Beyond the board

So what about the 99 percent of time when we’re not caught in the moment of snowboarding? Is there a way to sustain this flow experience? You bet!

Perhaps you have heard about meditation or the yoga traditions but haven’t really been able to grasp what it is they represent. In the simplest terms possible, these ancient practices are deliberate ways of cultivating that same presence we spontaneously manifest on our boards from time to time… and going further with it, much further. Whether the form of meditation known as shamatha (calm abiding), various disciplines of Yoga, or the Taoist practice of Qi Gong, the mission is essentially the same – to cultivate the mind.

Alan Wallace says, “Focus on the outward, as valuable and indispensable as it is, really must be complimented and balanced by a focus on the inward. And that is tapping into and exploring our own inner resources.” He says, “One could virtually define meditation as an array of theory and practice designed to tap into, realize and cultivate our inner resource for well-being.”

Living The Dream | Oil & Acrylic on canvas | Mike Parillo | 2012

Living The Dream | Oil & Acrylic on canvas | Mike Parillo | 2012

Omafray and Wallace make the following suggestion as initial steps towards this practice: “It is important to be utterly practical as we start off on a path to genuine happiness. So starting by cultivating a sense of well-being, composure and attentiveness is a very important first step. Once our mind has quieted down and our introspective abilities grow more vivid, then we may venture into questioning the very nature of the mind itself.”

If we’re open-minded, intelligent, and hold a spirit of inquiry then even snowboarding, of all things, can point us in the direction of understanding how to transform the mind. But to our profound benefit, centuries before snowboarding, great sages have compassionately mapped paths to true freedom as demonstrated in numerous contemplative practices.

For example, Jake Blauvelt practices Ashtanga Yoga stating, “It warms my body up, centers my mind and sets me on the right path for the day.” Müller, on the other hand, has been practicing the ancient Chinese form of energy cultivation known as Qi Gong and claims, “This practice has helped me understand what it really means to flow.”

Jason Troth is a holistic sports coach in Telluride, Colorado and built his entire snowboarding career upon daily mind and body practices. “I can honestly say that without being committed to multiple Taoist arts practices I would never have become a pro snowboarder.” Jason continues, “It is very common for athletes I coach to find inner peace through a Zen like practice away from snowboarding. The word Kung means refinement, Fu means skill. Together Kung Fu means: practicing the refinement of skill consistently as a way of life. In other words, you do it because you love how it nourishes you.”

“If the goal is to ride with more confidence and feel centered as much as possible,” Troth continues, “the first step is getting in touch with your own inner stillness. The second step is addressing any weak links and having a practice to overcome those mental or physical challenges.”

“And lastly,” he concludes, “from a place of calm awareness and with refined skills, we can access new information and abilities beyond our day to day perceptions.”

Adept students of traditional arts like Yoga, Qi Gong or even martial arts understand that they are covering all the bases by training the mind and body together. They also know that addressing physical weakness or imbalance automatically strengthens the mind and correspondingly, by strengthening the mind, physical ability changes quickly.

By releasing our grip and attending to reality, life is dished up to us, things are given instead of taken, and instead of us trying to force the world into our peanut sized conception, we learn to let go.

R: Konna Tervonen | P: Ville Lahtinen | Helsinki, Finland

R: Konna Tervonen | P: Ville Lahtinen | Helsinki, Finland

The Untracked Mind

If the extraordinary experience of flow on a snowboard feels good, imagine the power of awareness applied to all facets of life! A whole universe of opportunity suddenly arises. Everything we encounter acquires a renewed sense of vitality and purpose and things literally become what we make them. This isn’t to say that the amount of external “stressors” will diminish, but as our relationship to them changes, a problem suddenly turns into an opportunity and things that once offended us are looked upon as entirely inconsequential. As best-selling author and self help guru, Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

It’s helpful to think back to the fish. Isolated in its little pond it can’t grasp the notion of snowboarding, but it’s out there nonetheless. Likewise, confined within our worldview we must wonder the powers that lie beyond our self-encapsulated perception. By first exploring what is giving rise to our experience and second, knowing that we can consciously transcend beyond our preconceptions, the very essence of life is revealed. Granted the understanding of consciousness, we can start doing what we do best – be the creation!

Perhaps the time has come to stop taking the same run over and over and to move beyond the controlled environment of the ski area. This requires stepping out of our comfort zone and exploring situations we once deemed unsafe. It’s about having the common sense to seek out a new dwelling of consciousness where wisdom and understanding are the hallmarks of progression. In this realm, we must first climb the mountain before we get to cherish the moment of flowing down it. In view of that, we must first observe, study and slowly ascend before it’s time to let go. Only then are we ready to experience it. Only then are we presented the freedom of creating our own line. To do this with composure, with clear awareness and with an unobstructed flow, this is the knowing of the untracked mind.