Advice for Beginners

I asked an Amiga – Tiffany Joh, who happens to be a second year pro on the LPGA tour, and our newest fastest learner ever – if she had any advice for others. She didn’t have an answer on the spot, but sent us an email after she got home and had a chance to think about it a bit. I love advice and think she nailed it with these suggestions…

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Holly– the last night you asked me if I had any “beginner awesomeness” advice, and I was kind of caught off-guard; no one’s really asked me a question like that before.  I mean, let’s face it, If I get up in the morning and remember to put on underwear, it’s a pretty good day for me.

But on the flight back home, I was reflecting on my week and I DID realize one thing I learned over the course of the retreat: How to truly relish the experience of being a beginner.

If most people are like me, they like to stick to their strengths.  It’s a lot easier on the ego and no one really enjoys being the “kook” in any situation, especially as you get older;  I feel like I’ve always been in a rush to grow out of the novice stage, but honestly, isn’t being a beginner the coolest part?  And even as we get better at something, isn’t it beneficial to still have that beginner mindset?

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This week was a week of firsts for me.  Not just with the surfing, but horseback riding, doing a headstand, volcano boarding, and (cough) Mojitos…and every day I felt like I was learning something new and climbing a steep learning curve.  If we went into every experience with the humility and “froth” of a beginner, imagine how much less critical of ourselves we’d be and how much more fun we’d have.

So that’s my revised answer to the question.   Leave your ego at the airport, lean into your weaknesses, and savor the process of getting better.

Dale Pues!

xx Sloppy Joh (aka Tiffany)

sj bomb right

 

Jenna is Not Afraid to Fall

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Every once in a while we get an Amiga who is a total badass. Jenna had never surfed before (other than randomly renting a board and flailing about). She set a new bar for fastest improver ever! It might be her experience wake surfing that led to her feeling so comfortable on the board, but we’ve never had a first timer dropping in, angling, and turning so consistently by the end of the week. She even fell off a horse at a full gallop and got up smiling, then got right back on the horse and continued galloping – another first! Jenna – you are awesome!

Thank You and Testimonial from Amiga Kathy

We love getting thank yous from Amigas. It helps reinforce our feeling that what we’re doing not only provides a ton of fun and surfing knowledge but that it can also be more than that. We often get Amigas coming down who just really need to get away. Whether it’s a recent relationship breakup, job change, family heartache, or just re-evaluating life choices, sometimes it’s more than a vacation that people are looking for. Getting an email like this makes us smile to realize that we were able to help someone beyond just improving their pop-up. See below for Kathy’s message. Thanks Kathy!

I was definitely missing Nicaragua already when I got out of the airport to rain and 5 degrees the other night. Although I did get a pretty excited welcome from this girl (aka best snuggler ever), which mostly made me forget hammocks for a moment.

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While I know you can’t take total credit for how awesome the other people in our group were ;), you guys totally set the tone for a supportive, joyful, trusting place. The fact that it’s paradise with a tropical bird chorus every morning doesn’t hurt either, nor do the great teaching skills both surf and yoga-wise.

kathy relax

Oversharing time, but it’s relevant. My dad passed away (cancer) in October, and while that was sad more than painful (if that makes any sense), it definitely ranks up there as one of life’s more stressful events. I was looking to get away, to turn off responsibilities and cares for a little bit and reset my happy meter, and what I found far exceeded my expectations. Don’t get me wrong!! – I’m not conflating surfing camp with Tara’s wilderness therapy (that sounds like a BAD IDEA for both you guys and anyone expecting something like that), but I found the week to be really healing. Having an ear to ear grin for most of the day, doing something like catching a wave, which just like dancing or riding fresh powder or watching my dog wriggle around on her back fills me with pure joy (oh wait, there WAS also dancing and watching dogs be their goofy wonderful selves!), being around people who are fun, engaged in the world and interesting and also are open and compassionate, and beautiful surroundings, good food, getting exercise, being outside all day…..those are my personal ingredients for some serious recharging and self-care. Which is what I MEANT to try to say the morning I left, instead of getting all teary 🙂

Thanks! y muchas besos,

Kathy

kathy wave grab

Gender Equality – Sometimes Guys are Allowed

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Most of the time ladies get all the fun. It’s like a week-long girls’ night out and we like it that way! We don’t have to worry about showing too much crack, high pitched squeals, calling waves “cute”, or incessant girl talk. Sometimes though, for guys that come highly recommended by Amigas, we do allow some testosterone into the group. Why not? We like guys too!
Meet John – a lifeguard from LA who has done some acting, who isn’t afraid to call a wave “cute” or shake his hips on the dance floor with steamy salsa style.
He came down to improve his surfing and left the retreat feeling a lot better!
If you’ve got a great guy friend who isn’t afraid to get silly with the girls, send him our way! We have a guy friendly retreat Feb 1-8 2013 with a few spots remaining!

In Between Surf Sessions

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We are not alcoholics! But we do like to have a good time and indulge in the fine beverages available. Nicaragua is world famous for it’s Flor de Cana rum and we think it is delicious. In between surf sessions we get up to all kinds of craziness and fun. We laugh, talk about life, dreams, goals, and create friendships that will last long past the week-long adventure.

“The thing that holds people back from achieving their dreams is self-doubt” – Jackie George
Believe in yourself and anything is possible!

Early December Shredders

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As an instructor, it’s really fun to surf with a group that is fearless, willing to listen to instruction, and just go for it! We started out with 3 ladies in the whitewash on day 1, but by day 2, they were all outside trying to catch green waves. Everyone was super stoked, which makes our jobs as instructors so easy! Check them out shredding!

“the music that prompts the ocean to dance”

It seems to be (in my experience, at least) that yoga teachers are slightly more obsessed with the moon than most people. I personally think this is a positive trait, as yoga teachers serve as trainers for the physical body as well as guides into a spiritual journey. For me, the spiritual side of the practice is as important as any, and I prefer my yoga teacher to be in tune with the natural world’s cycles, rhythms, and patterns, in order to help bridge the gap between the spiritual and physical worlds. At Amigas Surf Retreats, we have been lucky enough to find an amazing teacher who embodies just that. And she’s kind of obsessed with the moon.

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Nikki Belcher comes from Chicago originally and moved to Nicaragua about a year ago to pursue her dreams of teaching yoga in paradise. Though she’s only been teaching for about a year and a half, her students will agree that there is something unique about the approach she takes, which combines a spiritual outlook with a restorative practice. Her classes are just what you need after a long day of surf and want to turn inward a bit. What I also love about Nikki is that she isn’t afraid to drink a beer after (or before) class and be my partner in crime when it comes to shenanigans around this place. Though serious about her practice and teaching, she will agree that sometimes you cannot take life too seriously, and we must enjoy each and every day. Image

Here’s a post from her recently launched website, Fairy Lounge, about one of her most beloved topics: the moon. I also agree that the moon plays a big part in our lives as surfers, ladies, and water women worldwide and she did a beautiful job putting this importance into words.

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From Nikki’s website, Fairy Lounge, here’s her take on our Luna Bella:

The Moon is commonly associated with the super natural powers and mystery.

Ruler our feminine, yin, cool energy. She is our intuitive (unconscious), nurturing,receptive and introspective side. Bringing refreshing clarity through the depths of the mysterious. Leader of our emotions, her luminescent light (reflection of light from the sun) encourages us to bring our awareness inward uncovering our wisdom and creativity.

Discovering the light within the darkness.

Although the Moon does not have a magnetic field of her own, we are highly effected by her gravitational pull on Earth. Earth’s satellite, the moon is essentially a messenger between Earth and the Universe. Controller of water, she is the music that prompts the ocean to dance. Tides tend to be more extreme during New and Full Moons.

Because the human body is about 70% water, the Moon holds immense power if we chose to tune into it.

Completing a full cycle every month, she is a symbolism of our internal cycles; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Reminding us of our internal cycles, the New Moon (also known as Dark Moon) is a magical time for new beginnings and rebirth. During this phase, the Moon is not visible in the sky. An opportunity to begin again! Clean slate. Allow yourself to listen and honor your deepest needs and desires. This is a time to dream big! Discover the power and abilityto manifest your aspirations.

TODAY’S FORECAST:

Moon (unconscious) AND Sun (conscious) are in Scorpio with total Solar Eclipse. During a total Solar Eclipse, the Moon is directly in front of the Sun. While Sun ‘disappears’ for about four to seven minutes, the influx of energy from the Moon is magnified ten fold–lasting up to six months! Super powerful.

Scorpio is an expressive sign of deep emotions, transformation, passionateintimacy and sexuality. Exploring everything totally, Scorpio also representscreation and destruction. Now is a time to find freedom from toxicillusions. Clear space internally and discover strength in expressing your feelings.

***Trust the intimacy of your heart. Allow your SOUL to take lead and embrace the beauty of your Divinity***

Spacecakes – the video!

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A friend brought down a prototype inflatable SUP and we put it to the test in some solid surf. It was not easy to ride solo, so we decided that the best idea would be to get three of us on there. A couple of the wipeouts were actually quite painful and in the end we were kinda scared, but still motivated to catch a bomb! This experience made me very grateful for badass water-women friends!

Best Wipeout Contenders – Rachel and Christine

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At Amigas Surf & Yoga Retreats we appreciate a good wipeout as much as we appreciate a great ride. Every year we compile all the wipeout footage and create a contest for best wipeout. The year has just started and there will surely be more, but here are the first two solid contenders for Best Wipeout for the 2012/2013 season!

Rachel is into dog sledding and Christine is a mountain biker from Calgary. Neither had ever surfed before coming on a retreat but both picked it up quickly. Unfortunately, the waves were pretty big towards the end of the week but they had mastered the whitewash and wanted to explore the outside. I am super proud of them for going for it!