Text by Steph Reid
Illustration by Lizzi Reid
When you step onto your board or your mat, you enter into a zone where time no longer exists. You become completely present in your body as your mind focuses in on whatever trick or pose you’re battling. A flow state that we all covet. In those moments, you feel capable of anything because you are in full control.
An asana or yoga pose presents a similar physical challenge as a skate trick — they tap into your balance and proprioception. The poses build off of one another to get progressively harder. You must have the patience to master the fundamentals. Sound familiar? In skate terminology, you need to ollie before you can kickflip. Success requires persistence and constant practice. There are days when it humbles you and yet, your body craves it. Your thoughts wander to it when you’re not paying attention because skating and yoga give you a physical escape from reality that makes you feel free. But, it’s not just physical. There is an underlying mental component that is the real feat to overcome. The goal of yoga is to gain mastery over your thoughts. A skill that is incredibly useful on your board, where you’re constantly facing mental barriers that prevent you from progressing. When attempting a new trick that fills you with fear, how common is it for your mind to race through all the possible worst case scenarios? However, if you channel the practice of yoga by quieting your mind and bringing your attention to the breath, you can calm down, reconnect with your muscle memory and visualize yourself landing it. Yoga grounds you, while skating never ceases to take you to new highs. When practiced in unison, they create balance. They show us how powerful the mind really is.
It takes a bit of a masochist to push through pain and frustration just to land a trick or nail a pose. But, if you’re honest, it’s not about the blunt to fakie or the full wheel, it’s about the way it makes you feel — capable and free. They create a mind-body connection that gives you confidence in your whole self. They also gain you access to a community full of people who understand you on a fundamental level. They unite us in a shared experience that creates a unique bond— one that crosses all cultures, religions, classes & backgrounds. Proof that we are all more similar than societal institutions would have us believe. Skateboarding and yoga bring out the best in humanity. They empower us. They connect us. They show us that when we support each other, we are capable of achieving more than we ever imagined. But first, you just have to commit.
