Windsurfing & Stand-Up Paddleboarding in Michigan
An essay on the spiritual side of windsurfing |
Surfer Today: Wednesday, 04 December 2013 12:32 |
Is windsurfing a spiritual outdoor activity? How can sailboarding connect with unorthodox experiences?
While windsurfing may result in a great sense of loss of time and space, just like meditation, Beyer suggests the concept of "flow", a theory developed by Mihály Csikszentmihályi, back in the 1960s. "Csikszentmihályi introduced the term 'flow' to describe a mental state in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement "The flow can be experienced in all kinds of activities and windsurfing is a prime example of an activity that provides a natural setting filled with mental and physical demands that benefit from having a focused mind". So, Csíkszentmihályi identified ten factors that accompany the experience of "the flow", and windsurfing fits perfectly. Henrik Beyer adapted the psychology professor's theory to windsurfing. So what conclusion did he reach? 1. The goal of windsurfing should be clear and attainable and aligned with the person's ability. Henrik Beyer underlines that "sport psychology has studied the ideal performance state for athletes", and "not surprising, the ideal state for performance seems to be similar to that which is experienced in the "flow". "For a windsurfer to perform at his/her very best there should be no fear involved when sailing and the sailor should not analyze or think about the technical aspect of next technique". It's all in the mind. Can you connect to the spiritual "flow"? |
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