J Life - July-Sept 2018 JLife_July-Sept2018_joomag | Page 8
Finding Balance in Water & in Life
by Colin Easom
GlideFit Instructor & Personal Trainer
As I got on my board this morning to prep for a class, a random
thought began to take shape and evolve as I worked on the
routine. While Forrest Gump believed that life is like a box of
chocolates, I actually think a better metaphor is that life is like
a GlideFit class.
What time on (and falling off!) the board has taught me is that
we're always trying to find the perfect balance despite both
internal and external turbulence. We're just as likely to actively
seek the sweet spot on the board as we are to look for a point
of balance in our busy lives. We try to center ourselves to ride
out the turbulence, and make micro adjustments as we go to
ensure the best possible outcome without falling off.
If one thing is certain both in the pool and in life, it's that
turbulence is going to happen! Some of it may be of our own
making, but often it's through no fault of our own. On the board,
there's always a swimmer doing butterfly in the very next lane
just as we're trying to do tree pose, and in life there's always
some wonderful person creating unwanted drama around us
as we're trying to focus on being calm and happy. I've learned
to handle both situations in the same way; Take a wide stance,
hold your head high, keep your eyes on the distance, and white
water the heck out of it!
8 July - Sept 2018 | J Life Magazine
Just as turbulence on the board helps us develop physical
strength and endurance, so does the turbulence in life. That
old saying of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger has
some merit. I've learned to use stabilization muscles on the
board when it gets rocky, to focus on by breath and soften my
body, just as I focus on breathing and soften my mindset to
get through the tough times of the daily grind. On the topic
of the daily grind, if you feel that you’re paddling and getting
nowhere, just like that prone surfer paddle on the board, I invite
you to reflect on the fact that it’s not the distance traveled that’s
important, rather it’s the strength and resiliency you developed
along the way.
Does that mean that we're always going to stay dry, warm, and
never fall down? Absolutely not, but if we adopt the philosophy
that getting wet and falling off the board is half the fun, then
why not adopt the same philosophy for your life? Laugh when
you fall off, make the biggest splash you can, then climb right
back on up and keep at it!
So no matter what happens, keep that head high, eyes on
the end goal, be fluid in your approach to turbulent times, and
if you can’t stay balanced, at least have fun as you fall
off before getting right back into the game of finding the
next sweet spot!
Happy GlideFitting!