Surf Expression Sessions help attendees use ocean as their guru

Surfing is a great sport that can get a participant’s body in shape, and now the ocean and Laurel Harrington of Surf Expressions can give surfers fulfillment in their mind, body and spirit by being one with the ocean.

Harrington, a daughter of a commercial fisherman, has lived around and on the ocean all her life, and she has used the ocean as a guru for major things that have affected her life.

“I have always turned to the ocean to get me through extremes that have happened in my life,” said Harrington. “When I feel sad, I go surfing. When my grandmother passed away, I went surfing. When I’m happy, I go surfing.”

She has turned her love of the ocean and surfing into a way to help transform surfers into better versions of themselves one wave at a time. Her surf camp, Surf Expression Sessions, uses meditation, journaling, activities, discussions and catching waves as tools to create inner peace and positive feelings toward oneself and others.

The four-day camp begins with participants learning safety and reinforcing their love of the ocean. Assistants Alyson Engle, Jack Frederick and Vivian Lynn make sure safety and fun are at the top of the list when campers catch the waves. Each day they reflect on their previous day, what they learned and how it has affected their life. 

“We speak about if we fall down, what we can do to get back up again,” Harrington said.

They stretch and do dry land drills to help them in the water, then campers go in the surf for their lesson. After an hour-and-a-half, they come onto the sand for snacks, hydration and to answer notebook questions that deal with what they learned in the water.

Next they go into a Circle of Awesomeness, in which they discuss activities that affect their life, such as anti-bullying. 

“We do activities like the toothpaste tube activity, where they squeeze the toothpaste out, like saying words to people, but they can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube, like not being able to take back words you say that can hurt people. The campers learn to be mindful of what you put out because once it’s out, it’s out,” said Harrington.

Each camper is taught not just to surf, but to have respect for the ocean’s power and healing ability in a fun and educational way.

For more information about Surf Expression Sessions, call 443-366-5330 or go to www.theoceanismyguru.com.