Bombay. Photo Courtesy of Eoin Finn’s Instagram – @blissology
Eoin Finn on ‘Blissology’ as a way of life, tapping into nature’s stillness, and the yoga of surfing
By Neal Kearney
Everything that we know in this world is affected by energy—our relationships, moods, movements, health. But what is energy? We have scientific, philosophical, and spiritual explanations, yet sometimes the energy we are talking about is so mystical that we have to be content with simply feeling it. There’s a man in Santa Cruz by the name of Eoin Finn who is really feelin’ it, and he wants you to, as well. Finn is a Canadian-born yogi/surfer/ocean activist who has made a big splash in the yoga world working with Olympic athletes and big-wave surfers such as Greg Long and Grant “Twiggy” Baker. He’s developed his own approach dubbed “Blissology,” which is, in basic terms, the art of tuning into the energy that connects us to the planet and one another. It’s not a new idea, and Finn is the first to admit this, yet it has helped him shape his yoga teachings and expose thousands of people to the idea that taking time to appreciate love and nature every day can not only transform one’s yoga practice, but also one’s daily life. Waves recently chatted with the
Pleasure Point Yoga teacher to get a glimpse into his “blissful” way of being.
Neal Kearney: When did the concept of “Blissology” begin to gel in your mind, and what does it mean?
Eoin Finn: I was a philosophy major. My interest was the philosophy of happiness, so I told my friends I was studying “Blissology” to make it simpler. I would never say that I am creating something new. [What] I am [doing is] trying to present wisdom from past cultures that addresses the missteps of the 21st century lifestyle. In the past, people have been very happy if they had a connection to nature, community and a higher purpose. I want to use yoga to bring more of that connection out—to really uncover the place in our hearts that feels our deep interconnection to each other and the planet.
My spiritual path comes from nature. Nature is the great spiritual portal. It opens us up to a profound awe and reverence for life … only if we let it. The technology of yoga is to turn the body and mind into an antenna that picks up the signal that is always out there in the rhythm of nature. We just have too much static all the time to pick it up.
I also need to remind myself to take time and put it all away, to open up my “antennae” to the signal of nature. My mantra is: “Put away your smartphone and pick up your heart phone.”
NK: You’ve worked with some high-caliber surfers and athletes. What is it about your approach that complements big-wave surfing? How does yoga, and Blissology in particular, help those who put themselves in perilous situations?
EF: I love working with pro-surfers and have had a lot attend my classes or use my videos.
Jamie Sterling [came] up in September to do our Blissology Yoga Teacher Training at Pleasure Point Yoga. For big-wave surfing, it’s paramount to understand the importance of breath. Using the breath to control the nervous system and the stress response is “yoga 101” but it is also the graduate work of yoga. It amazes me how the breathing helps surfers stay relaxed when they are about to drop into a massive wave or endure a long hold-down.
NK: What parallels exist between surfing and yoga, and in what other ways do the two work
together?
EF: The most obvious [similarity] is physical. Surfing and yoga go together like the strumming and fretting hands of guitar playing. Surfing requires looseness, core stability and balance. Yoga
offers this in spades. Most people think yoga is about flexibility, and it is. You can move like a grommet in your 40s and 50s because of the suppleness intelligent yoga gives you.
One of the best gifts of yoga for athletes is the amazing mind-body control of the nervous system. This means that, through intelligent yoga, the “wiring” between the brain, nervous system and the muscles gets very fine-tuned. It is incredible how this translates into refined movements on the surfboard. We spend a lot of time in the yoga classes I teach creating movements with fine brushstrokes, not just the broad ones. For example, when we press the big toe, this connects to the adductor muscles for more stability. This gives the yogi and the surfer incredible super powers.
NK: For me, the best surfing is almost meditative. I get into this zone that we surfers call “soul surfing.”
EF: Right. When we have those “soul-surfing” experiences, surfing asks the same question:
“Who are you?” I think the beauty of nature brings us into this zone in surfing. We’ve all had those experiences sitting at a break in between sets under the orange and pink sky of a setting sun. There is a profoundly inspiring solitude. We lose ourselves in those moments. The losing of oneself, even temporarily, in the wonder of being alive, I feel, is one of the highest forms of yoga. Time doesn’t mean as much in those moments and there is a flow to life. Surfers aren’t just addicted to the adrenaline of the sport and the endorphins released during the exercise we get—we also love the feeling of stillness and peace.
Bali Flowers. Photo Courtesy of Eoin Finn Instagram – @Blissology
This is the yoga of surfing. Finn’s 5 Commitments of Blissology:
Do Yoga: “There are millions of benefits of yoga but the main one, to me, is the freedom from constriction and how it affects our minds. Stress, worry and anger are manifestations of ego-consciousness. This shows up as tension in the body. Because the body and mind are intimately connected, when we let these emotions stop gripping us so tightly we open up to a greater consciousness of presence and love. Commit to 20 minutes a day, including five minutes of deep relaxation.”
Meditate: “This allows us to see life with more peace and stillness. Most people think meditation is hard work but it is really a joy. Sit comfortably, relax and enjoy simple pleasures like breath, and just stay open to the consciousness that comes when you do so. Commit to 10 minutes a day.”
Appreciate Nature: “Nature … opens us up to awe, gratitude and reverence. When we get quiet and present in nature, our heart’s deepest message becomes clear. Commit to 10 minutes a day of being present and observing something beautiful in nature.”
Eat Well: “Food Awareness is important because our food will become the energy we use to create the life we live and legacy we leave. The idea is to eat “high-prana” food that makes you feel incredible for a long time. Check in with how you feel after eating food— choose the ones that make your body feel most vital.”
Be Thankful: “Gratitude is key to our state of mind and body. To stop and feel in your heart three things you feel grateful for is the antidote to all negative thought patterns. It is fast, easy and effective. Commit to ending each day with completing three sentences that start with, ‘I feel grateful for … ’”
Learn more at blissology.com.
Article from Live the lifestyle Volume 2.3 — Oct / Nov 2015 “Mind/Body.”
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