Seems that if I am on the water on a windy day, no matter which way I need to row, somehow I always end up going against the wind! A big challenge, especially for the delicate balance of a one person boat, as opposed to sailing, where the wind is your friend. The wind ruffles the water which in turn messes up with my ability to steady my boat. Worse, when rowing against it, the wind pushes into my back and my oars, creating tremendous resistance against moving the boat forward (if you are reading this and wondering what am I talking about: the rower’ back is toward the leading end of a rowing boat).
So what’s one to do when having to row against a strong wind? I had asked the rowing camp coaches this question. They all gave me a large smile and a halfway serious answer: “You do not leave the dock!” ...“But what if I have no choice” I insisted, “what if the wind starts after I am already on the water and I have to make it back safely, or what if I had already signed up to compete in a race and day turns out to be windy?” I got no better answer after that either, probably the coaches were worried about sending a beginner into the wind. So I persisted any chance I got, I asked the more experienced rowers for their advice. Best technical advice came from faraway rowing friends, Viking descendants, who shared their tips perfected from routinely braving the Nordic waters (e.g., to decrease resistance, shorten the time the oars are out of the water and work like a sail against the wind). I turns out it was really good I had insisted asking this question beforehand, as indeed, I soon found myself in dire need to row in tough weather conditions. I diligently tested all advice I had received. After perfecting my approach to rowing in stormy conditions for a few years, I can finally offer my own view about the main “secret” of braving adverse external conditions. More importantly, I came to the realization I could apply the same principles to help me get through tough times in my personal and professional life.
I found that what matters most while having to brave harsh external conditions is discovering and engaging one’s internal “gyroscope”. We all have one! My brush with Yoga and Pilates helped me to conscientiously engage my center of gravity (located I feel at the center of my body, also called the “core”) to maintain my balance in such testing times. I found that being able to concentrate on my core brings amazing stability at times when the rest of the world seems to be in turmoil. When rowing, the wind is violently rocking my boat side to side, and my oars hit or catch unevenly the waves on the two sides: sometimes I miss my catch, sometimes I go too deep into the water. Boat becomes frighteningly unsettled. On top of it, due to strong wind resistance I row in place, it’s like being in a nightmare I cannot escape! Then, I conscientiously overcome my panic response to the powerful outside influences and I concentrate on bringing all my power into my own center. I begin to feel how this becomes very heavy: I am now pinned down solidly by gravity. All of the sudden I seem to be connected to the Earth's core by an invisible string stretched just enough to allow me to smoothly glide on its curving surface. My own center is stable, even as the whole world around me seems to whirl around in a storm. The previously awful hauling slowly fades away into the periphery of my perception, as I smoothly and silently slide between air and water. The wind feels just a fast rush of cold air on my skin and it is now exhilarating. I return safely to the dock and it feels good, really good. I was able to mount the extra muscle power to overcome elements’ resistance and I was able to keep my mental cool.
Thus I have learned "mind over matter" from my "mind over water" technique. The willingness to prepare for and then to take the challenge taught me to summon my core power: strengths, beliefs, values, and hopes, to minimize the influence of external adversity, and to actually turn challenge into a personal victory. I think this might resonate also with martial arts philosophy? I will have to check and come back on that.
For now, I think I could go ahead allow myself to have that brownie with my hot coffee.
2 comments:
I really like your essay on how to row against the wind. Very much like you I row on a single scull and practice Ashtanga yoga. I have realized that rowing against the wind is one of the hardest things psychologically. I tend to have some sort of phobia when the wind touches my skin. I am often better off when I have a light windcheater on. I have never really found one solution or one article (except that of yours) that talks about dealing with such conditions. Its so hard for me to get back into rhythm when a gust of wind stops my boat. Can you share more about your experience in overcoming these circumstances? Thanks in advance.
Hi, glad if this was somewhat helpful. What worked for me was to mentally "embrace" the wind, rather than considering it as an adversity... you can think of yourself as rowing: through the wind, with the wind, or simply detaching yourself completely from the wind, where the wind is only something happening at the periphery of your perception. Once I did that I started enjoying the occasional opportunity to row on a windy day, the same one might want to row sometimes at dawn, other times during or at the end of the day, on a sunny or foggy day. It’s all becoming part of nature!
It does help to understand how to technically make the most of the wind, or at least how reduce its effect on your rowing "flow"/speed. Of course that requires persevering (practice) combining the mental and technical preparedness. . At the other end of the spectrum, one might also experience a rare but significant physical reaction to the wind, a type of allergy (to cold or wind), known as "urticaria' or "alergia frigori" See http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/allergy/AN00693.
Post a Comment