Get energized with the power of "water"! ~ SUP on Lake Toya
It has become a hot summer again this year.
Niseko, Hokkaido, where I live, is hot without exception.
Above all, it's a humid heat that doesn't feel like Hokkaido!
Usually, even when the sun is blazing, it's cool and refreshing once you step into the shade, but
it's sticky and I'm dripping with sweat.
Precisely because of this climate!
Let's go SUP!!
**
My neighbor is a fellow guide.
A few years ago, they started incorporating SUP and would invite me every now and then.
"Is it really time for something new..."
"I'm not that interested in water activities, anyway."
I was hesitant, but
last year, I tried it for the first time (a total of 3 times),
and it was such a perfect fit for me (if I do say so myself),
that I got completely hooked (lol).
As for the reason why,
1. Opening the five senses
Listening to the sound of water
Watching the ripples of water
Touching the water
We listen to various sounds every day. It is not our ears that are listening, but our "brain." It is said that the audible frequency range is 20hz to 2000hz, but it seems that stimuli at frequencies not recognized as sound also reach the brain and cause a reaction.
Stimuli not recognized as sound are sounds from the natural world or sounds played from live musical instruments.
Have you ever heard of "1/f fluctuation"?
Leaving aside the difficult physical explanation, to explain it roughly,
it is "a state where regularity and irregularity are mixed in a comfortable balance."
"Water ripples" generate alpha waves, which indicate a relaxed state of the brain.
By surrendering yourself to the lake surface, gazing blankly at the ripples, and just listening to the sound of the water, you will find yourself in relaxation mode before you know it.
And being in relaxation mode is very much related to demonstrating performance not only in daily life but also in work and sports.
2. Clearing the input
Needless to say, I also work as a mountaineer, but when I only go to the mountains, for some reason, I start to feel a sense of confinement.
Even though I should love mountains and forests, I get this feeling of,
"I think I'm good for now, I've had enough."
That kind of sensation.
Perhaps when I'm in the mountains, I'm so full of input that I feel overwhelmed inside.
・Aim for that mountain next
・How do I conquer that peak?
・I want to ski down that slope, etc.
To do that,
I study how to tackle difficult mountain trails,
or in the case of skiing, I polish my skills,
constantly gaining knowledge and information, it's just a continuous stream of input.
As they say, "water washes everything away,"
I feel that before the accumulated knowledge and information dulls my senses, I need to use the power of water to wash away what is unnecessary and output what I have.
It's reassuring because we are all connected.
3. Dispersion and balance
This is a bit of a difficult topic, but it's about the "dispersion of gravity."
We humans have evolved by moving (walking, running).
Actually, it is said that we are still in the middle of evolution, and by walking, we disperse the gravity acting on our bodies. However, due to rapid social changes, we have stopped walking, and it is said that various problems are occurring because we cannot disperse gravity. *There are various theories.
In the first place, the act of "walking" is,
Breaking the center of gravity = tilting the body forward (off-balance)
Correcting it = returning the forward-shifted center of gravity by stepping forward (restore)
It is a continuation of this.
Simply put, it is a repetition of losing balance and regaining it.
Since it is always swaying on a SUP, it is necessary to maintain balance the whole time you are standing. And if you stop, it actually becomes more unstable. It's a world where you have to keep moving!
I think this is exactly what is doing the elements necessary for walking (off-balance and restore).
When I get back on land after SUP, the fact that my body feels heavy all at once is probably because I am feeling gravity with nowhere to escape.
Stability comes from paddling and moving forward!
**
Starting this summer, I began combining Pilates with SUP.
(Oh, actually, I'm also a Pilates instructor.)
Last week, we held our first session at Lake Toya.
The morning mist was so thick that we joked, "We wouldn't even notice if someone went missing," but from the afternoon on, it was beautifully sunny!
Relaxing and conditioning my body by the lakeside, I reached a state where I could balance on the SUP.
we will focus on foot, ankle, and hip joint exercises.
"Eek, I can't stand up!"
"It's so wobbly, I'm scared!"
Even the members who were making such a fuss were all smiles before we knew it, once they started to become one with the water.
Through the power of water, smiles were nurtured, and everyone became full of energy.
I've put together a video, so please take a look if you'd like.