Surfer’s High: Riding Waves of Grace

I have a friend who surfs nearly every morning. On those mornings he walks in late with a big ear-to-ear grin on his face, swaying from side to side like tall stalks of billowy sea grass. He cheerfully stops at my desk to say good morning, and I always ask, “Did you surf this morning?” 

He beams. “Yes.” That big smile spreads even further.

Then he walks away, checking in with everyone he passes on the way to his desk. He’s the epitome of childlike joy, and it flows out and onto everyone around him.

I’ve called it a surfer’s high, something like a runner’s high…and it turns out a surfer’s high is a real thing.

He has the countenance and demeanor of someone whose spirit and soul have been well-fed and nourished.

I firmly believe we have spiritual selves, not just physical. We seem to be wired for spiritual experiences. And just as we need to take care of our physical bodies lest they fail us and even turn against us, we need to take good care of our spiritual selves, too.
If we don’t, we suffer all manner of maladies like anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation.  In short, we suffer, and often so do those around us.  

One of the things my friend says surfing does for him is it shuts out the world. The world pulls at us constantly, distracting us, inserting itself into our lives through texts and emails and notifications and ringing phones and solicitors and streaming services. Pressure and responsibilities and expectations command our days. Our 21st century American way of life is changing our brains. We encounter great difficulty unplugging, walking away from the madness, and quieting our minds enough to tend to our spiritual selves.

My surfer friend is blessed to be able to do that. And he reaps the rewards.