Easkey on Freedom, Mindfulness and Connection:
Freedom - “I find freedom in movement, in nature, through new experiences. Freedom has the qualities of spontaneity, passion, flow, adventure, risk, independence and creativity. It’s about expressing myself creatively, doing what matters most, and the power of play.”
Mindfulness - “I’ve always believed surfing is an amazing tool for a mindfulness practice. It’s very much about mindfulness-in-movement. If I truly get into why I surf, it’s because we can enter this heightened state of awareness – a flow state where, if even just for a moment, there’s complete focus and immersion in the present.”
Connection - “Surfing helps me understand the meaning of connection. Surfing demands a letting go of expectations and requires our total presence in the moment so that we begin to take notice of our surroundings, to be a little awed and humbled through direct contact with nature.”
About Easkey:
Easkey is the first Irish woman to be nominated for the Global WSL Big Wave Awards but there’s more to Easkey than surfing. It is her intellect and her quest to learn and create change in an often unfair world that really defines her. A scientist, academic and social activist, with a PhD in Environment and Society, Easkey is always one to look in places others aren’t for the answers to difficult questions. Her curiosity and passion for fairness and gender equality are the qualities that others to her.
Named an ‘Agent of Change’ by Surfer magazine in their special Ocean Edition, her work is deeply influenced by the ocean and the lessons learned pioneering women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland and the sport of surfing with women in Iran, which led her to be invited to give an inspiring TEDx talk: Just Add Surf. Her ground-breaking journey to Iran in 2013 introduced the sport of surfing to women and local communities and is featured in the award-winning documentary film, “Into the Sea”. Passionate about facilitating creative & collaborative processes, she founded Like Water, a platform to explore innovative ways to reconnect with who we are, our environment and each other, through water. Easkey draws on the sea as an active metaphor to dive deep into the power of presence and embodiment of natural cycles. She designs and delivers international summits and global leadership programmes specialising in experiential learning, nature connection, immersive embodiment practices, community engagement and social impact, including the annual Wavemaker retreat in Portugal and Move Like Water retreat for women. She is the author of ‘50 Things to do by the Sea’ and is currently finishing a new book called ‘Saltwater in the Blood.’
Easkey is a one off, wild hearted and free spirit. She’s ridden some of the biggest days in Ireland; no audience, no blue skies, no golden sands, just her and a crew she trusts. Doing something she loves; chasing cold water mountains.
You can listen to Easkey on the Tough Girl Podcast.
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Show notes
Who is Easkey and what she does
Being a lover of the ocean
Wanting to understand how we relate to the world
Growing up by the beach
Having a connection with the ocean
Meeting other women who surfed
Starting to compete at a young age
The limited pathways for women in surfing
What it was like in the early 90s
Getting into free surfing and exploring new waves
The link between science and surfing
Being an agent of change by Surfer Magazine
The sport of surfing with women in Iran
How her relationship with surfing has changed
The ripple effect
Filming a documentary
Spending time by the ocean
The healing power of water
Blue Health
Book - Blue Mind: How Water Makes You Happier, More Connected and Better at What You Do
Blue Mindfulness - How big wave surfing has taught me to live in the moment
The mental training for big wave surfing
Learning to trust her body
Spending time away from the water
How has surfing changed over the past 30 years
Gender equality in surfing and the work being done to close the gender gap
Representation in surfing and how do you create a more inclusive ocean
How do you break down barriers and create more opportunities
The work of Lauren Hill Book: She Surf: The Rise of Female Surfing
Who are the women that have inspired Easkey
The power of one women story
The influence of mentors
Meet Wolfie! (The dog!)
Having the idea for the book and putting pen to paper
Keeping a journal to keep track of her own thoughts
Being full time in academia and wanting to write more freely
Not seeing women in front of or behind the camera
The feminine perspective of surfing and sharing that
Plans for the future
Working as a blue health researcher in relation to surf therapy
Putting the science into practice
Connect with Easkey
The meaning behind her name and where her name comes from
Final words of advice for women who want to get more ebb and flow in their life
The power of breath
Learning to let go in water
Taking a moment to reset
What to do if water holds fear for you
Social Media
Website: https://easkeybritton.com
Instagram: @easkeysurf
Twitter: @Easkeysurf
Book: Saltwater in the Blood
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