As day breaks, I meditate to prepare myself for the surf.

Reading from the Dao De Jing, chapter 25, translation by Gia-fu Feng and Jane English: 

Something mysteriously formed,

Born before heaven and Earth.

In the silence and the void,

Standing alone and unchanging,

Ever present and in motion.

Perhaps it is the mother of ten thousand things.

I do not know its name

Call it Tao.

For lack of a better word, I call it great.

And I meditate on fluid dynamics, ever-flowing, ever-changing. And I remember my great wipe-outs and the power of the waves. As I drink my coconut milk coffee, I reaffirm my mission.

(ch.25) Man follows Earth.

Earth follows heaven.

Heaven follows the Tao.

Tao follows what is natural.

I focus on my form and the form of the waves. The words of our guide from the Valley Temple come to me. 

Keep your upper body positioned straight up, resting on your legs. Lower your center of gravity. Keep your body relaxed and yet strong, and be agile and adaptive to changing landscapes. Don’t put weight on your feet until you have a good feel for the ground. Such is the way from antiquity to cultivate one’s internal energy.

And now, the others are up, and we are heading down to the brilliant beach on a gorgeous day.