Bodhi Awaken: 14 Night Bodysurfing, Ocean Awareness, Surf and Yoga Retreat

Not only is Bodhi the first ever surf and yoga camp to earn a B Corp certification, but we are also the first surf camp to offer bodysurfing lessons. Bodysurfing is a crucial tool in the beginner surfer’s repertoire, and offers a completely different and unique connection with the ocean that will ultimately reduce your learning curve when it comes time for board-surfing.

Bodhi Awaken includes: 13 nights of accommodation at the Bodhi Lodge and 1 night of accommodation in San Jose, 10 breakfasts and 6 dinners, 1 swim technique training lesson, 4 bodysurf lessons, 2 group stretching sessions, 5 surf lessons, 5 yoga classes, 2 massages, a walking tour of Bahia Ballena, a waterfall visit, local transportation to camp activities, snacks during surf and bodysurf lessons, National Park entrance fees on lesson days, a Bodhi t-shirt, and a custom-made bodysurfing handplane.

Like any sport, the more time you dedicate to deliberate practice and repetition, the better you are going to perform. Dedicating two weeks allows you ample time to gain more confidence in the ocean and drastically improve your surfing (and bodysurfing) ability. Furthermore, two weeks is the perfect amount of time to truly disconnect from your work life, and reconnect with nature, self, and purpose.

Bodysurfing, as defined by The Encyclopedia of Surfing, is the physical act of riding a wave using only the body as a planing surface; the original and purest form of surfing. Humans have been practicing the art of bodysurfing for centuries, as it is the simplest form of playing in the ocean energy. For more information about bodysurfing, check out this blog post: https://www.bodhisurfyoga.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-bodysurfing.

When it comes to learning how to surf, the more ocean experience the better, and if you want to reduce your learning curve, then you should spend some time catching waves without a board first. Bodysurfing teaches the individual how to see waves, how to dive beneath them, how to catch them, how to move around other surfers, and how to identify rip currents and other potential hazards. Furthermore, less equipment means less learning steps, more maneuverability, and a deeper connection with the wave.

The most important thing you need to bring for the bodysurf lessons is a tight-fitting swimsuit that will create minimal drag (and will stay on)—similar to what you would wear to swim laps in a pool. Swim fins will be provided for you, but you can certainly bring your own if you already have a pair.

You need to be able to swim at least four lengths of an olympic-size swimming pool (200m) using either a sidestroke or freestyle stroke in order to participate in the bodysurfing lessons. If you are not a strong swimmer, you will spend the week catching whitewater waves in chest-deep water instead of swimming out to catch green waves.

The group stretch session is an hour-long restorative full body stretch class that will incorporate aspects of yin yoga. The class is meant to reduce stiffness and increase flexibility in a slow-paced, relaxing manner that serves a nice counterbalance to the physical activity of bodysurfing.

The swim technique training lesson is a two-hour pool session that will introduce various stroke techniques and breathing strategies to prepare students for ocean swimming and ultimately enable participants to feel more comfortable in the water. The lesson will include a 200m swim test, so it is a good idea to practice swimming in a pool before attending the clinic.

One piece of equipment often adorned by bodysurfers, although not essential to the sport, is a bodysurfing handplane. A handplane is essentially a small board that is worn on the lead hand of the bodysurfer to help him or her trim the face of the wave and hold a line. Each Awaken guest will be gifted a hand-crafted handplane, and will be given an opportunity to personalize their own handboard during this workshop.