Wellness Pearls

23 May 2022

Ride the Wave: Costa Rican Surfers and Wellbeing

Right now, the growth edge I’m working on is learning to become less reactive to everything: unplanned events, weather, traffic, difficult people, politics, taxes, insects, all of it. I just returned from hosting a Wellness Week at Playa Avellana, Costa Rica, where I spent hours watching surfers in the Pacific. Their agility astonished me ‑they were far out in big waves, and the beach before them was full of lava rocks. There were so many variables coming at them, yet they responded with such elegance, grace, and ease. Each wave was distinct, and they seemed to know when to start paddling and precisely when to stand. Nothing seemed to unsettle them. Could we adopt these skills to deal with life? I imagine that the mind habits of world-class Costa Rican surfers have the following qualities, which could help us all:

  • They don’t think in terms of gain or loss
  • They don’t spend time worrying about impending disasters (getting injured/shark attacks)
  • They are not stuck in regretting the past, especially about decisions they can do nothing about
  • When they are doing what they care about, they do it with heart, skill, and attention
  • They take full responsibility for all of their actions‑it’s never the ocean’s fault
  • They really enjoy life
  • They fully accept what comes at them. There is no fight: the victory is in the quiet surrender and next wise action

Except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power.
― René Descartes


Wellness Resources


A Three-Part Well-being Series (Virtual)

I will be hosting this virtual event in June 2022 at The Meadow @ Cultivating Leadership.    We will be discussing all things Well-being, for the self, with difficult others, and in the workplace.  It is for anybody who is interested in well-being, their own or others.   Cultivating Leadership is dedicated to deepening our understanding and practice of complexity and adult development.  To find out more, go to THE MEADOW.  I will be offering full scholarships to anyone who could use one.  If interested in a scholarship, contact me:  Eileen@eileenogrady.net


A podcast: NOT SIMPLE with guest Dr. Eileen O’Grady on Unconventional Wellness

 Click Here or fInd NOT SIMPLE,  hosted by Rebecca Scott and Diana Manks, anywhere you listen to podcasts.

NOT SIMPLE was created by Cultivating Leadership–because they care deeply about the way we as humans oversimplify the complex problems of the world.


Cool way to build your TO-DO List

Divide into 3 sections:

1) things I have to do

2) things I want to do, and

3) things other people want me to do.

Life changing! This is what it means to have boundaries.

Thank you…@jdesmondharris for the helpful tweet.


Acroyoga

Beautiful to watch.  Don’t try this at home!

 

Stay Well,  Eileen


1 Response

  1. Laura

    Eileen
    Thank you for your blog and insights into wellness. I have decided that I am work in progress and reading your blog always helps to ground me and realize that each day is a chance to make changes and appreciate all the gifts I have..

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