dragon boat racing and meditation

I'm especially enjoying training at the moment. Lots of long hauls and lots of resistance work. I was sharing with another paddler about how much I enjoy this part of the seasons training. More so than the speed stuff I think. There is something about the purity for me of the repetition of paddling continuously. I hear myself say to the crew (and to myself).."...like a robot, like a machine, each stroke the same, each stroke the best you can do".
Sometimes the synchronicity is there. We are together, my body swings into and twists out of each stroke with a very meditative rythm. At these times it's like the rythm of breathing in yoga, the rythm of the heart. Automatic, mindful but 'thought-less'...just paddling, nothing else, just paddling. The brain only switching in every so on to allow scrutiny and correction of the stroke.......I love the simplicity  and peacefulness of that.
I remember as a youngster a similar feeling when running long distances during training. One stride after the other, after the other etc.

Going for what you want

Farewell Max from the crew ranks. I have loved your endeavour, effort, humour and willingness to contribute. You were great fun.
I totally understand your motivation to seek another club for different experiences. I do...and I feel also a bit deserted in my hour of need. My spouse chose to remind me of the thinking around 'groups' and group membership.
Some of us join to belong and to contribute in ways which are consistent with whom we believe we are. Clubs and teams don't exist without these. Some are takers. They do whats required but essentially join the team because of what they can get out of it. For others, being in a team is simply a matter of balance. They will happily belong and 'put in' so long as the cost is not too great and as long as what they get out of being a team member is meeting their needs. I can see that you were not in balance Max and so leave to find it elsewhere. I for one wish you well mate.
Farewell to Sue too whose struggle with her personal health challenges has become overwhelming. Your energy and enthusiasm will be sorely missed. Best of luck in our life.
And so continues the circle of team and club life. Some leave, some arrive.
Yesterday was warm and today is chilly. Are we not blessed in this fine country? Oh yes we are!

The Good Ache

Ahhhhh...my body aches in that muscle-weary way it always does after dragon boat training. It was chilly tonight at the start and end of training but otherwise pretty perfect. Light breeze, not much movement in the water. The boat moved well. Another new paddler tonight. Looks a likely type. The other two newies are keen as mustard too. I said a quiet prayer that the coach would not frighten them off with too strenuous a session.  Race start ans 1 min, race start and two minutes over and over again. 50% building to race pace. No wonder I'm sore in that delightful reminder that I'm alive, I have capacity to exercise and access to dragon boating and a large enough body of decent water. Truly blessed are we!!

Dragon Boat Racing and Martial Arts

Dragon Boat Racing, Martial Art and Mental Health....................
Dragonboat racing in its purest form demands much of the discipline and focus of the martial arts. Developing the ability to stay focused, both using energy and conserving energy, focusing on this stroke or on that move. Like the development towards perfection of each move, thrust, punch, throw or parry, the paddler checks torso angle, paddle angle at entry, hand height, torso twist and power output, each aimed at conquering the opponent. The added dimension of dragon boat paddling is the extra layer of pursuing synchonicity with each and every other paddler.
Mental health is achieved by being able to move towards the meeting of life goals. The disciplines of martial arts and dragon boat paddling enhance learning about breathing, developing personal power, working in relationship to others, being focused on this next move or stroke and not dwelling in lost opportunity or times when the pursuit of a goal did not produce the intended outcome.
Martial arts and dragon boat racing are good for health and mental health.

It's tough sometimes

Its tough sometimes to keep the self separated from others. I find that I can often keep my own fears and feelings in perspective when I can insulate myself from others but get caught in a contagion of others feelings when I am 'forced' or am choosing to interact with others.
Resisting gossiping until caught in gossip. Resisting being critical of others until engulfed in a group who are criticising someone. Resisting anxiety and pessimism until surrounded by people who are filled with fear and pessimistic.

New Season 2010-2011

Ah...first meeting of the season. A new group filled with ideas, promise and willingness for the success of the new season.
Dinner and meeting at Gio's Portobellos at New Port. Excellent.
A fair exchange of shared views and of conflicting views. Committee work always has its challenges.
Priorities are clearly recruitment. We have lost so many paddlers for a number of reasons so we must replace them to remain viable.
Major focus also on fundraising and sponsorship. Hey universe...any ideas?
God Bless dragon boat racing. Our training season starts this weekend..beewdy!!

Mental health and dragonboat racing

The strange mix of these two interests in me and reflected in this site is a puzzle.
On one hand I see immediately how they may relate. Not necessarily dragon boat racing perhaps. But then why not? Dragonboat paddling or racing is simply a sport which increases fitness and engagement with the world. I guess jogging does that too. I'm not suggesting that dragon boat racing is the ONLY sport to enhance health (and therefore mental health) but because I love it, I think that its a great sport because;

• it increases health and wellness through increasing fitness
• it increases the feeling of fitness and wellness and capability in the world
• it increases flexibility and muscle strength
• it encourages focus on the NOW, on each element of each stroke right now as you are doing it
• it puts paddlers and crew (except the Drummer facing forwards, looking at your goal
• it teaches synchronicity, how to work in a cooperative way with others towards reaching a common goal
• it encourages commitment to shared goals and encourages team focus
• it exposes paddlers to fresh air, sunshine and the environment
• it exposes paddlers to sunshine which contributes to Vit D synthesis
• it helps the body clock and emotional clock reset itself and so helps with sleep and in fighteng depression
• it requires mainly gross motor skills and so can be performed well by a person with tremor
• it can be performed at a high level by a person with leg or foot injury
• it facilitates interaction with other people hence increasing opportunities for personal feedback and improvement.

Maybe some other sports deliver the same possibilities. I'm sure that is likely. But I love dragonboat racing. Cold, warm, wet, dry .......I feel good when and after  I've been paddling.
I don't think mental health can actually be separated from anything, so integral is it to everything we do.

Is the Goal the feeling or the outcome you've been seeking ...and are they the same thing.

A fellow dragon boat paddler wants to be a world champion paddler. A colleague wants to own a motorhome. Many of my colleagues are looking for new jobs.
The outcome it seems would be the world champion medals, the actual motorhome featured in the picture above her desk and the job that gives them everything that they want.
But is this the illusion of life?   Do we seek these things instead of seeking the feelings that we think we would feel if we possessed them. Do I want that new job or do I really seek the feeling of security and contentment that I believe the job and its salary would provide? Do I crave themotor home or the feeling of freedom that I think it would provide. If I could have that feeling without the vehicle would I still want it? What would i feel like if I were a world champion paddler. Deep inside me do I crave the medal or the feelings that I think I would have if I possessed them?
Sometimes (often) at the nd of a race, I have no memory of it. I hate that. Its like i've lost something that I would have valued.
If I paddle this stroke as I want to, as I am capable of , and am only concerned with this single as-ideal -as-possible stroke through this water in this weather with this body, surrounded by these people, I can experience and enjoy this moment and all the other moments that make up this race or training session.

What a depressing election. I'm sick of the sanctioned dishonesty

I watch some TV and I listen to some radio and despite my best efforts I get exposed to the crap served up by our media. I try really hard to turn off any politician.
I can't tell whom I blame most, stupid politicians or stupid journalists. Ah Ha...it just came to me. Journalists who report mealie mouthed valueless political spin despite the fact that they know that it is devoid of fact, commitment, value and honesty! I think I value them less than politicians.
When there is so much that could be said and done to engineer decent outcomes for Australians and the world, I find the current process insulting and nauseating.
AND.....when we listen to them I think we sanction them.
Give us action that produces the likelihood of more happy health Australians I say!

Seeking sponsorship

Exploring in my head some strategies for attracting some sponsorship to a local sports team such as Powerblades Dragon Boat Racing Club (my club) and exploring the notions of relationship, value, promise etc held in sponsorship. Parellels with friendships a bit. They don't happen unless you 'expose' yourself (no raincoat jokes please)to others, discover a basis for a relationship and see some mutual benefit in friendship as well as a sense of a future together.
I guess in sponsorship though the commitment to limited giving is the key difference.
I'm very happy to hear ideas about attracting sponsorship.
I recall the fabulous Ralph Hood (UniSA) explaining a theory of relationship that was based around the notion that relationships only start and last when members experience mutual benefit (as determined by each person).
Recent instability in employment is occurring as organisation changes in response to changing market needs then the clarity about what relationships are wanted and valued is lost. Both parties (employer/employee)look at the other trying to work out the chances that they may mutually benefit from a continued relationship.

Staying in the Now (imperfection and all)

Many of us, myself included, become haunted by unwanted life patterns. No perfect parent = No perfect child= Imperfect adults.
Eckhardt Tolle and others seek to remind us of the value in decreasing our focus on the past (living on past laurels or lamenting losses, shame or guilt) or or on the future (feeling anxious, worried about what we may or may not be) and in doing so lose our opportunities for peace, happiness and effectiveness in this moment. Coaches (like Tolle) agree that a dragon boating challenge for me (and other like-minded paddlers) can be to keep the focus on the stroke I am currently doing, each stroke getting my full attention. The good or bad race start becomes meaningless if each subsequent stroke isn't the best I can do and in time with my crew.