Surfing and Ecology

How dealing with emotions is like surfing and how everyone is connected like everything on earth is connected

 

Surfing

 

Far too many people believe that you can control your emotions.  Of course, many people believe that they can control the earth and her elements as well.  Then they witness a hurricane or a tsunami, or maybe even an earthquake or volcanic eruption, and see the earth’s true power.  One huge natural disaster is all it takes for most people to open their eyes to how small and insignificant humans can be in the great scheme of things. We think that we are smart enough to control and manipulate our surroundings and ourselves.  We are scared to face the sense of powerlessness that lies behind our arrogance.

       Surfers understand that they do not control the waves that they ride upon.  They respect the power and energy that moves the ocean.  They recognize the need for coexistence and cooperation with the natural forces.  Surfing is all about riding the wave, not dominating it.  It is about an intuitive sense of direction and a complete understanding of the complex set of circumstances around you.

      Anyone who has surfed knows that it requires a certain mind set, a particular type of focus.  Many turn to Zen to get into that meditative zone.  They learn to be present in the moment, yet not completely unaware of the past or future.  Zen opens up the mind and heart for an intuitive comprehension that sometimes borders on the psychic.  A master can anticipate the wave and move accordingly.  This is how you need approach working with your emotions!  Be present in them, feel them, but also remain capable of detachment.  Observe as a scientist would.  Exist in the dualistic state of subjective experience and objective perception.  These two can work in harmony if you let them.  Be the wave and the rider at the same time!

 

 

The Ecology of Emotions

 

Ecology is a branch of science that is concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments. It is also the study of the patterns of relations between organisms and their environment.  Ecology can apply to the environment in which we live, but it can apply to us as human beings as well.  We are inexorably connected to the world in which we live.  Ecology is basically the study of humans and their home.  It is science and sociology all rolled into one area of study.

       It is important to remember that the exploration of our inner oceans can never be an isolated journey.  The inner journey is connected to everyone else’s inner journeys.   Just as we live in a physical ecosystem, we also live in an emotional ecosystem.  How we feel becomes a spiritual, mental and physical experience that can be shared with the world around us.  How we feel affects those around us, just as those around us affect how we feel.  Why is this important?  First, there is the mirroring effect.  Everyone around us reflects our own fears, feelings and experiences.  By learning to understand yourself you can understand others.  Those around you will see themselves in you as well. Others can learn from you as you learn from them.  We all need each other!  Second, because we need to able to feel empathy.  Empathy or experiencing other’s feelings as if they are our own, leads to compassion.  Compassion toward ourselves and other people can lead to a more peaceful society as a whole.  Understanding and respecting our earth and our emotions is vital to our interpersonal and social relationships.  Nothing happens in a vacuum.  Being a better person leads people not just be happy, but to people being a useful functioning part of society.  It is easier to contribute and give back to the world when emotional chaos does not reign.  When our seas are not full of storms, but calm, we can learn to utilize our seas much better.  Isolation and ignorance are the enemy, not education and exploration.  Truly realizing that we are connected to the earth and each other is a powerful feeling.  It opens up the mind and the heart so that we can tolerate and embrace our differences with more ease than we ever imagined. Namaste.