Derek discusses his passion for the ocean, his eco-surf company Wavetribe, order & chaos, plus how to live a life you love.
Derek Dodds is Founder & CEO of Wave Tribe
Derek has been surfing for a few decades and absolutely loves the ocean and surf travel. He lives in Ojai, California, and invites you to share a beer anytime you are in the hood. He also shapes a few surfboards now and then and you can frequently find him on a Mini Simmons.
The Sea is Medicine, Episode 1, “Voice Your Heart”
An intimate Interview with Michael Patrick Miller. We discuss his journey to Kirtan by way of the Sea, and how he uses his voice to heal and inspire.
Michael is a student of embodiment, singing, Kirtan, somatic coaching, shamanism, energy healing, and life. Through Bhakti and Vocal Coaching he supports entrepreneurs, creators, and healers to discover their True Voice and live wild, passion-driven lives. Michael currently resides in Topanga, CA where he enjoys spending his free time in nature, singing, creating music, writing, and practicing Kung Fu.
You can find out more about his work at: https://www.michaelpatrickmiller.com/
Started writing monthly for a new online magazine called “Road to Autonomy”
Read the February article HERE
(pages 35-37)
ThankYouBodyRally.com It’s happening! Friday Oct. 16. You can click on the link for info.
A gathering to celebrate our amazing incredible, miraculous bodies!!!
What a wonderful idea in a time where we are being told to fear our bodies and each other. Through my own experiences of near death health crises, I’ve learned to have deep reverence and gratitude for the amazing capacity of the human system to heal and restore itself.
Even in the darkest times when I was bed ridden and couldn’t walk, I could focus on my breath and be grateful for that. Even more powerful was the ability to visualize myself healed, and feel that within myself. Simply visualizing myself at the beach would bring a sensation of joy and well-being.
Within 6 months I went from not being able to walk to walking the beach on my own.
Your body, mind and spirit is adaptive and wants the best for you. It works so hard organizing and reorganizing to meet the varied conditions of life. It is so easy to get down on yourself especially under constant media assault and comparisons. Gratitude can shift your perspective. Start with one thing you are grateful for. Could be your nose, the ability to breath, a smile…? What is one thing about your body you are grateful for right now?
This morning I was taken by the reflective surface of the wet sand. What are we reflecting to others? And what are others reflecting back at us? Are we reflecting the light of the situation or the shadow?
Imagery can be a fun way to explore this. I can use my camera to shoot literal reflections and I can also use it to explore these deeper questions. What kind of images arise if you pretend to be someone else, how would you reflect the world back at others?
Most of the time we are hard and even negative towards ourselves and when we check in with someone else we realize it was our own self that was unnecessarily being the critic. Others can be our mirrors. They help us see ourselves in a new or different way than how we see ourself. Taking a moment to reflect on our reflections can help us see more clearly.
Comment below and let me know how you see yourself? And how others see you?
As I approached the outdoor public shower, after my morning beach walk. Two men were lingering about after finishing their rinse and shared a friendly “Hello, Happy Friday!” I returned the friendliness and said “Thanks! Yeah! Happy FriYAY!” They loved it and proceeded to banter a bit. Everyone around was smiling and you could feel the energy lifting.
Just as I was leaving , one of the men and his dog started heading down the pathway. I told him to “have a great day”, he said “I will now, you just made it better”. Then I said “it will keep getting better” as we both headed in opposite directions. The joy was spreading, people around who could hear were grinning and saying hello to me. I would reply with “Hello, have an awesome day!” or “Hi, have a great day!” The vibe kept getting higher and higher as I walked toward my bicycle.
The happiness cultivated in those small interactions stayed with me all day. It’s amazing what a simple smile or friendly gesture can do. We all have that power to lift the spirits of ourself and others.
Tell me how you raised the spirits of someone in the comments below…
More Seaspiration!
This morning while walking the seashore I noticed the birds and planes flying through the sky. Depending on my angle the bird and plane could look the same size. A plane looks so small against the clouds yet it is a giant machine. Then I thought about being in a plane and looking out the window… the cities become small and distant like a fake or toy Lego land. As a photographer I love to capture these images, and play with how we see things.
This led to the idea of PERSPECTIVE! How lucky we are to be able to change our perspectives. We can go outside take a walk. Go to the beach, or work on an art project. We can even change our mindset or mood with a couple breaths. We really have a great power to be able to shift our perspectives.
They key word is CHANGE it up! MIX it up! SHAKE it up! We have to move out of our narrow mind or shake up our stiff body or try on a new idea. A moment of discomfort can actually be the impetus for positive change. I encourage you to switch something around today. Maybe brush your teeth with your other hand or sit in a different chair than you normally do, go to a new restaurant or shop you’ve never been to, take a walk in nature, get out your camera or phone and start snapping.
Tell me how it goes…?
The Sea constantly inspires…
Sometimes it is windy and rough. Other times it is so still and glassy you can see through to the sandbar at the bottom of the ocean. Today was a calm, clear, sunny day and it made me wonder how we can bring more calm into our day. What’s your hack?
I like to pause and close my eyes connect with my center or start a gratitude list in my head. Sometimes I just rest or nap in the late afternoon. Putting my hand on my heart and belly while taking a few breaths is also very nice and settling. When I notice myself getting frustrated or over amped, taking a deep breath or slowing down my speech really helps. Sipping a cup of peppermint or chamomile tea is also relaxing. Mindfully walking around and photographing or working on a collage also brings peace to my soul. And there is always lying down on the sand and listening to the sound of the waves….
Tell me how you bring calm into your daily routine?
On my way to the Beach this morning, I saw a woman drive by in her car Smiling, swaying, and probably singing away in her car. Immediately my lips lifted and a huge grin took over my face! Before I was even aware of it my body caught the joy and went with it. I felt uplifted.
In my Biodynamic Craniosacral course we talked about how a smile connects us and tells each other we are safe and accepted. It’s a relationship builder and helps to settle the nervous system. Another study proved that just by changing your facial expression it could shift your mood. A frown or smile would start to shift your brain chemistry. So even if we aren’t feeling it we can smile and eventually our mood will catch up. Even a fake smile is powerful.
I believe underneath it all we have an innate propensity for peace and happiness. It is often clouded by conditioning, media, messages, and stories. A smile can be an essential tool at cutting through to a positive source within.
Go ahead and try it. Smile at someone today. How did it go? Let me know below…
Smile and the whole world smiles with you!
A friend of mine used to say this all the time and I’m so glad because it is stuck in my mind now. Gratitude is so powerful. It can shift our thinking, create compassion and manifest our hearts desires.
The best thing is there is no right or wrong thing to be grateful for. If you have trouble thinking of something you are grateful for start with your breath and go from there. The things, people, places right there in front of you!
If you haven’t tried it yet, a gratitude journal is life changing. You may even try a simple mental gratitude list everyday. This shifts your focus and attention onto all the things you have and creates an abundance mindset. From there you can step it up a notch and start being grateful for the future things in your life. This helps magnetize the life you desire to you. Our default setting is usually pretty negative. The more gratitude we bring the more our heart, mind, and spirit can open up to infinite possibilities.
Grateful for your time and interest! Grateful for the Ocean! Grateful for the waves! Grateful for beach walks!
What are you grateful for????