Stressful Times -

These are stressful times. People are worried about the future and life feels much different than it did just a year ago. What should we do to respond? We can't live our lives without stress, but we must find ways to effectively respond to it. If we handle our stress effectively we can feel empowered and gain a sense of mastery. If not we can feel hopeless and helpless. This will lead us to avoiding situations, places and people we fear will cause us additional stress. When people feel stressed they often focus on the source of the stress and look for ways to avoid it. This can lead to more problems as obligations and expectations are not met. Research has indicated that the people who do function the best are not the people with the least amount of stress but rather the individuals with the best coping strategies.

The more stressed I feel the more I look for simple and slow activities. At the top of this list for me is sailing. There is something therapeutic about being on the water. I can literally feel the stress melt away as the sun warms my face and the breeze fills the sail. It is quiet, simple and esthetically pleasing to be propelled across the water in a boat with lovely lines. To set the sails on a beam reach, lean back against the coamings and feel the resistance of the tiller in my hand as she picks up speed is a transformational experience. As she gains speed she heels over gently looking for the slot where she can run. She dances across the water and I am transfixed. My mind has emptied of the usual work and life related concerns. I am focused and aware, but only of the here and now - what happened yesterday or what is to come tomorrow is gone. Although the boat needs constant attention it is generally minimal - adjusting the sail trim, looking at the tell tales, casting an eye toward to approaching horizon off the bow, making a minor adjustment to the tiller, that is all she needs.

It is often said that sailing is about the journey and not the destination. It is a wonderful metaphor for life. sailing forces a person to be patient because you have to take what the forces of nature give you. You are dependent on the wind and you have no control over how much there will be or what direction it will come from. Sailing is often a slow and deliberate exercise that forces you to see what is going on around you. On the best days my boat and I meld and become one. You know this has happened when the boat becomes an extension of your being - you feel what the boat feels and she responds to your touch. You hear what the boat is saying to you - from the sound of the hull cutting through the water to the flapping of sails that need their trim adjusted. In a good wind the rigging will sing letting you know that she can handle the stress and the load - she wants to run, to be set free, unrestrained. You can sail with your eyes closed simply by listening to the boat and responding to what you hear and feel. It is fantastic.

I do not meant to diminish the visual aspect of sailing for it is wonderful as well. To my eye there are few things prettier than a sailboat on the water. They are quite, lithe, and beautiful. They move through the water with a subtle power and grace that is awe inspiring. They represent our past and simpler times when man moved through the world in a more thoughtful, quiet and less obtrusive manner. It also allows for the opportunity to actually see what is going on around you. You have the time to study the shoreline, watch the water for signs of changes in the wind or appreciate the look and function of a properly trimmed sail.

Sailing stirs something instinctual and deep in my being. I did not sail until I was an adult. I always knew that I would love to sail. When ever I saw pictures of boats or someone sailing on TV I felt a yearning as if it was encoded in my DNA. The first time I took the helm of a sailboat I felt myself and everyone around me disappear. I lost track of who I was with and what I had been doing just a few minutes earlier. I was in a sate of contentment such that I do not think I could have even entertained a negative thought or feeling. They could not have survived in my mind as there was nothing that would have sustained them - I was at peace, with myself and the world.

When ever I get really stressed I think about sailing and it helps me gain the perspective that life is stressful and I need to make sure that I spend time doing things that effectively counter my stress. When I get to sail, I always remind myself that I need to honor the sources of my stress like work as they are also sources of my income and what allows me to sail. Sailing is not always without its own stress but I'll save that for another post.