Aloha Tribe,
So, here's something that will send your surfing style into radical gear in no time. Get something like a Bucky pillow. I got this one...
http://www.bucky.com/catalog/bed_pillows_natural_buckwheat/Buckwheat_Bed_Pillow.html
... and found it to be the perfect size for this Chi Gung Surfing exercise.
What you do is to lay on your back, with the pillow under your hips. Extend your legs out, suspended in the air. And, extend your arms, in whatever your surfing stye happens to be.
You can start with a Pop Up. It takes a bit of visualization, but, the more deeply you visualize it, and allow your body to feel it, even though you are actually on your back, the more this exercise will help you.
So, here's how to do the Pop Up. Laying on your back, with your Bucky pillow or whatevers (it should be firm, like a Bucky pillow, my teddy bear, Fluffer, also works, by the way), have your legs together just as you would if you were laying on your board. And, your hands are pressed against the "deck" which, in this case, is towards the ceiling, since, you are on your back. Your arms are bent, and, your hands are roughly at about your boobs (or chest, if you're a guy).
Now then, you are, literally laying on your back, with your arms pressing, nothing, but, you are imagining you are laying on your board, having just paddled, and, are about to do a Pop Up. It just takes a bit of a spatial mental twist, that's all. Visualization and adaptation are everything in this art.
So, arch your back as you straighten your arms, pushing your hands towards your ceiling or your imaginary deck, and, then, slowly, Tai Chi speed, move your legs, into a squatting position, your legs and feet suspended in the air, your hips still supported by the Bucky pillow, teddy bear, or whatevers.
Feel your crouch exactly as you would as you Drop Down a waves face. Play with your feet a bit, making sure to press a bit more with one or the other, depending on how you want your board to respond during the Drop. In actuallity, your feet are simply pressing up into empty air, more or less towards the ceiling, your legs suspended in the air, your pivot point being your hips. Your arms, extended, as you feel comfortable. Now, practice weighting your front or back foot.
Here comes the Bottom Turn.
Are you a Goofy Foot, a Regular Foot, or a Switch Foot like me? And, are you going to turn Frontside or Backside in your imaginary wave? Let's say you're riding Goofy, and, you're going to do a Backside Bottom Turn. You weight your heels a bit, loosen up your toes pressing the air, and shift your body weight back a bit, depending on how radical you want your turn to be. Play with this, get the feel of it, experiment, and, be willing to look really silly and giggle at yourself (that's allowed), and mostly, have fun with this.
The more relaxed you are, the more sensitive you'll be with this exercise. As you practice this again and again, I just got done with a 2 hour session of this, for example, you'll find you get more and more control of extemely small muscle movements everywhere on your body. And, that's what you're shooting for.
The neat thing about this exercise, is that, while it seemingly seems silly or like it makes no sense or would not have any practical application to surfing, because you are holding your legs in the air as you practice this, you are learning to move your legs as softly as you'd move your arms while doing a Tai Chi form. As such, this exercise will teach you to have truly sensitive feet and legs, with complete mastery over your muscular and energy (Chi) control of them. By "pressing" your feet in different directions, as you imagine them pressing against the deck of your board, you'll develep very senstive ankles and sole as well as toe sensitivity. This then, will make your feet stronger, so that you can learn to turn your board more with your feet, and, less with your body weight, thus, you can hold your balance better by remaining more centered on your deck with your body and head. This, naturally offers you more options for doing any type of move, whether you surf a longboard or a shortboard.
Link these soft, subtle practice movements in with your breathing, and, you have the makings of a great Chi Gung Surfing exercise, that will truly make your surfing awesome.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
So, here's something that will send your surfing style into radical gear in no time. Get something like a Bucky pillow. I got this one...
http://www.bucky.com/catalog/bed_pillows_natural_buckwheat/Buckwheat_Bed_Pillow.html
... and found it to be the perfect size for this Chi Gung Surfing exercise.
What you do is to lay on your back, with the pillow under your hips. Extend your legs out, suspended in the air. And, extend your arms, in whatever your surfing stye happens to be.
You can start with a Pop Up. It takes a bit of visualization, but, the more deeply you visualize it, and allow your body to feel it, even though you are actually on your back, the more this exercise will help you.
So, here's how to do the Pop Up. Laying on your back, with your Bucky pillow or whatevers (it should be firm, like a Bucky pillow, my teddy bear, Fluffer, also works, by the way), have your legs together just as you would if you were laying on your board. And, your hands are pressed against the "deck" which, in this case, is towards the ceiling, since, you are on your back. Your arms are bent, and, your hands are roughly at about your boobs (or chest, if you're a guy).
Now then, you are, literally laying on your back, with your arms pressing, nothing, but, you are imagining you are laying on your board, having just paddled, and, are about to do a Pop Up. It just takes a bit of a spatial mental twist, that's all. Visualization and adaptation are everything in this art.
So, arch your back as you straighten your arms, pushing your hands towards your ceiling or your imaginary deck, and, then, slowly, Tai Chi speed, move your legs, into a squatting position, your legs and feet suspended in the air, your hips still supported by the Bucky pillow, teddy bear, or whatevers.
Feel your crouch exactly as you would as you Drop Down a waves face. Play with your feet a bit, making sure to press a bit more with one or the other, depending on how you want your board to respond during the Drop. In actuallity, your feet are simply pressing up into empty air, more or less towards the ceiling, your legs suspended in the air, your pivot point being your hips. Your arms, extended, as you feel comfortable. Now, practice weighting your front or back foot.
Here comes the Bottom Turn.
Are you a Goofy Foot, a Regular Foot, or a Switch Foot like me? And, are you going to turn Frontside or Backside in your imaginary wave? Let's say you're riding Goofy, and, you're going to do a Backside Bottom Turn. You weight your heels a bit, loosen up your toes pressing the air, and shift your body weight back a bit, depending on how radical you want your turn to be. Play with this, get the feel of it, experiment, and, be willing to look really silly and giggle at yourself (that's allowed), and mostly, have fun with this.
The more relaxed you are, the more sensitive you'll be with this exercise. As you practice this again and again, I just got done with a 2 hour session of this, for example, you'll find you get more and more control of extemely small muscle movements everywhere on your body. And, that's what you're shooting for.
The neat thing about this exercise, is that, while it seemingly seems silly or like it makes no sense or would not have any practical application to surfing, because you are holding your legs in the air as you practice this, you are learning to move your legs as softly as you'd move your arms while doing a Tai Chi form. As such, this exercise will teach you to have truly sensitive feet and legs, with complete mastery over your muscular and energy (Chi) control of them. By "pressing" your feet in different directions, as you imagine them pressing against the deck of your board, you'll develep very senstive ankles and sole as well as toe sensitivity. This then, will make your feet stronger, so that you can learn to turn your board more with your feet, and, less with your body weight, thus, you can hold your balance better by remaining more centered on your deck with your body and head. This, naturally offers you more options for doing any type of move, whether you surf a longboard or a shortboard.
Link these soft, subtle practice movements in with your breathing, and, you have the makings of a great Chi Gung Surfing exercise, that will truly make your surfing awesome.
Bodaciously Stoked,
Lily of the Valley
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