Riding the Wave: February 2025 Theme of the Month

Ever feel bewildered by the feeling “is it over now?” And while I’m not referring to the bonus track of Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, feelings of “oh no,” “not again” and “is this real life?!” have been playing through my mind like a catchy pop song lately. It’s not merely the current state of the world - it’s also the everyday consequences of being human: illness, grief, anxiety, frustration. Some days I feel comforted knowing all things must pass, that I can breathe through discomfort. And some days, I want to turn my attention away from sticky and heavy feelings, turn the music up loud, or binge a show on Netflix. Those are the days I am reminded of Riding the Wave.

I first came across this metaphor during my Ayurveda Health Counselor training at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in early 2024. During our many online sessions, we were graced with various presenters to not only guide us as holistic health coaches, but to guide us as humans. One session with Aruni Nan Futuronsky surrounded this idea of sitting with the tough stuff - of not turning away from difficult situations, but leaning in and looking for the lessons.

When we experience an intense situation - “the Wave” - we can choose to accept the experience and be with it - “Ride the Wave”; or we can choose to avoid the experience through distractions or habits - “Jump Off the Wave.” The decision to Jump Off the Wave feels tempting, especially in a new experience; it often feels easier to find a way to avoid discomfort than to face discomfort head on. I have jumped off many waves, many times. The waves I’ve jumped off often have come back in full force, sometimes stronger than the time before. There are some waves I jumped off countless times before I chose to stay and ride the wave. Does this sound familiar to you? Can you think of any waves you tend to jump off?

The thing about waves - at the beginning of each wave, you don’t know what the wave will bring. How big is the wave is going to get? How fast is the wave moving? Is the wave going to knock you down, or float you along?  In her poem “The Poet Compares Human Nature to the Ocean from Which We Came,” Mary Oliver writes:

The sea can do craziness, it can do smooth,

It can lie down like silk breathing or toss havoc shoreward; it can give

Gifts or withhold it call; it can rise, ebb, froth

Like an incoming frenzy of fountains, or it can

Sweet-talk entirely.

When we choose to Jump Off the Wave, we choose to deprive ourselves of learning what the wave brings - craziness, smoothness, havoc, sweetness. When we choose to Ride the Wave, we choose to discover the wave entirely - the beginning, the peak, and the outcome. 

When we take the opportunity to Ride the Wave, we have the opportunity to Notice and Receive new information about ourselves - new awareness, insight, and understanding. With this new information, we have the opportunity to respond skillfully to a situation instead of react out of habit. When we take the opportunity to Ride the Wave, we engage in the Niyama (Yogic principle / moral discipline) of Svadhyaya [svah-di-yaya]. Svadhyaya is the practice of self-study, self-inquiry; the practice of getting to know ourselves better. Svadhyaya encourages us to investigate our thought patterns and our habits, our strengths and our weaknesses, in an effort to become more skillful and more mindful on our yoga mat and in our everyday lives.

I love the idea of Riding the Wave and Svadhyaya in the asana (physical) practice of yoga. There’s a yoga meme floating around the ether that says “The pose you avoid and hate is the one you need the most.” I only half agree with that sentiment (that’s a post for another time), but the half I do agree with is between the lines: ask yourself WHY do you avoid a pose? Is it because the pose is new to you? Is it because it doesn’t feel good in your body? Is it because your teacher is telling you to hold Utkatasana (Chair Pose) for 10 breaths? When you take the time to self study and find your why, you can find ways to creatively modify that pose you hate. And if you aren’t sure how to modify it, ask your yoga teacher. Your yoga teachers are here to help you Ride The Wave, and your fellow practitioners are here to Ride the Wave with you (because literally no one likes to hold Chair Pose for 10 breaths).

See you on the mat,

Katie