at any time, but, this is the thing, they'll most assuredly be the last person you'd expect of such a thing for the simply look like everybody else, yet, there is a difference. They will have a truly powerful charisma, noticeable in their eyes, as well as in how they move or even remain still. It's an energy, a huge abundance of chi, if you will, that emanates from the person and permeates all around them, both all living things as well as their environment.
Now then, what do they do? Well, that's a challenging question in that each is truly an individual, therefore, doing, that which, they do. I know, that's a stupid answer, but, well, it's the way of it. Here are some things that may be done. Though, many will seem impossible based on our current understanding of science, primarily, physics.
They can call waves. That is to say, they can focus their minds and thus their energy upon the sea, and, in so doing, harmonize with the sea, leading to, the formation of waves. Now granted, one could look at such an expression from many angles. Perhaps, they literally call waves. Or, maybe the sense waves coming and thus simply end up at the right place at the right time, doing the right thing. Imagine such a person's benefit to things such as surfing tournaments. Some sponsor's eyes somewhere should sparkle at such a thought, even if it did seem impossible. The thing is, what if...
They can also work with the weather in all of its forms. Calling for rain or sunshine, wind or stillness.
People with these types of skills can sense the thoughts of animals, their specialty of course being, all sea creatures. As such, they can seemingly know in a precognition sort of way, where fish may be or when they may school here or there.
Now naturally, such a person often terrifies those with limited frames of reference and experience, yet, that does not mean such a person does not exist, simply because you have never, to you knowledge, met such a person.
Throughout history there have been people gifted in seemingly impossible skills, yet, the tales always exist. And, even if one chooses to not believe in such seeming impossibilities, at the very least, such speculation makes for great fireside sessions of talking story on the beach. For we all lvoe stories, be they mysteries, adventure, romance, or even horror (namely, that which frightens our sense of well-being and familiarity).
So, now for the fun part, assuming that such a person does or can exist, how in the world does one go about training to become such a person? In a nutshell, in a single word, smile. For in a genuine and pure smile comes incredlbly powerful magic, and, it is the root of all such training, for, in order for it to be authentic and pure, it must be genuine, and, that is the core behind it all, genuineness of heart and soul. In a way, you could even call it a sort of innocence, for such a person often seems rather happy-go-lucky, seemingly flying by the seat-of their surf shorts, with twinkling eyes, a soft heart, a quick hand to help, and an intuitive receptiveness to all life and all that exists, especially, all as it relates to the sea and surf.
Now of course, there's a bit more to it than smiling at all that life has to offer. That is, but, the starting point. Simply being purely and truly happy with what you have where you are, right this instant. In other words, simply being, a surfer. For we all have a bit of the Surf Shaman within our beating hearts. We are the luckiest people on the planet for we truly know how to play, and, for some lucky few, live to play and, more so, play to live.
Okay, so, let's say such a tale for you was not merely talking story but instead, was lifted out of myth and legend and lore and you wanted to truly train yourself to gain such skills, as well as literally uncountable ones beyond. How would you go about doing this? Partially, on the frustrating side, it is something that is inside of some more than others, they, are the naturals. But all of us can develop our skills in one way or another, to one degree or another.
The place to start such a journey is with sensory awareness. And, a place as good as any other to do this from, partially because the art is over 2000 years old, and partially because such training is specific, concrete, and, already established in set training programs, is, chi gung. Chi gung, if nothing else, teaches you how to develop all of your senses so that you can detect things that virtually nobody, anwhere, can also sense. You'll learn to hear, see, feel, smell, taste, and, even dance with the sixth sense beyond the realms of the seemingly impossible. All because, in a nutshell, you learn to truly pay attention to the moment.
In such an experience of depth of paying attention, it is as though life itself is happening in extremely slow motion, not at all unlike in the relatively recent movie Spiderman, where the main character at one point in the film, sees and experiences a fly's wings beating frame by frame, as though, watching such an experience on a dvd player with slow motion and stop motion frame freezing. Such an awareness becomes, not the realm of mere extreme trauma, as is the case with many people, but instead, becomes the realm in which one lives constantly or, at will. This, then, enables such a person with such skills to truly and fully embrace their senses and thus, to express themselves in seemingly magical ways.
Well, that's the first step. The bare beginnings of a tale, a story told by a campfire, late at night when the wind slowly sings offshore to the gentle lifting waves, talking story for those who know how to listen.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
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