The Ocean as a Teacher : Why I Chose to Offer Surf Retreats
Water has always played an important role in my life.
Wherever my journey has taken me, I have felt naturally drawn to living near the ocean, to its vastness, its rhythm and its constant movement.
The sea creates a sense of space within me. It quiets the noise of everyday life and reminds me that everything is always changing. No two waves are the same, and no two moments in the ocean can ever be repeated; the same as life.
As my connection with the sea deepened, surfing became part of my personal journey. At first, it was a way to spend time in nature and experience the freedom of moving with the waves. Over time, it became much more than a physical practice.
In the ocean, I found peace.
Surfing as a Moving Meditation
Surfing requires complete presence. Once we enter the water, there is no room to remain trapped in our thoughts. We must observe the conditions, feel the movement beneath us and respond to what is happening in the moment.
For me, this makes surfing a form of deep meditation.
The ocean has taught me to observe my fears without allowing them to control me. It has helped me trust my intuition and understand my reactions more clearly. It continues to show me when to act, when to wait and when to surrender.
We cannot control the waves. We can only learn to read them, meet them and move with their energy. Sometimes we catch the wave we were waiting for; sometimes we miss it. Sometimes we fall and begin again.
Every experience in the water becomes an opportunity to learn something about ourselves.
Why Longboarding Feels So Natural to Me
Among the different ways of surfing, I feel particularly connected to longboarding. Its slower, more fluid style reflects the way I want to experience my life and the ocean.
There is something deeply meditative about waiting for the right wave, paddling with intention, standing up and allowing the board to glide. Rather than forcing movement, we learn to work with the energy that is already present.
On a longboard, balance is alive. It changes with every step and every shift of weight. We move forwards and backwards, constantly adjusting while remaining connected to the wave beneath us.
This is why I recognise so much of myself in longboarding. It brings together qualities that are central to my own journey: strength and softness, focus and freedom, stability and movement.
There is also a sense of grace and simplicity in longboarding. At times, it feels less like a sport and more like a dance with the ocean. It allows me to express myself without words and experience a rare sense of harmony between body, mind and ocean.
Why I Created Surf Retreats
I chose to offer surf retreats because I wanted to share surfing as more than an activity or a performance. A surf retreat can be an opportunity to reconnect with the body, build confidence and develop a deeper relationship with nature.
Learning to surf often brings us face-to-face with frustration, fear and the desire to control. But it also awakens courage, joy, trust and a sense of play that many of us lose in everyday life.
Within a retreat, we have time to explore these experiences without pressure. Yoga helps prepare and restore the body, while meditation develops the presence and awareness that we carry into the water. Rest and time in nature allow each experience to settle more deeply.
Surfing then becomes part of a wider inner journey.
My intention is not to make performance the centre of the retreat. It is to create a supportive environment where every person can approach the ocean at their own pace, listen to their body and discover what the practice can teach them.
Finding Our Own Rhythm
The ocean reminds us that balance is never fixed. It is a continuous relationship between effort and release, courage and humility, control and surrender.
Longboarding has taught me that we do not always need to rush or struggle to move forwards. Sometimes, the most meaningful experience comes when we slow down, become attentive and allow ourselves to glide.
These lessons now form an essential part of the philosophy behind Dharmanas Retreats. The ocean is not simply the setting for our retreats, it is one of our teachers.
Through surfing, yoga and conscious connection with nature, I invite each guest to find their own rhythm, meet themselves more honestly and experience the freedom of being fully present.
See you in the ocean,
Nasthasia.