By: Rebekah Prendergast

Picture this. The sun is rising over the ocean and you’re standing at the water’s edge. As you look out to the horizon your senses are completely engaged – you can smell the salty air, feel the sand between your toes, and the fresh ocean water as it laps at your bare feet.

Time feels like it has slowed down and you are fully present in the moment. You have no anxious thoughts about the past or the future, and you are focussed beyond the point of distraction. This wonderful feeling is something that is often referred to as the flow state.

Made popular by positive psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Jeanne Nakamura, flow state describes that feeling you have when you are fully immersed in the moment. In his book Flow: The Psychology of Happiness, Csikszentmihalyi describes flow state as “concentration so intense that no attention is left over to think about anything irrelevant or to worry about problems. Self-consciousness disappears, and the sense of time becomes distorted.”

Surfing is an optimal way to achieve the flow state as it requires pure concentration and forces you to be completely in the moment. The mind’s usual chatter begins to fade away and you’re fully aware of and in sync with your surroundings, your body, and the ocean. Surfing is mindfulness in action – you’re meditating in the ocean and you’re completely in the zone.

At Waves of Wellness (WOW) the flow state philosophy is an essential element of our 8-week surf therapy programs. We all know that physical activity reduces stress and anxiety, and we also know that the ocean can be a great source of healing. There’s nothing quite like the cathartic feeing of the saltwater on your skin, the quiet of the ocean when you’re underwater, or the adrenaline pumping through your body when you catch that perfect wave.

We combine the therapeutic benefit of the ocean with guided mindfulness sessions by our learn-to-surf facilitators who are also trained mental health clinicians. The beach and the ocean is used as a safe and confident space to openly talk about mental health, and participants benefit from a community of likeminded people sharing in the joy of surfing.

For our CEO Joel Pilgrim, WOW is all about “using surfing as a way of drawing people out of those dark places, to say let’s talk about this in a really fun and engaging way…we can all get through this together”.

The research shows that you can’t think about anything else while you are immersed in the act of surfing. We have shown our participants time and time again that surfing is one of the best ways immerse yourself in the here and now and switch off from the dramas that life can often throw at us.

Surfing isn’t the only way to achieve the flow state, it can be experienced in almost any activity that requires you to focus on the task at hand, has clear and defined goals, and is somewhat challenging. This can include games, sports, the arts, and even day-to-day activities in the workplace. The activities that are best known for inspiring flow are usually ones where the participant feels completely involved and interested.

There’s been a lot of research and focus on the flow state as it’s a really powerful way to create positive change in someone’s life. When in the flow state those thoughts and feelings that usually cloud our minds including worry, stress, and self-doubt can subside, and we feel a sense of calm, relaxation and clarity. This results in overall happiness and fulfillment. Other benefits can include improved sleep, and reduction of anxiety and depression symptoms. With so many benefits to be gained, the flow state is something that anyone looking to improve their mental and physical health should be seeking.

Find out more about our surf therapy programs here.

Images by Warrick Eady