Spiritual Skateboarding

The Curb

2012-02-20T19:46:00.002-08:00

THE CURB

The Crew:
Richard, Cain, and Seb.B

Today I spent a few hours at the Riverslide skate park in the Melbourne CBD. An excellent park loaded with quarter pipes, boxes, ledges of all sorts, rails, stairs, humps - you name it. The skaters shredding the park were amazing; one from the Adidas team alongside other sponsored skaters. They were performing 5-0's down a large steep rail, landing tre flips down sets of stairs, and performing highly technical tricks like kickflip to tailslide to 180 out on ledges. It was veritably a professional demo and I could have spent the entire day watching the gnarly action.

However, the highlight of my day was a curb. Yes, a plain old common curb. A curb similar to the one in my driveway. Now, you may be thinking, 'Why would this meshuganeh (Jewish for crazy) travel to a high quality skate park and focus on a curb?!' Well, it's not just a curb... at least not for the three skaters using it.

Richard, Seb, and Cain were taking turns performing tricks on the curb that are typically performed on a mini ramp. Now let it be clear that these skaters are not beginners limited to skating tiny objects. I observed Richard bs 180 flip and tre flip down a set of stairs; Cain casually land bs 360 no-complies up a ramp and 360 ollies over a large hip; and Seb, a fearless speed demon, warm up by boardsliding down a handrail and execute a two meter long nose-grab tailslide.

Yet, here they were skating a 10cm high curb.

Now their attitude had a flippant overtone as they imitated many manoeuvres normally performed on larger obstacles and they were having a blast.

The message is obvious: with a little bit of imagination and creativity, combined with a fun attitude, even simple, small, and ordinary objects can become veritable amusement parks and great sources of joy.

Frankly, I've seen skaters have sessions on ostensibly banal objects before, in fact, many times. But there was something striking about this particular instance: the curb was located immediately outside the skate park, directly under the skate park sign. Viewed from the correct angle, it appears that the sign refers to the curb...and in a sense, it does!

The game of SKATE: The circular and the linear

2012-02-19T02:22:00.000-08:00

SKATE is a game of elimination where a skater performs a trick of his choice and, if successful, other competing skaters try to copy it. If a player fails to successfully imitate the trick, he moves through the letters of the word SKATE. Hence, after a first fail he's on the letter 'S' of SKATE, after failing again, he moves to 'K', and so forth. A skater that reaches the E of SKATE is eliminated. When the leading skater fails to land his trick, the next skater has a turn to lead.

But how is the first leader of the game selected? Through 'stone, paper, scissors', where two players hold up their right hands at precisely the same moment. Held as fist, the hand represents a stone; fingers in a 'V' represent scissors; and the open palm represents paper. Stone blunts scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper wraps stone, so if fist and palm are held up at the same time, the palm is the winner, and so on.

As simple as this game seems, it has tremendous depth. It is reminiscent of a teaching in eastern philosophy where it is taught that their are five primary elements in the world: fire, water, earth, metal, and wood, and that each element is conquered by one another. Thus wood, in the form of a plough, conquers the earth; the earth, in the form of a dam, conquers water; water extinguishes fire; fire melts metal; and metal can shape wood into a plough. The idea suggests a circular relationship between the elements in the physical universe.
The game of SKATE, itself, however, has a linear theme. Players pass from letter to letter until they are eliminated and only one skater is left - the winner.

I like to imagine that the circular introduction to the game, which highlights the equality of elements, serves to remind the winner of the linear game of SKATE that he may be better than his competitors this time, but there will always be someone who can outdo him. And if not in flatland tricks, in mini ramp skating, and if not in mini-ramp, in academia or kind-heartedness, etc. This notion helps temper the egotism that may arise from being a winner, and helps maintain a sense of equality and camaraderie amongst the competitors.

This interpretation is definitely my own. And perhaps I conceived it to console myself whenever I lose (which is often!). But hey, lets not psychoanalyze me too much!

On learning from students

2012-02-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

'I learned much from my teachers;
More from my colleagues;
But my students taught me the most of all'
[The Talmud]

On Sunday, Raph Brous and I took a group of kids skateboarding. An initiative of Rabbi Shlomo Nathanson, Chabad of Port Melbourne.

We sat around together assembling their skateboards...

...then went to a local undercover skate park for some fun...

...as usual, I drove Raph up the wall...

...I expected we'd all just skate together, but, as most of the kids were beginners, I was informally asked to teach them some basic skateboarding skills. I was also invited to share some Torah...

...OK so we got a little distracted...

.. however, the experience brought my attention to the wonders of teaching; a time to reflect on the ancient truism that one learns more from one's students than one's teachers.

Indeed, why is this the case?

Here are a few reasons:

a. Articulation: In order to communicate a thought, one must fragment it into its parts and then translate it into words. As a result, one ends up focusing on the details and nuances of the thought. Concerning this, Kabbalah teaches that speech and thought create a feedback loop of mutual enhancement. Normally, speech is fed by thought - for one communicates what one thinks - however, in articulating thoughts in the speech act, thoughts are amplified and elaborated within the speaker's mind.

b: Questions: In asking their teacher questions, students force the teacher to dig deeper into his conception of the subject in order to provide his students with adequate answers.

c. Preparation: Knowing that one will have to share ideas with students encourages one to comprehend subject matter thoroughly and viscerally. For only then can one effectively share it with students.

d. Insights: 'A small spark can ignite a large fire.' This quote from the Talmud is said in reference to a teacher learning from his students. A student may have an insight into a topic which, on the surface, may appear simple and inarticulate, even confused. Yet, an adept teacher can see the potential in the insight and expand upon it, revealing its sophistication and profundity.

A soul of life - skating with a missing leg!

2012-02-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

There are two sources of life, one external and the other, internal. The external source includes air, water, food, clothing shelter, etc; while the internal source consists of energy flow from the soul: motivation, inspiration, creativity, love and kindness, etc. These energies animate and invigorate the body.

Clearly, both are indispensable, but which is primary?

Describing the creation of Adam, the first person, the verse states, "...G-d fashioned Adam from the dust of the earth and blew into his nostrils a soul of life." Before Adam inhaled his first breath - or ate his first slice of pizza! - he was already a living being on account of his soul. This indicates that the soul is the primary source of human life.

These sources of life find their parallel in 'skate-life'. The internal life-source constitutes a skater's motivation and passion, hope, courage, psychological resilience, etc. Whereas the external source is a skater's physical health, agility, muscle strength, etc.

Of course the two are interdependent and reciprocal. The health of the body influences an individual's courage and motivation, and one's enthusiasm and hope typically inspire one to develop one's physique. Nonetheless, it's apparent that the two are separable. Some skaters are physically healthy and strong but, lacking passion, determination, and courage, remain mediocre skateboarders. On the other hand, there are skater's lacking a sound body, but whose determination, optimism, and creativity lift their skating to the highest of heights.

One would assume that healthy legs are essential for a skater's performance. A missing leg in 'skate-life' is almost analogous to the absence of oxygen in life proper. Ostensibly, it should preclude or bring an end to a skateboarding career. Joe Comer, a world class skater with only one leg, proves this wrong! His incredible story proclaims that life resides predominantly in the soul; it brings the notion of a 'soul of life' to life..

The soul's soul and the trick's trick

2012-02-01T22:45:00.000-08:00

'Behind every trick lies a trick!'

Typically, people imagine soul to be a white ghost-like entity that mysteriously enlivens the body and survives the body's demise. Though there's some truth to this notion, overall it's simplistic and misleading. In fact, soul consists of several layers, each serving as soul for a more external layer.

This concept is not as mysterious as it may initially sound. Actions, for instance, are motivated by emotion. Hugging a friend, for instance, may be motivated by affection; helping a stranger in strife may be motivated by compassion; while raising a fist may be incited by feelings of anger. Emotions are the soul of action.

However, emotions themselves are guided by intellect. How we frame an event strongly determines our emotional response to it. Furthermore, once emotion has been aroused, intellect guides it to find expression in a refined and meaningful way rather than as a raw and unmitigated impulse. Intellect is soul to emotion.

But what causes one to understand experiences in particular ways? What generates the first thoughts that pop into the mind and largely shape our first impressions of things? This is the subconscious. The subconscious is soul to conscious intellect.

If we observe some of the key terms for 'soul' in Kabbalah literature, we find they relate to the element of air. For example, Ruach denotes wind, and Neshamah denotes breath. Why is soul compared to air?

Compared to the other central elements of fire, water, and earth, air is imperceptible. We live within air and yet are largely unaware of it. Even when we 'see' a strong wind blowing, it's not the air per se that we see, only its effect on denser and more conspicuous objects. Hence, we don't see the air in a tornado, only the debris which surrounds it. Analogously, soul in itself is invisible, its energy is felt only in its influence on the dense and visible body.

Every skateboarding trick also has layers of 'soul', detected only through the concrete actions of a skater's execution of a trick. One level of soul is the skater's knowledge of the correct footing and landing, alongside other information concerning correct technique. These are usually learnt from trick tips or by observing others performing a trick.

However, a deeper, more elusive soul exists. After one practices the explicit details of trick tip instructions many times, one develops a unified sense of how to perform the trick, one which no longer requires conscious thought about how to perform it. It simply flows from the skater in his unique style, his personal rendition of the trick. Though this level of soul is clearly visible in an adept skater's performance, it cannot be communicated through language or grasped through analysis. It is captured only through personal experience, through repeated performance of the trick. This apect of any trick is truly elusive like air. All of an observer's perceptions of it are akin to seeing the debris surrounding a tornado...

The Tree of Life, the human body, and the skateboarder

2012-01-25T17:08:00.000-08:00

'Let Us make Adam in our image and in our form'

The above verse intimates that the human is created in the image of the Divine. In fact, every human body part corresponds to a particular spiritual energy or Sefirah:

The skull corresponds to Keter, subconscious will;
the right hemisphere of the brain relates to Chochmah, creative, spontaneous thought;
the left hemisphere relates to Binah, analysis and language;
the right arm parallels Chessed, loving-kindness;
the left arm, Gevurah, judgement, strength, and sternness;
the Torso corresponds to Tiferet, beauty and balance;
the right leg is associated with Netzach, dominance and victory;
the left leg, Hod, submission and surrender;
the genitals relate to Yesod, foundation and bonding;
and the mouth relates to Malchut, sovereignty and interface.

The first three qualities form the cognitive triad; the second three, the emotional triad, and the next three, the functional triad. In addition, the three qualities on the right side, all expansive and flowing in character, form the 'right pillar', while the three on the left, all limiting and rigid, make up the 'left pillar'. The four qualities in the middle balance the qualities on the right and left, constitute the 'middle pillar'.

The qualities are not isolated and independent but interactive and interpenetrating. And, though the number of connections and patterns are extremely complex and varied, there are four basic relations which I'd like to touch upon:

1. the 'descent' of the cognitive triad to the functional triad;
2. the 'ascent' of the functional to the cognitive;
3. the inclusion of the right pillar within the left; and,
4. the inclusion of the left pillar within the right.

1. When engaged in a practical activity such as washing the dishes or driving a car, the primary triad operating is the functional one. One bonds (Yesod) with the goal of the activity (having clean dishes), applies one's dish washing habits and skills to clean all the dishes as efficiently as possible (Netzach), and one is sensitive (Hod) to the fragility of the dishes so that one does not rough-handle and damage them. However, clearly, the cognitive faculties guide the functional so that they express themselves in the most effective ways.

2. On the other hand, when one is involved in an intellectual activity such as study, it's primarily one's cognitive triad that is engaged. Yet, one often uses his body to assist the thinking process, such as using the fingers to help count, to relate a teaching to another in order to clarify it within one's own mind, or, through experimentation and experience one's comprehension of a concept is profoundly enriched. The functional triad is thus included within the cognitive triad.

3. When one is engaged in helping another, it is the right pillar, the pillar of flowing kindness, that is prevalent. Still, one must employ judgement and self containment, the left pillar, to ensure that one doesn't squander resources or smother the recipient with generosity.

4. Conversely, when one expresses sternness, as when one must discipline children or employees, kindness must be included in order to temper the sternness so that it expresses itself politely, sympathetically, and hence, constructively. The right pillar is included within the left.

The basic movements of the body in skateboarding can be viewed as depicting these fourfold connections between the Sefirot:

1. Crouching: the head is lowered toward the legs; the cognitive triad 'descends' toward the functional triad;

2. Jumping: the legs are raised closer to the head; the functional triad 'ascends' toward the cognitive triad;

3. Turning to the right: the left side of the body follows the right; the pillar of sternness is included within the pillar of Kindness;

4. Turning to the left: the right side of the body follows the left; the pillar of kindness is included in the pillar of sternness.

In all the instances above, it is the torso, related to the quality of Tiferet - beauty/balance/harmony - that allows the inter-inclusion and harmony of the qualities to occur...

From potential to actual: A skater is not an apple!

2012-01-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

At the skate park I frequently hear the expression, 'He's a natural skater', and the like. Taken literally, such expressions make it appear as though the skater being described was born to blossom into a skateboarder,naturally, as part of his genetic makeup. But is this true? And furthermore, does this statement do justice to the skateboarder? After all, it sounds as though the skater is merely manifesting his inbuilt potential, without much input and effort on his own part.

In answer, let's dig into the mechanics of 'actualizating potential'. Firstly, in some cases, actualization occurs automatically, while in other cases conscious intervention is required. For instance, while an apple typically progresses from potential to actual - from bud to fruit - naturally, without any effort on its part, the actualization of human potential strongly depends on the efforts of the individual. It is well known that exercising muscles strengthens them, while failure to exercise them may result in them becoming weak and flabby. The same principle applies to the brain. Individuals that put effort into using their brain to think deeply and analytically tend to develop and refine their thinking abilities. In contrast, those that fail to do so leave their intellectual potential lying farrow. Furthermore, their brain is more prone to deteriorate with age. What is perhaps less often considered is that this same principle also applies to emotional traits. In exercising one's capacity to be honest and sincere one cultivates that quality, and by deliberately practicing kindness one develops that virtue.

However, an element is still lacking from the equation. If we observe the way our potential is actualized, generally, it is through a stimulus. For example, though the eye contains the potential for sight, it cannot be made to see on its own; light is required to carry images to the eye. Similarly, intellect may contain the potential to understand, but without ideas to contemplate, it remains passive. (Of course there is a difference between light and ideas. Light must stem from an external source whereas ideas can be generated internally.)

What this implies is that the actualization of potential is not merely a matter of exercising a specific faculty, for without an appropriate stimulus there's nothing to exercise the faculty with. And this doesn't only imply the lack of a stimulus, but also a wrong one. Hence, by attempting to stimulate the eye with sound (the stimulus for hearing) one will not effectively activate the eye's potential to see. Furthermore, a stimulus must match a faculty's current capacity. Thus, in exposing the eye to excessive light, its potential to see is not only untapped but impeded, as in the case of blindness caused by gazing directly at the sun. Similarly, if the mind is prematurely exposed to highly complex concepts, confusion may result.

The actualization of potential is thus a result of exercising a given faculty by providing it with a correct stimulus and in the right amount.

This notion helps explain why in the biblical account of creation all creatures were created by God on His own - 'let their be light; let the waters teem with aquatic life, etc - whereas in the creation of Adam God employed a mysterious partner - 'Let us make Adam'. For while the potential in all creatures is actualized by God (that is, actualization is inbuilt into the creatures genetic program), the complete Adam is created by God only in potential, each individual must then actualise their potential through conscious effort and the right choices...we are thus God's partners in our own creation!

Based on the above, a 'natural' skater may indeed be endowed with the potential to become an incredible skater. Nonetheless, for the potential to actualize, the skater must exert himself to train and practice, and to provide himself with the most effective 'stimuli' ( I.e. suitable challenges that serve to optimally tap his potential, as above).

A skater may be a 'natural', but he's no apple!

Know Him in all your ways

2012-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

There are three ways of connecting to God:

Fulfilling mitzvot (commandments) such as observing Shabbat, visiting the sick, giving a tenth of one's income to charity, praying, etc. The word mitzvah, cognate with the word Tzavta - connection - indicates this.

Engaging in mundane activities for the sake of Heaven. For example, working in order to afford fulfilment of mitzvot or eating in order to provide oneself with the energy to study Torah and to serve God. In this instance the mundane activity is a means to serving God.

'Knowing God in all one's ways'. This involves perceiving, experiencing, and expressing the Divine in what is normally viewed as a mundane activity; when painting, shopping, or skateboarding...

On the difference between belief and trust

2012-01-10T02:09:00.000-08:00

Regularly, thousands of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's followers would cram into his New York synagogue, the Chabad-lubavitch headquarters, in order to hear Rabbi Schneerson deliver esoteric discourses and speak about contemporary issues, to sing melodies together, and to receive 'Lechaims' and US dollar notes from their leader. On one such occasion a prominent Rabbi visited Rabbi Schneerson. The Rebbe handed him a dollar and excitedly pointed out how the note states 'In G-d we trust' as opposed to 'In G-d we believe'.

Why was the Rebbe so enthusiastic about the term trust? Indeed, what is the distinction between trust and belief?

Imagine a tightrope walker who has carried members of the audience on his back across the tightrope. He turns to the audience and asks, 'Who here believes that I can carry them across the rope on my back?" Considering that the audience has already witnessed him performing this feat, the majority of them, including you, raise their hands in the affirmative. He then points at you and says, "OK then, I'd like you to get on my shoulders and be the next to be carried across." Your heart suddenly erupts with fear and you diplomatically smile while declining with an emphatic, "No Way!"

If you believe that he's able to carry you across safely, why don't you allow him to? Herein lies the often enormous chasm between belief and trust. You believe him but cannot put your trust in him. Trust is the quality that enables one to overcome fear in practice, and in its complete form extinguishes fear altogether.

This explains the Rebbe's excitement about the statement, "In G-d we trust." Many people believe in G-d and even in His all pervading providence. Yet, when times are tough they are overcome with anxiety and depression. One who trusts in G-d, however, walks securely and confidently.

This difference between belief and trust is highlighted in skateboarding. When I arrive at a skate spot, I typically look around at the obstacles available and assess what I believe I can use and what is yet beyond me. Frequently, I believe I can easily perform a semi-dangerous trick such as jumping off a set of 5 or 6 stairs but as I ride up to the stairwell edge I'm prevented by fear. Based on my past skating experiences I authentically believe myself capable of easily landing this particular stunt; my lack of trust in my abilities, however, opens the doors wide for fear to engulf me in practice.

Belief relates to mind; trust relates to action.

Mining the unconscious for flint and coal

2011-12-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

Coal and flint are types of stone. Both contain fire but in different ways. A burning coal contains fire in actuality, whereas flint contains fire in potential. This has two basic ramifications. The fire within the coal is easily accessed, simply blowing on the coal causes the fire to surface. The flint, in contrast, must be struck with another stone, only then does it produce sparks. On the other hand, the fire in coal is limited and apt to burn out, while the flint contains an endless supply of sparks.

In Kabbalah it is taught that the unconscious contains two general levels that parallel these stones. The more superficial level - the coal - contains memories that enable one to effectively and easily interpret, make sense of, or engage with the world. For instance, as you read this post your unconscious automatically emanates the reading skills, word recognition, relevant information and experiences, etc, that allow you to effortlessly make sense of this post. The deeper level - the flint - however, is tapped when one feels that they lack the memories needed to understand the information. One then mentally exerts himself in order to break the code of the presented information - he strikes the flint - and often the unconscious produces sparks of insight and clarity into the subject matter. Memory, like fire in coal, is exhaustible; creative flashes, like sparks from a flint, are inexhaustible.

Almost all skaters tap both unconscious 'stones' in any given skate session. Typically, they do so in a specific order. When they first arrive at a skate park they tend to warm up by performing tricks that they have already mastered, which they execute quite easily and cleanly. Afterward, however, they attempt to learn new tricks where they exert immense effort, repeating the trick over and over, experimenting with different strategies, until suddenly the flint sparks, and they acquire a new skill...

Skateboarding, Drugs, and Kabbalah

2011-12-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Drugs save lives; drugs destroy lives. A difference not entirely based on whether they are legal or illegal, natural or man made, prescribed or not prescribed.

People take drugs for various reasons: to aid sleep or relaxation, to wake up, to have transcendental experiences, for pain relief, and the treatment of mental or physical illness.

Let us briefly examine the nature of a few types of drugs.

Drugs work by influencing neurotransmitters, the chemicals that travel between the tiny gaps (synapses) separating neurons from each other.

Cocaine and Amphetamines (stimulants), for instance, increase levels of the neurotransmitter Dopamine.The same neurotransmitter found to be excessive in people suffering from psychosis/schizophrenia. This is why Cocaine can trigger psychosis. Sufferers of Schizophrenia are typically prescribed Chlorpromazine, a Dopamine inhibitor.

Valium (Diazapem), Barbiturates, and Alcohol (Depressants) facilitate the flow of GABA, a neurotransmitter that slows down the firing of neurons and hence brain activity. This is why Valium aids relaxation and sleep.

Heroine and Morphine increase the flow of (or mimic) Endorphins, neurotransmitters that block the sensation of pain.

Different drugs can be associated with particular spiritual energies within the human psyche:

Cocaine relates to Netzach - Victory/Eternity - the capacity to feel highly charged, confident and even invincible.

Valium relates to Hod - Surrender/Serenity - the spiritual quality that brings the body into a state of repose, calm, and receptivity.

Morphine relates to Yesod - Life energy/pleasure - for when a person's life energy flows into the body unobstructed one experiences no pain. Pain results from blockages in life energy.

The Ten Energies of the Spirit

The basic differences between drugs that save lives and those that destroy them is the presence of Tiferet - Beauty/Balance. When drugs are taken in a balanced and measured way and in order to help one's body maintain balance. (For example, the function of antidepressants is to help balance levels of the neurotransmitter Serotonin, just as most medications seek to help the body regain equilibrium in some fashion.) The end result, when treatment is successful, is the increased beauty of the person - IE. they become healthier and more stable.

In contrast, drugs are destructive when their usage is motivated by Yesod - bonding/sexual desire -which drives one to bond with an object to the extreme. Here the drug user is not interested in attaining a balance. Rather, he desires an extreme taste of a particular state of being, be it near complete escape from the pain of life (Heroine), a sense of invincibility (Cocaine), pure 'love' (Ecstasy), etc. This inevitably results in ugliness, for the individual becomes increasingly unstable and volatile, pale, fidgety, nervous, hostile, obsessed, delusional, etc.

I personally experience skateboarding as a drug cocktail. When I manage to land a trick after many attempts I experience a sense of increased power, energy, and self-esteem (Cocaine). About half an hour into the skate session I become somewhat numb to pain and feel euphoric. Now it is well known that Endorphins are largely responsible for the phenomenon of 'second wind', where during long races runners may suddenly feel a high which relieves them of soreness and fatigue and bolsters their performance. I experience mild forms of 'Endorphine high', where my physical and mental pain decreases (my dose of Morphine), almost every time I have a serious skate. Even the memory of this pleasant experience is uplifting. Furthermore, after the session, as I unwind and reflect on my achievements, I feel mentally and physically relaxed, tranquil, and content (Valium).

The advantages of a 'gram of skating' over a gram of another drug is that you get three drugs rather than one; you become fit; and best of all, its free and easy to score...

Goal Setting

2011-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Goal setting is an important part of every project and of life at large. Goals provide one with a distinct sense of purpose in life, equip one with a yardstick to measure progress, reveal the potency of one's actions - which are seen to bring one closer or further away from one's goal - and help one recruit, focus and harmonize their diverse capacities. However, to be of such benefit goals must fulfil a few conditions:

1. Goals should be clearly defined and specific:

'My goal in life is to be happy';
'I am in this world to fulfill a mission';
'My aim is to progress as swiftly as possible';
'I endeavour to be the best I can be'...

In each of these statements the goal is obscure, making it hard for an individual to know what they really want. For instance, to pursue happiness one must first define what it is. Otherwise one can spend a lifetime searching for happiness aimlessly, pass it by without recognising it, or may search for it in all the wrong places. If a goal is clearly defined, however, one has a 'search image' and knows what to look. They are also able to measure their rate of progress relative to their vision, and can formulate a structured action plan that allows for incremental progress toward the desired destination.

It has been said that regardless how straight one shoots an arrow, if it's not aimed correctly it will miss the target. One may have everything under control, an excellent action plan, and the discipline to progress through it, and yet, on account of the vagueness of the goal discover that, in the end, they still haven't achieved much.

2. Goals should be relatively simple and concise: A simple goal fosters sophisticated and complex plans of action, while complex goals results in confused and stupid plans of action. Goals must be straightforward and clear, one must envision what they seek to achieve, only then can a coherent and well structured program to reach it be formulated.

3. Goals should not be too easy or too difficult to attain. If too easy, one will not grow optimally; if too hard, one sets oneself up for failure. A goal must be realistic and set in light of self knowledge.

4. Goals should be written down. In writing down goals one is forced to clearly understand and articulate them. One is also given the opportunity to reflect upon goals, see whether they match one's ability level, and to decide whether they are really worthwhile. Writing also serves as an intermediary between thought and action. On the one hand, writing is largely an expression of one's thoughts on paper. On the other hand, however, unlike pure thought, writing involves action and has a visible impact on the world. Writing can thus inspire action.

5. Goals should be broken up into sub goals. As one chews food into tiny pieces before swallowing it, one should divide goals into series of smaller secondary goals and action steps which, in combination, lead to the fulfilment of a primary goal. This requires patience.

6. Goals should not be set in stone. If a goal turns out to be insurmountable, too easy or too trivial - remembering that priorities change as one progresses, matures, or finds himself in new circumstances - one should have the flexibility to modify or even replace goals when necessary.

7. Goals should have deadlines. Deadlines speed up progress and foster focus. The challenge of a deadline also brings out people's best. Without deadlines goals are often postponed indefinitely, and action plans - if any - easily dissipate and unravel. Deadlines thus keep the entire program structure tightly bound together.

On Memory II

2011-11-27T04:39:00.000-08:00

We normally assume that memories fade with the passage of time. The more time has elapsed, the more our memories decay. This is only partly true. The opposite is true as well: the more one repeats a memory, the more deeply is it etched into one's mind and the more easily is it accessed. Thus time can either weaken or strengthen memory.

In regards to the levels of memory mentioned earlier this implies that the more transient types of memory can become more enduring ones through repetition. Hence Iconic/Echoic memory can become part of working memory by repeating the sounds or images again and again. It may continue onto short term memory as well, especially if in addition to repetition one makes intellectual sense of it. It may even penetrate long term memory if one finds a way to effectively integrate it with information/experiences already stored in long term memory. The layers of memory are thus dynamic, and through repetition and understanding one can transform even the most fleeting and short lived memories into long term ones.

One factor that determines how deeply a memory will be absorbed is one's level of desire to internalize it. The stronger one's drive to bond with it, the more one will repeat it over and over in an attempt to perpetuate it within one's being. This is visible as a vice in the mental state of 'obsession' where one cannot banish certain thoughts out of one's mind and repeats them consummately. King David referred to the virtuous parallel of this state when he said, "I delight in Your laws, hence I will not forget Your words." He links memory with his level of delight in the subject matter he seeks to remember, knowing that his desire to bond with the teachings will result in their internalization into his long term memory.

The expression 'practice makes perfect' is thus only partially true. For 'practice makes permanent' as well...

On Memory I

2011-11-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

Every trick has many aspects: foot placement, application of pressure on the right parts of the board, jumping with the board in the direction it moves, timing, clearing the stairs or ledge on which a trick is being performed, etc. When learning a trick I often forget which elements I've already worked on and which still require my attention and end up working on the same elements again and again. Sometimes I forget errors that I've corrected in the past and thereby revert to former mistakes. This makes my manner of learning tricks highly inefficient. Clearly, memory plays an important role in the trick learning process.

People typically conceive of memory as the ability to bring previous experiences to mind. In truth, memory involves much more than that. Psychologists and cognitive scientists divide memory into several forms (though the boundaries between them are often elusive): iconic/echoic memory, working memory, short term memory, and long term memory:

a) Iconic/echoic memory are the impressions of visual or auditory sensations lasting for a few fleeting moments after they're experienced. It is this memory that allows one to perceive a series of actions as one cohesive sequence.

b) Short term memory is the ability to remember ideas from a minute to extended periods, without any ongoing conscious effort to sustain the memories. However, the memories are not so deeply impressed upon the psyche as to become permanent.

c) Long term memory is the ability to store information permanently.

d) Working memory is the capacity to consciously 'hold' information while manipulating it. Working memory can draw on all the other forms of memory. For example, while reading this post your working memory draws on your memories of English reading skills (long term memory), remembers the chain of ideas mentioned earlier in the post so that the present ideas are seen in context (short term memory), and it draws on the sensory impressions of the words being read. To hold ideas in working memory, people often repeat words or concepts in their mind over and over. It has been demonstrated that intelligence strongly hinges on the effectiveness of working memory, for in order to make sense of information one must be able to juggle many ideas/skills within the mind from all levels of memory.

Let's apply these memory types to skateboarding:

When skating, it is necessary to see the sequence of movements involved in a trick's performance as one coherent continuum. This requires firm attention to the iconic/echoic (tactile, vestibular, etc) impressions. Of course, to carry out movements correctly and to sense where in a trick's series of steps one is holding at any given moment one must draw on long term memory of how the trick is performed (or short term memory if the trick still hasn't become ingrained). One may then compare present performance with one's memory of how the trick should be performed.

Working memory allows one to keep both memory types in mind for the comparison to be made. When one finds a discrepancy between the two memory types, it may be that either one's present performance requires correction so that it aligns with long term memory, or that long term memory requires modification. Alternatively, both memory types may require improvement. One's 'theories' of what requires correction and why must be kept in mind in order that their merit be tested. Short term memory offers the storage needed for the theories.

Memory can also work at a subconscious level. In one relevant study, a group of people were shown a list of names famous only in highly specialized circles. Several months later they, alongside another group that hadn't been shown the list of names, were shown another list of names and asked to identify the prominent ones. Some of the names on the second list appeared on the first list. The group exposed to the first list were remarkably more capable of identifying prominent names even though they'd long forgotten the names from the first list. They seemed to remember names from the first list subconsciously.

This has promising implications for skateboarders who feel that a lack of any obvious progress renders a skate session a waste of time. For during every session one subconsciously assimilates information and experiences which transfer as subconscious memory to subsequent skating. A skater thus continues to progress even when unaware of the memories underlying his growth...

Of noise and silence

2011-11-15T03:37:00.000-08:00

One frequently sees skateboarders react in opposite ways when landing a trick successfully. Sometimes they exhibit immense excitement, give their friends a high-five, or repeat the trick in front of their friends to impress them. And sometimes, they'll perform the same trick with no obvious reaction to it, they simply continue skating. I call the first type of reaction 'noisy', and the second type, 'silent'.

What accounts for the different reactions?

Let us explore a few possible explanations:

a) If a bottle full to the brim with coins is shook, it makes no noise. A bottle containing only a few coins, however, produces a loud rattle. One who is deeply confident with his skateboarding ability doesn't feel the need to show off, he knows that people appreciate his ability without him having to actively draw their attention to it. In contrast, one who feels rather empty of value and ability, feels that people will not automatically appreciate his skating, he thus actively makes them notice him through noise and pomp.

b) A feather makes little noise on landing; a brick lands with a thud. A skater who is aware of how amazing professional skateboarders are and compares his own abilities to theirs, or who senses that relative to his own potential, he's only actualized a tiny fraction, feels quite small - 'light'. Hence, he makes little noise about himself when he lands a trick. On the other hand, a skater who loses sight of his true place may exaggerate his own abilities, seeing them as more substantial - 'heavier' - than they really are. As a result, he is inclined to make noise when he lands a trick.

c) Compare three types of fuel: moist wood, straw, and oil. Moist wood crackles heavily when consumed; straw is quieter; olive oil burns silently. The reason for the decreased noise in each successive fuel type is the fuel's decreased resistance to consumption. Moist wood is coarsest and most resistant to consumption and thus makes much noise. In a sense, it puts up a big fight. Oil, in contrast, is exceptionally refined and perfect for consumption. It is thus consumed silently.

A skater who feels he's attempting a trick well beyond his level, and whose body and psyche resist performing the trick, is apt to make much noise as he comes closer and closer to landing it. On the other hand, a skater who has the physical and psychological preparedness to perform a trick, does so with greater ease - less resistance - and hence more quietly.

d) Novelty tends to be exciting. What one is accustomed to, he tends to take for granted. Hence, when a skater first lands a trick, he is inclined to feel excited and joyful. However, having performed the trick many times - and has continued to attempt more skillful feats - he has typically habituated to the trick and thus performs it without the whistles...

Love and fear: the petals and thorns of skateboarding

2011-11-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

Love and fear are the fundamental emotions within the human heart. They pretty much underpin all human behaviour. When one gravitates toward something, 'love' is the driving force, when repelled by something, fear is behind the scenes.

These qualities have many ways of expressing themselves: strong or weak, selfish or selfless, passionate or mellow, etc. Thus sometimes love is termed 'attraction', and fear, 'repulsion'; sometimes love is called 'interest', and fear, 'disinterest'; and at other times love is 'appreciation' and fear, 'reverence'. When one's repulsed by something it's because he fears the discomfort the object may cause him. When one is disinterested, he fears that engaging the object will cause him to miss more important and desirable things, to waste time, or be bored. Appreciation and reverence are more refined and civilized forms of the two qualities.

Love and fear are entwined and virtually inseparable. There can be no fear without love. A person fears injury because he loves himself and desires his own well being. One fears for the safety of his own children because he loves them. This is one reason that he feels more fear when his own child crosses the road than when an other's child does: simply, he loves his own children more.

Often one love is in conflict with another love. When a person has a choice between chicken and beef main courses and finds it difficult to decide which he'd prefer, it is because he 'loves' both and fears that in choosing one he has to miss out on the other. A similar process takes place on a higher 'octave' when one desires to give charity to one of two favoured organizations but can't decide which to donate to.

Sometimes specific fears conflict with each other. Should one visit the dentist or suffer from a toothache? Both alternatives evoke fear in many people. Often an individual procrastinates making a choice until he feels compelled to take one. Many people engage in diversions in order to avoid dealing with fear/fear conflicts.

Sometimes love and fear are in conflict. One may love and fear the same object, albeit different aspects of it. Take the rose for example. Its charm and beauty is alluring and attractive, yet its prickly thorns arouse caution. In approaching a rose one feels both love and fear. As a general rule, the further an individual is from an object or event the weaker are his love and fear of it. And, as he comes closer, his feelings swell more and more. However, love tends to predominate when one is still at a distance, while fear increases more sharply as one comes closer, often overriding love and resulting in the abandonment of the object of love.
This is a much repeated experience when skateboarding, for skateboarding tricks are at once highly alluring and desirable, yet also dangerous. From a distance one may imagine oneself executing an amazing trick and feel strongly motivated to do so in actuality. Yet, as one rolls up to perform the trick, the height of the stairs or the solidity of the concrete cause one's fears to escalate and pressure one to bail. This process reinstates itself almost every time a skater wishes to progress to a more difficult level of performance. Indeed, skateboarding comprises elegant petals and prickly thorns. To skateboard is to approach a gorgeous rose.

Knowing, Knowing...Known

2011-11-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

What does it mean to know something?

Philosophers have distilled three basic types of knowledge:

1.Propositional knowledge: a knowledge of facts or statements about existence. For example, 'the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west'; 'David and Debbie are happily married'; 'Einstein formulated the theory of relativity'. An Intellectual knowledge.

2.Personal knowledge: a sense of connection, familiarity, sympathy, or intimacy with something or someone. For example, 'I know David well'; 'I know that park, I've been there many times'; ' I know what you mean'. An Emotional Knowledge.

3.Performative knowledge: one's knowledge of how to perform tasks or activities. For example, 'I know how to ride a bike'; 'I know how to speak french'; 'I know how to maintain an orderly home'. A Functional Knowledge.

In Kabbalah, personal knowledge is strongly admired. In one episode from the rich chassidic repertoire of stories passed down through the generations, a devout Torah scholar left his family and travelled to a distant town to study mysticism from a chassidic master. On his return home after several months of absence, his father in law protested, 'What did you learn there that you couldn't have learned right here?' To which he replied, 'I discovered that God exists!' Annoyed, the father in law pointed at some trees and asked his simple maidservant, 'Who created these?' Without hesitation she answered, 'God of course!' Turning back to his son in law, he pressed, 'For that you travelled such a great distance?!' The scholar replied, 'What the maidservant says, I know!'

The scholar and the maidservant both possess knowledge of God. However, while the maidservant had propositional knowledge, the scholar attained personal knowledge. When the scholar said he 'knows' God exists, he meant that he senses this as a palpable reality; he can point his finger at the trees and genuinely proclaim, 'these are manifestations of God!'

When God provided Adam with a partner, He said, 'It is not good for man to be alone; I shall make a helpmate for him'. Then, when describing Adam's sexual union with his partner, Eve, the verse states, 'And Adam knew Eve'. Why does the verse employ the term 'knew' rather than a more explicit expression? Additionally how does 'knowing' repair the 'not good' of being alone? These questions are indeed difficult to answer if we understand 'knowing' as propositional knowing. For indeed, if Adam simply knew many facts about Eve, how does that indicate marital union? In truth, however, in 'knowing' Eve, Adam attained personal knowledge of her; he become psychologically entwined with her, and felt her to be a part of his own being; caring for her as he naturally cared for himself. Their sexual union was a physical expression of their deeper sense of oneness.

Skateboarding incorporates all three types of knowledge, the most obvious being performative knowledge. Skaters watch trick tips or develop their own understanding of how to perform tricks. Indeed one often hears skaters explaining the sequence of steps necessary to execute a manoeuvre. Of course skaters also have propositional knowledge about their art. From knowledge of what an Ollie is, to which skater originated the Ollie (In 1976 Allen Gelfand - whose nickname was 'Ollie' - was the first to perform it in a pool, and in 1982 Rodney Mullen was the first to perform it on flat ground), to the record holder of the highest ever 'Ollie' (Aldrin Garcia - 45'' - in February of 2011). Most importantly, however, skaters can develop personal knowledge of skating, where through much experience skateboarding, the skater feels that his skateboard is part of his own being, and performs tricks naturally and automatically as though the board was an extension of his self, under the direct control of his will as are his arms and legs.

Personal knowledge is 'good' for a skater in at least two ways:

Firstly, it brings a skater to feel that his skateboard is his 'friend'. When he picks up his board, he senses how much depth, joy, challenge, adventure, and potential lies beneath its plain wooden veneer. Additionally, it is through personal knowledge that one becomes a good skater, exhibiting such incredible control that it becomes difficult to discern where the skater ends and the skateboard begins. It also seems that skating is an intrinsic part of his being. Thus on several occasions, when watching pro skaters sharing trick tips, I was shocked to hear them describe how they learnt the trick and the difficulties they had in doing so. Because of how ingrained skating is in their being, it seems as though they were always capable of skating as well as they do.

Personal knowledge in skating is thus 'good' for a skater's psychological well being, and 'good' in terms of how impressive his skating appears to onlookers.

Dovid on 'The Shtick' TV

2011-11-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Shtick
S26-10. The SHTICK. The 280th show !
Tonights show at 10.30pm on Channel 31 Melbourne, opens with Aviva Kipen, Director of the Jewish Film Festival. Rabbi Dovid Tsap will thrill with his Spiritual Skateboarding. Ami Hasson takes us to his Harmonious Gathering. Best SHTICK ever !!
Watch The SHTICK anytime via the youtube link from www.theshtick.info

Sacrificing beauty: a beautiful sacrifice II

2011-11-05T04:47:00.000-07:00

In its wider application this principle is common. An individual who sees beauty in loving-kindness will part with objects of beauty in order to bestow their friends with gifts. Some incredible people even forgo living in luxury and move to a third world country in order to offer aid to its underprivileged citizens. Rather than barbarically destroying beauty on account of an inability to appreciate it, such individuals surrender it for the sake of attaining a loftier and nobler form.

This brings us to a specific form of such sacrifice, also visible in skateboarding. The top of a skateboard would look more appealing if it's smooth varnished wood was exposed, without coarse black grip tape covering it. Yet, for the sake of having more traction between one's board and feet, beauty is again sacrificed.

This form of sacrifice - beauty for traction - is pronounced in teaching. A teacher, especially one expert in highly abstract concepts, often couches his understanding in more concrete and sensually stimulating analogies and parallels in order to grip his students with the ideas. Certainly in high school, many students are overcome with lethargy when teachers discuss highly technical or rarefied concepts. The discussions simply fail to grip the attention of the class as if they are so smooth that the students 'slip off' them. The teachers that manage to express concepts in coarser and more tangible ways - though adding something foreign and relatively crude to otherwise elegant and fine mathematics or formulae - are most successful at grabbing and maintaining their students' interest...

Sacrificing beauty: a beautiful sacrifice I

2011-10-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

Skateboard manufacturers and skaters are conscientious about the appeal of the graphics on their skateboards. Almost every skateboard has a unique and colourful artistic design on its underside.

Some of the graphics are truly works of art. Indeed, I've heard several skaters say that they feel like hanging their freshly bought boards on their walls rather than damage them through skating. I too have felt the shame of destroying an object of such beauty and craftsmanship. And let me tell you, for most serious skaters, the artwork is pretty much trashed after a mere few skate sessions.

The irony is that skate companies continue to manufacture skateboards with graphics, and skaters continue to prefer impressive graphics, despite the incredibly short lifespan.

Surely there must be some depth to this phenomenon?

(My answer to this question stems from my own introspection and needn't be generalized to the experiences and sentiments of other skaters - though I believe it will resonate with some of them.)

There are various ways of connecting to things. In general, the deeper the connection the more desirable it is. For example, when one produces something, the product is deeply entwined with his own existence. Hence a parent feels a stronger affinity to her own children than to those born to other parents. Additionally, one experiences a quality more fully when he enters into it with his whole self. Compare the experience of learning about law to sitting in on a court case.

Thus concerning one's connection to beauty we may ask: Is one a recipient or producer of the beauty? Does the beauty enter the individual, or does the individual enter the beauty? In the skaters world, the beauty of board graphics is received by the skater; whereas the beauty of performing a manoeuvre is produced by him. Additionally, the beauty of board artwork enters the skater in his seeing and appreciating it, whereas the beauty of a well performed trick is entered into by the skater with the totality of his being.

A Skater thus sacrifices a connection to received beauty for a connection to produced beauty; he forgoes a bond with beauty which enters him for a bond with beauty which he enters. He sacrifices a lower form in his striving for a higher form. This process is stressed in his buying a skateboard with beautiful graphics only to have them effaced through the performance of tricks...

Spectator or Participant

2011-10-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

A new skate park was completed in Fawkner, Melbourne, and a skate event - a 'skate jam' - was scheduled to take place there as an unofficial opening of the park. Raph schlepped me along. The event took place in the evening so several battery powered flood lights were used to light up the park. As it was drizzling, the crowd was quite small, perhaps fifty in total. The bowl was too wet and slippery to skate. Unperturbed, the skaters searched their cars for towels, t-shirts and pieces of cloth in order to dry at least a small section of the bowl. They managed to dry one small patch containing a 'volcano' - a five foot tall, mostly vertical, oblong shaped hump (visible in the footage below) - and the best skaters took turns performing tricks on it. Everyone else watched from nearby.

THE NIKE TEAM AT FAWKNER SKATE PARK

Pythagoras, the Greek philosopher, mystic, and mathematician, notorious for his fascination with triangles, saw the different types of people attending the Olympic games as depicting distinct levels of human endeavour. There are the hawkers and sellers of food and paraphernalia, the competing athletes, and the spectators. In his view, the three types of attendees form a hierarchy based on their motives in attending the games:

The sellers, in pursuit of material gain, are at the bottom of the hierarchy;
the athletes, who desire the emotional exhilaration of triumph, fame, and glory are higher;
while the spectators who observe the competitions are the highest since - in Pythagoras's view - enriching their intellect is their primary focus.

Pythagoras held that emotion is more spiritual and thus superior to the corporeal body, and the intellect, the capacity most ethereal, abstract, and detached from materiality, is the highest and the purest. Hence philosophers, mathematicians, and theorists, who maintain distance from the world by perceiving it through the intellect are most refined, while individuals concerned with the gratification of material needs are the most crass.

From the vantage point of Kabbalah, Pythagoras was somewhat off the mark. Kabblah compares the strata of the human psyche - body, emotion, and intellect - to rows of bricks making up a wall. The purpose in life is to raise the entire wall. If one was to insert a lever beneath the top row of bricks, only the top row would be raised, and the others would be left below. Only by inserting the lever under the bottom row is the entire structure raised. Analogously, in refining one's intellect, one's emotions and body/behaviour may remain undeveloped and base - as was evident in the decadence of ancient Greece. Only when one raises his behaviour and activities by injecting them with meaning and spirituality does he raise his entire being.

This suggest that there are two levels of intellect. One level motivates one to think and philosophize for the sake of thinking itself. This often causes individuals to become so preoccupied with thinking that they cease participating in social and vocational life, observing and analyzing it from a distance. A higher level of intellect, however, allows a deep thinking person to apply his theories and observations in the social and vocational arenas, imbuing them with wisdom and depth. Such individuals do not cease participating in life; on the contrary, they bring the deepest ideas and theories to life, uplifting all rungs of human endeavour.

Modes of being: standing, walking, jumping and rolling.

2011-10-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Every bodily state has a psychological parallel. Here we shall explore the different states of being associated with sitting, standing, walking, running, jumping, and rolling.

Standing involves a stillness and centredeness of mind. Standing allows one to easily travel in any direction one desires. This contrasts with walking where one has already gained momentum in a particular direction which makes it harder to travel in the opposite one. Though standing involves passivity, it intimates a readiness to walk. Sitting, in contrast, implies a deeper level of passivity (being two steps away from travel since one must first stand and only then can one walk.) In sitting, one opens oneself up to influence by adopting a receptive frame of mind. Students, for instance, typically sit while their teacher delivers a lesson.

Walking implies incremental progress. One foot remains on the ground while the other moves forward. The footprints left by a walker are coherent and easily traceable to their point of origin. One overly dominated by his rational mind is a walker. He tends to begin any process by learning the basic principles and then builds upon them progressively by adding and incorporating more information or skills; a psychological growth typical of a standard school text book.

When running both feet lift off the ground. Still, a runners footprints remain quite easy to follow. The increased intensity and speed of running renders a runner both more and less predictable than a walker: more predictable because he tends to be more set in a particular course of action; less predicable because, in his haste, he tends to skip stages in the developmental process. Runners are highly confident in their beliefs and goals and, typically avid and passionate, pursue them vigorously. Running also gives rise to a particular form of jumping, commonly referred to as a 'leap of faith'. Having gained confidence in a given area, a runner may feel that no more intellectual inquiry or proof is required to further his commitment to that goal, theory or ideology. He launches himself into the air and lands on a path of super-rational faith and adherence.

Jumping in general, however, reflects spontaneity and creative bursts which can transport a person into a radically different psychological space. A jumper's impulsiveness, his lifting both feet off the ground and his movements in any direction, makes him highly incoherent, and his foot prints are difficult to follow. He may jump to the left, then to the right, then behind, etc, making it hard for a tracker to determine where he began and where he finished. Ironically, however, jumping strongly relies on standing for its ability. Hence jumpers often have quiet periods where they want to move but don't know where to go (standing). Yet, in an instant they're overpowered by a surge of inspiration and jump into a project or area of interest. Artists are infamous jumpers. They may remain idle and uninspired for some time only to erupt with creative inspiration which keeps them consummately engrossed for extended periods.

Rolling, as on a skateboard, is distinguished from the other modes of movement in that there are no gaps at all in the tracks. The tracks are seamless largely due to the decreased friction in the medium of travel. Rolling depicts a highly desirable state of being where life's events seem to gel and flow smoothly. The more an individual is in harmony with the world, other people, and his own talents, the smoother are his travels through life. This state is aptly couched in the expression, 'He's on a roll!' and is often felt in the harmonization of diverse elements in paintings and songs.

Security versus Freedom: How tight are your trucks?

2011-10-19T00:36:00.000-07:00

Some people prefer loose trucks, others prefer tight trucks. I discovered this upon lending my skateboard to other skaters. One skater kvetched, 'I can't skate this board, its way too stiff; loosen it up man!' Another complained that it was too wobbly. In general, skaters that prefer looser trucks want mobility: a slight press on the right or left of the board should make it swerve in the desired direction. In contrast, those that favour tighter trucks are ready to forgo 'board responsiveness' for the sake of stability and security. The former opts for freedom; the latter, security.

Kabbalah discusses the spiritual qualities of Netzach (dominance) and Hod (sensitivity). The most straightforward connection between these qualities and board tightness preferences would be to link a tight board with Netzach and a loose board with Hod. In the former case the skater dominates his board and denies it 'freedom'; in the latter, he is more sensitive to it and loosens its 'reigns'.

However, Netzach and Hod are considered 'twins.' This is due to their general entwinement and capacity for role reversal which often renders them indistinguishable. For example, in skateboarding one's preference for tight and firm trucks - apparently an expression of Netzach - may actually be due to a Hod-hypersensitivity to the board's wobbliness which some skaters find disorienting and destabilizing. The expression of Netzach is thus really an expression of a hypersensitive Hod. On the other hand, one that favours loose trucks (Hod), is typically after precise maneuverability and control of his board, an expression of Netzach.

Such is the twin nature of these qualities:

Netzach expresses Hod and Hod expresses Netzach.

Framing and reframing

2011-10-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

How we frame experiences largely influences how they affect us and how we respond to them. Psychologists, well aware of this principle, often encourage their patients to 'reframe' aspects of their life: 'problems' become 'challenges'; 'I'm hopeless' becomes 'I need practice at shooting hoops'; etc. However, reframing can also be highly effective for learning new skateboard tricks, as I discovered.

I'd been landing noseslides for a while but continued grappling with tailslides. I simply couldn't get my tail onto the ledge. However, when I reframed tailsides as 'noseslides using the back foot', I began to improve. The same thing occurred with switch 180's which, at first, were totally awkward. Once I re-framed the trick as '180 nollies skating fakie' they became simpler.

In the skateboarding examples above, the benefit of re-framing was largely a matter of making the unfamiliar more familiar by comparing new tricks to those already accustomed to. By no means is this the sole purpose of re-framing. Often re-framing is used to transform a negative slant on a situation into a positive and more constructive one. For example, a skater may attempt a trick for an entire session without success. Having labeled the session a failure, he feels frustrated and disappointed. If he was to re-frame the experience as 'incremental advancement' or as a 'preparation for the next session' he'd feel rewarded rather than defeated.

What must be remembered is that reality is largely how we construe it. We have significant elbow room to frame or re-frame our experiences in more positive ways. Of course this does not mean that one should delude oneself or live in denial by labeling illness as health and black as white. Rather, when one can truly identify a better angle from which to view something why not view it from there?

Meditation V: Visual Imagery

2011-09-10T19:02:00.000-07:00

'Where one's thoughts are, there he is with the totality of his being'

Chassidic adage

The rehearsal of dangerous manoeuvres before their real life execution is a given. Before astronauts are sent into space on a mission they rehearse every move underwater, in an environment that simulates the weightlessness of space. Similarly, soldiers are briefed about battle tactics in order that they carry out an operation in the most efficient and coordinated fashion possible. Often, they'll practice an operation numerous times in a simulated environment until they can perform it successfully in a given time frame.

What's less known is that a significant level of rehearsal and training can be carried out within the mind. For the mind is not detached from the body, and one's thoughts - especially those pertaining to action - have a real tangible effect on the body. For instance, mental self-talk triggers subtle muscular movements of the vocal folds and other organs of speech normally used to pronounce those sounds audibly. Similarly, in using visual imagery to revisit a traumatic experience for the sake of reinterpreting it with one's present level of wisdom and maturity, people often experience intense emotional and even physiological arousal. Likewise, scientific studies have shown that mental rehearsal of sport related movements actually helps train and prepare muscles for competition.

One of my cherished aspects of skateboarding is watching a 'trick tip' clip of a professional skater performing a trick and then sitting down at the skate park and imagining myself performing the trick exactly as I'd observed it. I often find my muscles tense, twitch, and even move as I go through the sequence of movements in my mind. I've also palpably felt fear when imagining myself attempting a dangerous trick and the thrill of executing it successfully.

It is important to note, however, that there are levels of 'observer - participant' types of visual imagery. In skateboarding, observer imagery involves visualizing how the professional carried out the manoeuvre; a mental replay, if you like. This sort of imagery can help one develop clarity as to how a trick is to be performed but fails to effectively include one's psycho-physiological self. In a participant form, however, one actually imagines oneself performing a trick as though doing so in real life. It is then that one's emotions and physical limbs are activated by the imagery.

There are thus four stages to this overall process:
1. Observe a skilled skater perform a trick;
2. Replay the trick in your mind in observer mode several times;
3. Imagine oneself performing the trick - as a participant - exactly as observed;
4. Attempt to execute the trick in practice.

Perhaps the four stages can be summarized as follows:
1. real observation;
2. mental observation;
3. mental participation;
4. real participation...

Meditation IV: Awareness

2011-09-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

Self-awareness is one of the distinguishing human capacities. Admittedly, some animals - chimpanzees for example - exhibit self awareness when placed before a mirror. However, humans have an internal mirror for constant self-reflection and self-discovery. Human self-awareness is also not limited to a recognition of the body, but of emotion, intellect, imagination, and even of self-awareness itself. Furthermore, the human is able to articulate his self-reflection and come to a profound and explicit understanding of himself.

This is highly advantageous, for in knowing oneself one can come to function in sync with his psychological and physiological makeup. Furthermore, identification of one's strengths and weaknesses allows weaknesses to be worked on and improved, and talents to be cultivated.

The type of self-awareness under discussion is not to be confused with narcissism, diffidence, or self-centeredeness, which are distinct maladies of the spirit. In narcissism one is obsessed with his/her own beauty and appearance; in diffidence one is self-conscious to the point of inhibited functioning and spontaneity; and in self centredeness one is disproportionately focused on gratifying one's own desires over those of others. In all three cases self-awareness is not intentional but a fixation. In healthy self awareness, however, one intentionally pays attention to one's behaviour, feelings, and thinking, in order to learn about and improve oneself. In fact, it's through real self awareness that one may become cognizant of and overcome the above mentioned three conditions.

Skateboarding can serve as a microcosm for attaining authentic self-awareness in many aspects of one's being. Here are a few examples:

What is my overall approach to fear management: Do I avoid fearful manoeuvres? Do I recklessly attempt them without giving thought to the risks involved in their performance? Or, do I consider the risks involved and take the necessary precautions to minimize injury?

What is my approach to improvement? Do I have a systematic, theory based approach, or do I progress through the inefficient process of trial and error?

What is my attitude toward those that skate better than me? Do I envy them or praise them? Do I feel inspired or threatened by them?

Why do I skateboard altogether? Do I need exercise? Because my friends do so? Because it's a fun activity and I have nothing better to do? Because I need an escape from the stress of life?

The discoveries made about oneself through skateboarding can be generalized to other aspects of one's life and result in tremendous all round self-development...

Meditation III: Calm

2011-09-04T19:39:00.000-07:00

The human nervous system consists of involuntary and voluntary 'parts.' The working of the heart, liver, stomach, etc, are regulated by the involuntary - unconscious - part, while the movement of the arms, legs, eyes, etc, are generally under voluntary - conscious - control.

The involuntary system further divides into two branches: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The former galvanizes the body for action by speeding up heart and breath rate, tensing muscles, dilating the pupils, triggering the release of adrenaline and increasing blood sugar for energy, etc. The latter, on the other hand, counterbalances by slowing down and overall reversing the sympathetic wind up, bringing the body into a state of repose and calm.

If the sympathetic branch becomes overactive or 'hyper-arroused', an individual can become aggressive, nervous, impatient, on edge, and focused on dealing with the stimulus apparently responsible for the increased arousal. It is therefore important for one to be able to counter by maintaining calm, a state conducive to sensitivity, openness, patience, and a broad range of awareness.

If the sympathetic system is excessively triggered, the parasympathetic system may lose its ability to maintain equilibrium as part of the involuntary mechanism. Voluntary facilitation of parasympathetic activity then becomes necessary. One method for inducing parasympathetic functioning is relaxation meditation.

My preferred form of relaxation meditation involves focusing the mind on one's breathing for approx. 15 - 20 minutes at a time. This is relaxing for several reasons:

a) one tends to feel stress and anxiety on account of the unpredictable nature of life. We are constantly on alert for the next challenge that may suddenly crop up. Breathing, in contrast to ordinary life, is repetitious and highly predictable. The knowledge that for the next 20 minutes one will experience the same gentle rhythmic pattern over and over again puts the mind at ease.

b) the mind tends to imitate the stimuli it experiences. Out of the four primary elements of fire air water and earth, air is the most lightweight and imperceptible. By paying attention to the gentle flow of air passing in and out of the nostrils, one's mind mimics the air somewhat and ones come to feel a lightness of being.

c) Respiration is a link between the unconscious and the conscious; the voluntary and the involuntary. Normally, breathing is an unconscious process and reflects unconscious activity. However, we can also regulate our breathing patterns consciously and voluntarily. Thus, by slowing down our breath rate we influence the unconscious attached to it into a calmer - parasympathetic - state.

d) During normal functioning one's attention divides between several different tasks, commitments, and alternatives. This tug of war over one's attention creates inner stress and tension. When one focuses their attention onto one object to the exclusion of all else, much inner tension is reduced and is replaced by stillness and calm.

The body and mind share a two directional relationship. The state of the body tends to affect one's thinking, and thinking has an affect on the body. For instance, when the stomach is empty, thoughts about food enter the mind. On the other hand, thinking about food triggers the entire digestive system, from the salivation of the mouth to acid production in the stomach. Thus, if a person relaxes his mind, his body will become more relaxed as well, and vice-versa.

A relaxed state is important in skateboarding for many reasons. Firstly, when relaxed, one's awareness expands and one gains a clearer perception of what one is doing. Secondly, one becomes cooler headed and less fearful, open to attempt tricks which one usually finds too intimidating. Also, when the body is relaxed and supple it is easier to control when performing delicate and precise movements. Finally, in a relaxed state, one can enjoy every moment of skateboarding rather than being repeatedly frustrated and angered by an inability to land a particular trick - after all, skating is supposed to be fun...

Meditation II: Concentration

2011-09-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Concentration is the ability to intentionally focus one's attention onto something. There are two general levels in this process: negative and positive concentration. In the first, one manages to eliminate distracting thoughts and pay attention to the subject at hand. In the second, one proceeds to focus increasingly more mental energy onto the subject.

These levels are analogous to the ways one improves the quality of sound on a radio. In level one, negative concentration, one fine tunes the dial in order to reduce the static caused by other frequencies. With static removed, the sound of one's desired frequency becomes much clearer and sharper. In the second level, positive concentration, one turns up the volume.

One way of strengthening one's power of concentration is to think of a word, colour - or any object for that matter - and to try to keep it within one's mind for as long as possible. The restless mind will attempt to replace the mental image with other thoughts. Use your will to continue projecting your desired thought onto your mental screen, revive the image again and again. If you find it difficult and persevere nonetheless, your ability to concentrate strengthens. Remember, strength is typically developed through resistance.

When skateboarding one often fails to perform optimally because - usually without one's awareness - the mind is bombarded with all sorts of thoughts irrelevant to the trick at hand: What's for dinner?; Who am I going out with tonight?; Do I look cool performing this trick?; I'm late, my mother is going to have my head!; Look at that attractive person sitting over there! Perhaps I should try another trick now?, etc. By developing concentration such 'mental static' is reduced, and one can skate with heightened clarity of awareness and increased confidence...

Meditation I: Building

2011-08-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

Meditation is not, as many believe, specifically related to relaxation. Meditation is any deliberate direction of attention. Admittedly, one can direct one's mind onto calming stimuli and attain heightened levels of tranquility, however, one can direct the mind in many other ways as well.

There are several ways that meditation can assist and enrich one's skateboarding. Here are a few:

1. Building:

One of the Hebrew terms for meditation is Hitbonenut, related to the words boneh, build, and Binah, understanding. What is the link between building and understanding? One builds a house in order to enter and reside inside it, similarly, in understanding an aspect of life one builds a mental structure which he enters and lives within. Furthermore, as a physical building encompasses one's entire being, body and spirit, so does the metaphysical building. For understanding not only influences one's perception and emotional reactions toward the world - it effects one's behaviour toward it.

This reminds me of a well known joke: What's the difference between a neurotic, psychotic, and a psychiatrist? The neurotic builds castles in the sky, the psychotic lives in them, and the psychiatrist collects the rent! Through Hitbonenut one attempts to build well informed, sophisticated, and realistic structures within which to dwell, and in doing so not only avoids paying rent to a psychiatrist but benefits from them instead.

Most posts on this blog can be used for meditating on various aspects of skateboarding - and the world at large. In contemplating - and not just passively reading - the ideas presented, one builds structures within one's mind which one can enter in order to experience skateboarding as a deeper, richer, and more spiritually rewarding activity.

Coming up:

2. Concentration:
3. Calm:
4. Visual imagery:
5. Self awareness:

Heaven and earth

2011-08-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

'One man's trash is another man's treasure'

The solid earth supports us from beneath, while the ethereal blue sky surrounds us from above. We walk comfortably and securely on the earth, taking the stability it affords us for granted. We gaze up at the sky with awe at its vastness and wonderment at what it veils.

Each individual also lives in between a private earth and sky. The earth signifies skills and abilities which one has become so proficient at that they've become second nature. These are the solid patterns of behaviour which one performs easily, which one takes for granted. The sky, however, suggests the skills which are still above one's reach, which are looked up to with admiration and hope.

Yet, one person's earth is another person's sky. What has become so basic and easy for one individual is a formidable goal for another.

Nowhere have I observed this more clearly than at the skate park. On one occasion, a skater arrived at the park and casually warmed up by performing tricks way beyond most skaters' ability, even when skating at their best. When I praised his skating ability he was dumbfounded. From his vantage point he was nonchalantly strolling on the earth, not piercing the sky. On another occasion, I witnessed a skater execute an incredible trick only to criticize his own performance as being 'sketchy', that is, far from perfect.

Herein lies the human mission: conquer the sky until it becomes earth, but only to look up again with wonder and awe at the majestic blue sky above...

Motion in a present moment

2011-08-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Can motion be experienced in a present moment? On the one hand we clearly observe motion the moment we cast our eyes on a skateboarder whizzing by. Yet, since motion can be divided into parts: the skater begins at one's right, shifts slightly to the left, and then slightly further to the left, it consists of a past, present, and future. Surely this would place it at odds with a present moment.

One resolution of this paradox lies in understanding a difference between Chochmah and Binah, two of the primary modes of cognition discussed in Kabbalah. Chochmah is a raw experience of reality, while Binah is the analysis of experience. The name 'Chochmah' consists of the words 'Koach - Mah' (lit. the power of what). It is the power to sense what something is in its essence, as a whole, without interpretation. It is the ability to mentally identify, reflect, or sympathise with the external world to the point of engrossment. A state readily observed in the manner young children become mesmerised by and unwittingly mimick their environment.

'Binah', however, is cognate with the word 'bein' meaning 'between'. This reflects the nature of analysis in a few ways:

a) when analysing, one tends to feel space between himself and the subject being analysed. This is in contrast to Chochmah where one loses oneself in the object of experience.

b) Analysis breaks experience into parts, creating space between components which are otherwise unified at the chochmah level of experience. For instance, whereas a tree is seen as a whole at the Chochmah level, Binah divides it into parts: roots, trunk, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, colours, cells, etc.

c) Analysis discerns the nature of an object by drawing comparisons between it and other objects. For example, how big a chair is depends on what you compare it to. Relative to a larger chair it appears small, and relative to a smaller chair it appears large.

Binah characteristically divides motion into segments - a beginning, middle, and end - and thus views motion as incompatible with a present moment. Chochmah, however, experiences motion as a whole and indivisible 'flow'. Therefore, from the Chochmah vantage point, motion can indeed be experienced in one moment...

Three dimensions of thought

2011-08-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

As much as we move in the three spatial dimensions of length, width, and height, we think in ways that parallel these dimensions:

The height continuum, above and below, involves seeing things either from a bird's eye perspective, where ideas lose their vividness and high definition yet are seen as part of a larger structure or network. A shift from the specific to the more general. A kickflip, for example, can be appreciated in isolation, where one contemplates the details specific to it, or, it can be viewed from above, as part of the family of 'flip tricks' (as opposed to full body rotation tricks, etc).

The length dimension involves seeing things as a continuous process of cause and effect. For instance, one can recall their initial attempts at landing a kickflip, see how one performs the flip in the present, and imagine how one can extend or improve the flip in the future. One can look at a trick, or at one's own skating in general, from behind or in front.

The width dimension entails an openness to diversity. It's the ability to see parallel elements of skateboarding, appreciate, and even combine them together. Ramp skateboarding, technical flatland skateboarding, and heavy transitional street skating all have a place and can even be blended together to form new skateboarding styles and manoeuvres. A particularly good example of width in a skaters approach is the accomadation of both 'old school' and 'new school' forms of skating.

However, these dimensions aren't as separate as they may seem: each dimension influences or converges with the others. Thus, viewing skateboarding from above can aid perception of breadth and length since one's view becomes more encompassing, whereas a bottom-up view is limited to a detail and can loose sight of length or breadth. On the other hand, if one ascends too high, the length or width dimensions of skating become so vague as to be rendered invisible.

Length may also converge with breadth. For example, lengthwise we see how skateboarding has evolved over several decades. Yet, in this process it has given rise to the old school/ new school dichotomy of skating which relates to the breadth dimension of parallel styles all the same...

Object versus Subject

2011-08-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

After many skate sessions with Raph Brous, I began to see an interesting difference in our skating styles. Whenever and wherever I skate, I focus on tricks that are easily transferred to most other places that I skate. In contrast, Raph typically takes to a particular obstacle and attempts to assail it as though climbing a mountain. Consequently, his tricks tend to be relatively more specific to the particular places that he skates and less easily carried over to other places.

This divergence in style reminded me of the subject/object dichotomy often discussed in philosophy. The term subject can be seen as referring to a conscious and purposeful being whose being in the world involves a spiritual relationship with the world: a love for his children, ownership of his home, a need for money, and a respect for life. In contrast, an object can be described as an entity lacking consciousness, whose presence in the world is merely an occupancy of time and space. When a subject uses an object to perform a task, it connects to his spiritual being and becomes an extension of the subject’s purpose. Hence, a hammer (object) used by a person (subject) to build a home becomes a part of the soulful expression of the subject.

In truth, a person is himself composite of both aspects. His body is a distinct object inhabiting space and time, while his consciousness, which relates to, rather than resides within, the physical world, is a subject. The more one identifies with his body, the more he becomes an inflexible object, confined by time and space; while the more he allows his subject to prevail, the more he transcends the constraints of the physical world.

On the other hand, we may view object orientation as superior to subject orientation. In this scheme, the two terms can be related to the better known terms of objectivity and subjectivity. Objectivity implies an ability to transcend self in order to focus on a task at hand or to view an issue without bias, while subjectivity implies strong self-consciousness and pre-occupation with the self. One who is objective asks, 'what is this thing?'; one who is subjective asks, 'what is this thing to me?' One who is subjective is incapable of taking himself out of the picture. One who is objective, however, can lose himself in an activity or when focusing on an object.

Of course there's no contradiction between these two accounts. The two terms can be used in different ways. Hence sometimes subject implies a spiritual being and object implies a physical item, while at other times, subject connotes preoccupation with self, whereas object denotes self transcendence...

Of form and matter

2011-08-22T17:48:00.000-07:00

Artwork consists of two basic aspects: physical matter of which it is made, such as wood and paint, and a spiritual form, such as its shape and design. In Kabbalah, physical substance is referred to as chomer, matter, and spiritual design, tzurah, form. The hallmark of artistic talent is the ability to fuse the two together.

Though taken for granted, this talent is prodigious. Form, which initially lives in the spirit, imperceptible to anyone but the artist, is drawn down into concrete matter where it is revealed for all to see. Simultaneously, physical matter is dramatically transformed. What was a gross piece of physicality becomes an expression of abstract ideas and deep sentiments. Matter is subsumed within form. Through art, the spiritual 'descends' into the physical and the physical 'ascends' into the spiritual.

Arguably, this principle applies to most human endeavours and is not unique to art. The businessperson, for instance, applies abstract concepts of statistics to improve his business, and doctors use medical theories to treat patients. Nevertheless, a major difference exists between art and other activities. In most activities, form is subservient to matter; in art however, matter is subservient to form. In business, theories (form) are applied to increase material prosperity (matter), and medical theories (form) are developed to heal the body (matter). In contrast, an artist uses paint (matter) to express abstract images or concepts (form), and someone dancing uses the body (matter) to manifest the joy felt (form) at hearing music. In short: a politician may use the abstract concept of lying to advance his career; an artist may use a politician to depict the abstract concept of lying.

Similarly, divine creativity involves the fusion of form and matter. In creating the world, God clearly combined form and matter. The sun, for example, consists of a physical substance, its matter, as well as shape, size, and function, its form. The same applies to the entire natural world: every entity has its matter and form.

Aside from form and matter, entities consists of a third dimension known as tzurah amiti - 'true form.'

These three parts are visible in human speech:

1. the raw breath and voice underlying all speech is matter;

2. the shaping of breath and voice into particular sounds or combinations of sounds (as in words) is form; and

3. the idea that a speaker wishes to communicate through a specific word is the true form.

For instance, if a person wants to communicate the idea of a house (true form), he'll shape his voice (matter) into the particular sequence of sounds that produce the word 'house' (form). The 'form' of each word spoken is thus based upon the 'true form' in the mind.

In creating the world God utilized the same model. The human, for example, consists of matter, as it is written, “God formed Adam from the dust of the earth.” He also consists of a form that distinguishes him from all other creations. Yet the human form is itself based upon a deeper form, a true form, which is the unique spirit that God wants to reveal via the human.

The human spirit is capable of a top-down response to reality: understanding can comes first, followed by an emotional reaction, and finally, a change in behaviour. God formed the human body to parallel this spiritual nature. Thus the head, the seat of intellect, is at the top. Beneath it is the heart, the primary repository of emotion, and lower still are the legs which neither think nor feel but merely transport the person from place to place.

If we examine the form of an animal, however, we find that the head tends to be at the same height as the body. This reveals the nature of its 'true form' or its spirit: though an animal possesses all three qualities mentioned above - intellect, emotion, and action - unlike the human, its intellect cannot control its emotions.

How does all this translate into skateboarding? At the simplest level, a skateboard consists of a basic form and matter. The matter being the wood, metal, and plastic of which it is made, and the form being the shape and design of the board and its various other components. However, the typical skateboard serves two different functions: a) travel and b) trick performance. Travel is a pragmatic aspect of skateboarding, where the board is simply used to get from one place to another. Trick performance, however, is an art form. Tricks are performed as expressions of skill, grace, and beauty, as ends in their own right.

As a practical manner of transport, form is subordinate to matter. Hence, the skateboard is designed to enable safe and smooth travel. As a medium for expressive art, matter is subordinate to form. Hence, a skateboard also has features which serve no function other than trick performance. So a skateboard (and the activity of skateboarding) not only fuses form with matter, it fuses the two general types of form/matter relationships into one.

This may explain, in part, why skateboarding is such an all pervasive aspect of a serious skater's life - especially in that of one who doesn't drive yet. Skateboarding caters to the two fundamental human needs: the practical and the artistic. The true form of skateboarding, like a cloak, envelops the two poles of the human condition...

The humble rise; the arrogant fall

2011-08-20T04:06:00.000-07:00

'...Though you soar aloft like an eagle...from there I shall cast you down...says the Lord' (Obadiah)
'...and they shall go from strength to strength...' (Psalms)

Something I've frequently observed - and experienced - at the skate park is that a person who swells with egotism upon landing a difficult trick frequently falls shortly afterward. On the other hand, one who falls quite badly, often gets up and immediately lands a difficult trick. Why does this occur?

Here are two explanations:

1. An individual who experiences success may become over-confident. As a result, he proceeds to perform tricks with less caution and limited awareness of what he's doing. In contrast, one who has just taken a tumble becomes more keenly aware of what he's doing.

2. One who succeeds at a trick may become arrogant and more self conscious. When he proceeds to perform tricks his self consciousness steals much of his attention and detracts from his ability to focus on his skating. One who's taken a fall, however, may be temporarily humbled, loses interest in himself, and is thus left with more mental space to concentrate on his skating.

By way of analogy, if you're at the top of a wheel, whichever way the wheel turns it brings you down. If you're at the bottom of the wheel, however, any turn of the wheel lifts you up. The trick is to remain humble in life, for specifically then are you disposed to meet success after success.

Having said this, I've also observed what seems to be the opposite of the above. Chiefly, when a skater lands a trick, he commonly goes on to land many more tricks in rapid succession. And, when one fails at a trick, especially after numerous attempts, he's rendered incapable of landing even those tricks which he usually lands? There is no contradiction. The issue here relates to confidence, not arrogance. Landing a trick can increase one's confidence level which brings one to commit to landing further tricks. While failing to land a trick can decreases confidence, and brings one to a moderate sense of despair which taxes one's energy levels.

Confidence is not to be confused with arrogance, nor despair, with humility. In fact, they are opposites. The arrogant person is smug and expects applause for what he's achieved. The confident person, in contrast, feels capable of achieving much, and is motivated to do so. Similarly, the deflated individual feels weak and impotent and is thus impeded from progressing. By contrast, the humble person feels that relative to what he can achieve he's achieved very little. He too is thus inspired to advance.

Both humility and confidence foster growth and progress; both arrogance and despair bring stagnation and stifle progress.

Shapes and letters

2011-08-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

Dot:

Dots are signified by the letter Yud, י. Yud is the building block of all the other letters, for a scribe begins writing all letters with a Yud and then extends it to form specific letters. The shape of the Yud signifies strong contraction and concentration. The word Yud connotes a hand - a Yad - which is capable of contracting and holding something firmly. Yud is the adhesive element in reality.

Psychologically, the dot signifies the ability to maintain focus on a goal, the ability to hold thoughts within one's awareness for as long as is necessary. Without this ability, one's energy tends to dissipate and one meanders aimlessly through life.

On the skateboard, the Yud manifests as the nuts on the bolts, the strong points of adhesion which, though small, hold most components of the skateboard tightly together.

Square:

The square signifies a platform or a contained area such a room or box. It is related to the letter Heh, ה. Grammatically, Heh is used to signify a definite article - 'the' - where one refers to a specific and clearly defined object. Compare: 'do you like apples' with 'do you like the apples'. The latter has a clearer boundary.

Psychologically, it's important to have clear boundaries and rules to live by. These provide the consciousness with stability and allow one to monitor where he's headed and how he's progressing. Without clear cut rules one is forever insecure or unmotivated to make a move. On the other hand, one must be capable of thinking out of the box - to break the box open - when necessary or appropriate. Hence the letter Heh is one of only two Hebrew letters which are broken into two components. One must have boundaries but not be trapped by them.

The wooden deck, the platform on which the skater comfortably stands relates to the square and the Heh. (The curvature at the front and back ends of a board, which are associated with the circle, offer leverage for the performance of tricks and for directing the board. The basic board, however, is rectangular.)

Line:
Lines are related to the letter Vav, ו, which means a 'hook'. Grammatically the Vav's function is conjunction, ('and'), which connects - or 'hooks' - two concepts together.

Psychologically, the line signifies a direct approach, for the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It is about being simple, honest and straightforward. The key ingredients for a healthy and genuine relationship between people.

The 'hangers' of skateboard trucks (the axles) are two lines running horizontally across the board, connecting the wheels on both sides. Bolts are lines running vertically through the board linking the wooden deck with the trucks.

Circle:

The circle is related to the letter Samech, ,ס which means support. Circles are often in need of support as they are prone to roll away. On the other hand, circles are often used to provide support: a belt holds up a pair of pants by surrounding the hips, helmets surround the head, elastic bands keep clumps of hair together, a hug is often expressive of emotional support, etc.

Spiritually, the circle signifies the ability to move and shift in one's manner, thinking, life goals, etc. Though movement is a sin qua non for progress, it must be guided to ensure that one travels in the right direction. Without control, who knows where one might end up.

The wheels at the bottom of a skateboard hold up the entire board. Yet, at the same time, they are in need of constant control since they allow the board to roll away.

The above four letters and their corresponding shapes parallel the four letters of the ineffable name of G-d.

Levels of awareness: concentration and sensation

2011-08-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

In Kabbalah, awareness is associated with Da'at, the ability to mentally bond with objects of contemplation or sensation. However, Da’at has an upper and a lower level. Upper Da’at, concentration, is the ability to will oneself to focus on something for a desired period of time; lower Da’at, sensation, is the ability to be stimulated and roused by mental objects. Concentration entails gathering mental energy and directing it toward one point; becoming aware of one thing to the exclusion of everything else. Sensation, on the other hand, involves 'feeling' or being sensitive to the the contents filling the mind to the point that one is emotionally and physiologically affected by them.

Concentration bonds mind with object; sensation bonds heart with mind.

Without concentration one's mind is not in sync with reality; without sensation one's heart is not in sync with one's mind.

Concentration and sensation are inseparable: concentrating on something inevitably yields some degree of sensation, and sensing something brings one to concentrate on it. However, there are varying degrees of emphasis. For example, when watching a compelling film, sensation is typically the dominant quality, and concentration on the film follows after it. (Or in other words, if the film wasn't stimulating, one would cease paying attention to it.) In contrast, when studying a subject which one finds rather boring, willed concentration becomes the dominant quality and sensation depends upon it. (In other words, if one stops willing himself to concentrate on his studies, he wouldn't be stimulated by it.)

Ideally, concentration should prevail over sensation. There are at least two reasons for this:

a. mental stability: one who's able to will himself to pay attention to whatever he believes is required of him at any moment, rather than being compelled to attend to what offers more excitement and stimulation, is more mentally stable.

b. Deeper perception: People are naturally inclined to focus on the more colourful, large, dangerous, tasty, rich, etc objects in the environment - those which speak directly to lower Da'at - and to ignore subtler patterns or aspects. The ability to will oneself to concentrate on objects of choice allows one to become aware of and appreciate more elusive aspects of reality.

Many people, including myself, claim that skateboarding is enthralling, bringing one to temporarily forget about everything, including (thank G-d) personal problems and woes. Some people even identify this state of consciousness as a highly focused and meditative one. I beg to differ.

In general, meditation involves the attainment of mental stability, self-control, self transcendence, or an enriched and expanded awareness of reality. Meditation, in all its forms, involves the strengthening of upper Da'at. When skateboarding, however, one's mind is completely absorbed in the activity because of its appeal to lower Da'at. One concentrates fully on skateboarding because the mind is drawn by the powerful magnetism of lower Da'at. In short: skating is very exciting.

However, skateboarding offers a good opportunity to meditate: to practice upper Da'at. Since skating grips lower Da'at so strongly - for one naturally pays attention to aspects of a trick which are more obvious, be it in terms of danger levels, trick technique, self image when performing the trick (do I look cool?), etc - it challenges one to transcend the magnetism by intentionally concentrating on the dimensions of skating which are more subtle and sophisticated, and to develop general mind over heart rule.

Fire, air, water, and earth: the evolution of Skateboarding

2011-08-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

In Kabbalah it is taught that the world is built of four primary elements: fire, air, water, and earth. (In scientific jargon we might refer to these as solid, liquid, gas, and energy.) Earth is heavy, solid, and stable. It is the base upon which all the other elements coexist. Water is malleable, flows downward toward the earth, and takes on the shape of the container into which it is poured. Air is lightweight and diffuses to the sides. Fire ascends, consumes the other elements, and is most lively and dynamic. The elements thus form a ladder of progress from matter to energy, with the element of earth being the lowest (most material), and fire, the highest (most energetic).

Observing the chronological stages of the evolution of skateboarding we see how it has progressed up the hierarchy of elements. In the earliest stages, in the 50's and 60's, skating was pretty much limited to travelling from place to place. And, even when skaters began to perform tricks or engage in competitions, the craft was primarily about exhibiting stability and balance: handstands, one footed skating, slalom racing, etc. A heavy and rigid style clearly predominated by the element of earth.

In the 70's a group of young free-spirited surfers from California began skating as a form of 'surfing'. The 'Z-Boys' or 'Dogtown boys' as they're known, used roads and banks like waves, carving them with the flowing, graceful style of surfers. More than anything, they revolutionized skateboarding by bringing it into the empty swimming pool, skating along its steep curvature. Their skating was akin to water, taking on the shape of the pools that they skated - that is, until they started to get airborne.

At some point the 'Z-boys' could no longer be contained by pools. They began skating with such speed and intensity that they'd ascend above the pool lip and gain 'air'. This was the beginning of a whole new era of skating. In the 80's it was half-pipe skating which dominated the scene. This form of skating emphasized not the carving of transition, but the attainment of 'air' out of the transition edge or coping. It was here that Tony Hawk - by far the world's most famous skater - began to dazzle the crowds with his enormously high airs, and his 720 degree rotations in mid flight. The name 'Hawk' was most befitting for the skating legend who ruled the element of air.

From the 90's till today, skating has taken on a most dynamic nature. Skaters will use every object possible to perform tricks: ledges, stairs, handrails, curbs, walls, roads, banks, roofs, wheel chair ramps, benches, picnic tables, bent poles...everything serves as fuel for the consuming fire of skateboarding. Even the skateboard itself is being using in every conceivable way possible: tricks are performed off the tail, nose, travelling forward, travelling backward, and switch. Tricks have also become exceptionally technical with skaters cramming more and more complexity into their every manoeuvre. Skating has transcended the element of air, it has tapped the explosive energy condensed into the small warhead of an atomic bomb. And it has subsumed all the other elements in its flames, for modern skating incorporates all the former styles.

There seems to be no limit to its fiery ascent...

Rhythm and Rhyme II

2011-08-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

Rhythm is not limited to song and dance; rhythm is part of existence at large.

Birds flap their wings with a rhythm; the night/day cycle follows a rhythm, as does the seasonal cycle. People talk and write with rhythm, walk with rhythm and breath with rhythm.

Rhythm coalesces the multitudes of diverse things inhabiting the world.

The lion is sensitive to the rhythm's of its prey. It crouches in the grass observing the repetitive movements of its prospective meal. With precise timing it pounces. A frog attracts the opposite sex through rhythmic messages; some birds engage in a marvelously coordinated dance prior to mating. Through music many people become united, as in a choir, orchestra, or a dance troupe. And melody itself harmonizes diverse notes and sounds into a seamless flow.

Rhythm is felt and responded to.

A converter exists that transforms rhythmic input into rhythmic output; that 'hears' music and converts it into lively patterns of dance. Humans have an additional capacity of using their own rhythmic output as a new wave of input. He can listen to himself sing and slow or step up his pace and raise or lower his pitch or volume.

Every skateboarding manoeuvre has a unique rhythm.

One must learn to hear this rhythm, to break up manoeuvres into their parts - beats - and to play them with the right timing and tempo. And one must listen attentively to their own rhythmic output to check that its in synchrony with the rhythm of the manoeuvre, modifying one's performance again and again until its finely tuned.

Excellent skaters execute tricks with audible rhythm.

Every manoeuvre is a short musical score perfectly measured and composed - and exquisitely played. This is why their technique is so fluent and smooth, for music affords cohesiveness between diverse elements: different instruments, different people, and different notes and tones. In the masterful skater, it is music that coalesces the various parts of a trick - alongside the skater, his board, and the surface on which he skates - into a graceful melodic unity.

Rhythm and rhyme I

2011-08-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

Many people skate with earphones in their ears, listening to their favorite music. They may simply enjoy music, think they look cool, or want to avoid interacting with others at the skate park. But regardless of their motivations, research has shown (the following post is a synopsis of a research article by Peter Terry and Costas Karageorhis) that there are solid advantages to listening to music while engaged in sport or exercise:

increased positive moods;

pre-event arousal or relaxation;

dissociation from pain and fatigue;

improved motor skills when rhythm is matched with required movement patterns;

music with a tempo slightly faster than one's 'work rate' can aid athletes in stimulating themselves to go beyond their boundaries.

The above researchers have pinpointed four factors that contribute to the motivational nature of music. These are listed below in order of their believed importance. From highest to lowest they are:

1.Rhythm response: the natural response to musical rhythm, especially tempo;
2.Musicality: response to pitch, harmony, and melody;
3.Cultural impact: the pervasiveness of the music within a society or culture; and
4.Associations: extra-musical associations that a piece of music may evoke such as 'Eye of the Tiger' with Stallone's triumphs in 'Rocky'.

They have also studied three categories of sport related music:

1. Asynchronous: Where music is played in the background during a sport activity without any deliberate attempt to synchronize one's exercise with the music.

2. Synchronous: Where one deliberately performs repetitive movements - i.e. running, rowing, cycling, skipping, aerobics, etc - in time with a beat or tempo.

3. Pre-task: Where music is listened to prior to participation in a sporting event in order to either arouse or relax athletes in preparation for the event.

All three have been shown to have beneficial effects evident in the performances of many athletes. Some of the more famous cases are: the Ethiopian runner, Haile Gebreselassie, who in 1998 broke the indoor 2000m world record synchronizing his stride to a pop song; the Olympic Winter Games bobsled gold medalists of the same year who trained daily while listening to Whitney Houston's One Moment in Time; and another Olympic champion, super heavyweight boxer, Audley Harrison, who listened to Japanese classical music before bouts in order to ease pre-fight anxiety...