inspiration


Sacred Experience Kayaking


by Gigi Austin


ith my coffee in hand and Chata, my Pekingese, on my lap, I watch as the Dallas skyline awakens in a dress of orange-pink, the color of my mother’s Coppertone rosebush in May. I lean back, throw a leg out each side of the cockpit of my kayak, and feel my mood rise with the morning mist. For me, this day seems as though it is unfolding as slowly as the petals on a rose. I welcome the subtle sensation, especially after a rushed work week. Chata raises her head from my thigh to watch a pair of mallards in flight upstream and then settles back down to wait for the next wildlife sighting. I hope the animals here will sense that we have come seeking peace and intend no harm. This is kayaking as spiritual practice, and the lake is a holy sanctuary, a nondenominational center of worship. It doesn’t matter if one believes that the nature surrounding us came from the work of God in seven days or resulted from a big bang and the evolution of its fragments. This is a sacred experience, if one is willing to be still and observe.


W


“A man who trims himself to suit everybody will soon whittle himself away.”


~ Charles Schwab


Sensually taking in nature and allowing it to work its transformative magic is a paradoxical process, or at least cyclical. Who I already am decides what I will put my attention on, and what I pay attention to will affirm and strengthen the existing attitudes and beliefs that initially guided my choice of focus. I’ve been teaching kayaking on White Rock Lake for 10 years, and I reflect upon what some of my students would say in this moment: “It’s so peaceful out here. You would never know we are in the middle of a big city.” Others would complain, “This lake is filthy. I hope there are some other places around here that are good for kayaking.” The remaining students would be wondering if there are any donuts to go with the coffee and checking their iPhones for messages. All these views are fine. The water expects nothing of the paddler; it merely reflects back what it’s shown. Generally, when people think of kayaking they envision a young thrill-


seeker, stuffed into a stubby boat, wearing a helmet and flailing down the rapids of a raging river. This is only one expression of the sport, though it gets the most fanfare. The Trinity River in Dallas, which flows slowly, offers flat-water kayaking, another genre gaining popularity in the area. It affords people a unique vantage point from which to enjoy the parks they already visit.


One could sit on a bench or stand on the dock and see the same sunrise, but not have the same experience. To dip a fingertip into cool water just inches away and be gently rocked at the hand of a summer breeze joins the artist, the admirer and the medium.


Editor’s Note: Gigi Austin, a local kayaking instructor who is certified by the Amer- ican Canoe Association, was inspired to write this reflection in response to Natural Awakenings’ June article “Kayaking with Kids” and its accompanying sidebar on local kayaking resources. For more information, contact Austin at 972-814-4829 or ggaustin@gmail.com, or see her website at www.KayakDallas.com.


natural awakenings September 2010 17 Gigi Austin


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32