The 'Inner' Discipline of Snowboarding
Five 'mental' snowboarding tips and tricks
Snowboarding is, of course, primarily a physical activity -- not too many riders would deny that. But snowboarding is also a mental exercise -- or at least, it should be.
In fact, if snowboarders spent as much time developing the mental side of the sport of snowboarding as they do the physical, we'd probably ALL be much better riders!
Inner and Outer Discipline to Snowboarding
The 'outer' discipline of snowboarding has to do with having the proper equipment, clothing and accessories; knowing and using various technical skills, including awareness of all the external conditions, from the terrain to the weather; and being in good enough physical shape to endure and then enjoy it.
The 'inner' stuff of snowboarding, however, has to do with doubts, fears, and -- quite simply -- our thoughts. These mental obstacles are constantly transferred to our physical body in the form of tension, rigidity and awkwardness -- all of which will effect our boarding experience. And not in a good way!
Here are 5 mental tips and tricks you can use to enhance your snowboarding experience:
1. Let go of everything you 'think' you know about balance, stopping, starting and moving -- preferably before you strap on a board for the first time! That exercise will leave room in your thought processes for a whole new way of 'being' when you are snowboarding!
2. Be willing to confront and overcome FEAR, the single biggest obstacle to being an amazing rider! Ask yourself, in any situation, "What's the worst that could happen here?" (And seriously, know that, percentage-wise, VERY few snowboarders EVER die!) and then relax about the outcome.
3. Concentrate on going 'with' the forces of nature, not against them. "Go with the flow" can take on a whole new meaning when you are a mentally prepared snowboarder.
4. Just once, just once on every run, slow down for a moment and take in your surroundings.... BREATH in the mountain air, really SEE the blue-ness of the sky above you or the green of the trees or the pure white of the snow, FEEL the breeze making the exposed skin on your face all prickly, LISTEN to the silence around you. Then go snowboarding again!
5. Know that the joy of snowboarding is in the PROCESS, not the end point -- and remind yourself of this every time you 'push off'. Snowboarding is not about always being fully intact when you get to the bottom, or about getting there faster than your buddies, or about perfecting that technique no matter what. There is no 'destination,' there's only the journey. :)