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Original Publication: 9/16/2024  I am so grateful to have been able to participate in my first Surf Clinic with Blind Fitness this year, as a bout with Covid forced me to cancel my joining our first Surf Clinic a year ago.
Santa Claus Lane Beach was a great spot to host the clinic; the waves were well-formed and powerful, and the weather was a perfect, sunny day. One of the more challenging tasks for me was walking from the parking lot to the beach through a rugged and “unblind-friendly” path; it was uneven, with humps, dips, jutting rocks, and extremely narrow in places, requiring that I walk closely and directly behind my guide, and he helped me exactly and carefully where to step. A particular treacherous area was navigating the railroad crossing, stepping over the rails and either onto the ties or the dirt between them, and I am fascinated how the tracks have been constructed along this stretch so close to the ocean. If this is a popular surfing beach, I am somewhat surprised that a safer and more accessible path has not been created. That said, all the preliminaries were well-planned, and the tents were in place upon the arrival of us participants and volunteers. I was captivated by how much detail goes into preparing us to hit the water, let alone atop surf boards, and how quickly I had forgotten how SAND invades EVERYTHING! I already was aware of the challenge maneuvering my arms and legs into a wet-suit, but it’s actually a fun challenge, and I received lots of help and encouragement from volunteers on the surf team. Before we hit the water, Chris from Surf Happens gave us a talk about embracing nature, the ocean and its waves, and our bodies as we interact with water, wind, sun and sand, and I am so impressed by him, and his entire team, and how knowledgeable they are of wave formation, angles, size, shape and overall flow according to the type and size of a specific beach. They were so patient and helpful to me, and to all of us participants. When it came to my turn to hit the water and surf for the first time, I was gun-shy about climbing onto the board, and chose to lie down both times and not stand, as my balance now has lessened than in my younger days. With the movement of the water, I did not feel comfortable riding on it, either lying down, or propping myself up on my knees, it felt really awkward. The volunteers did a great job holding and guiding the surf-board, so the discomfort really was on me. I was humbled to hear that there were some stud surfers standing up on their boards, out there on the water, WAY MORE advanced than I probably will ever be. Regarding balance, I even discovered this when body-surfing, as I used to be more sure-footed walking along the sea-bottom and dodging waves when paddling out to catch another wave in. Since body-surfing is probably my favorite participatory sport, I dove into the water and waves literally head-long. I had the most fun body-surfing as I have had in probably 40 years, as the waves were bigger and more powerful, and I again got to embrace the ocean and feel its might, enjoying the ride of a wave; hearing a wave breaking directly ahead of me, then ducking under to dodge it as it rolled over me was thrilling! I felt so liberated going out onto the water again, with a new realization how powerful the ocean and its waves are. The real high-point of my day had nothing to do with surfing, body-surfing or the ocean, but the chance I got to meet and talk with Frankie for the first time. I took the opportunity to encourage him, tell him how capable he is and will be to adapt to his sight loss, and so proud I am of him for his growth and ability to adjust and regrip his life since I first met him in our Braille Institute Men’s Support Group probably more than a year ago. I look at Frankie and realize how much more he has suffered than I have, and with all the blessings and opportunities I have been given through my entire life, I am called to pass those blessings and opportunities forward as much as I can to a brother like Frankie. In summary, the surf clinic was a blast, and I’m so grateful I was healthy this year and able to attend and participate. I deeply appreciate the hard work all our volunteers put in to enable the entire surf clinic to run so smoothly,--to the Goleta/Santa Barbara Lions Clubs and Kyle’s Kitchen for providing our lunch, Surf Happens, . . and any other partners or organizations I inadvertently have omitted. Respectfully, Bob Burnham, Blind Fitness Board Chair/President Original Publication: 5/13/2024  I have long been an advocate for social justice. As a female of mixed ethnicities I have been able to view and experience the world from the outskirts. Despite the “two strikes against me”, I know I am privileged in other ways. I am a passionate ally for Ableism. Ableism, per the Center for Disability Rights, is defined as a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other.
From the beginning of my career as a yoga instructor, I worked with elders, the ill and various abled individuals. As part of this journey, I was invited to join a team of teachers in providing an accessible yoga class affiliated with an established community rehabilitation center. One of the teachers was Brianna Pettit, founder and executive director of Blind Fitness. During one of the classes that she guided, we were invited to experience it wearing a nightshade (blind fold), from beginning to end. I accepted and in doing so assumed the role as a student and someone who needed assistance. This is my experience: I was guided into the room and to a chair. Mindfully I moved into my seat, determined to get my bearings and fully understand where I was and what I was with. Chair, check. Feet on the floor, check. The yoga props available to me and where they were located, check check. Various voices in the room and what direction they were coming from, check. When class began, I zoned in on Brianna’s voice like sonar. As the class progressed, I felt my body awareness deepen: I was less connected with the world and more connected within on every level. As a result, many of my movements were slow and intentional. When class neared the end, we were given the option of moving down to the ground for a restorative pose. I decided to get down on the floor and accepted it as a challenge. I had to trust my team mate with my sense of safety. I felt cared for as I was assisted down and into a restorative pose, for I didn’t exactly know where my bolster and yoga blocks were due to the transition. Once I was laying down in a reclined butterfly pose, my team mate covered me and very gently tucked a blanket around my ankles and feet, creating a cocoon. As I lay there, entrusting her and allowing myself to be vulnerable, I cried. They were not fears of feeling inept, but of feeling respected and loved. The experience was tenderizing, humbling and heart opening. When one of our human senses is reduced, there is a tendency for one or more of our other senses to increase. This was true for me when it came to my hearing and sense of receiving touch. When my teammate mindfully enfolded my feet and ankles, I was very aware of her hand motions and how they registered such respect and thoughtfulness. As I rested, I went deeper into my physical and emotional body. Moved to tears, my insight reached a new level of compassion and appreciation. I realized how much I rely on my vision for balance, bearings and bronze. Mind you this was a space I was familiar with, with someone I knew and doing a form of exercise I know like the back of my hand. I wondered, “What about individuals who are not familiar with a space, the movements, instructions or people??" Though I felt shy of confidence and certainty, I felt more intimately connected within myself and my colleague. As the tears gathered behind my nightshade, I began to fully comprehend the gift given to everyone who assists another individual. In order to receive support, you have to offer your trust and a percentage of your self autonomy. When you offer assistance, you are greatly entrusted. It is a truly reciprocal relationship. I have always considered it an honor when any yoga student or client has entrusted me, but I now recognized how precious a gift it can be. Let me be clear, the gift of one’s trust is not recognized as a “hand-up”; they are not less than me. However, as a fellow human, we need to value what it means to trust one another. It is like giving someone a piece of your heart; we all have a heart we are afraid it can be broken. This experience gave me greater insight and appreciation, not merely of the difference in physical abilities, but of the intricately that connects us all; our humanity. By Tania Isaac, Executive Director Original publication: 6/9/2023
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As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the state of California. Donations to Blind Fitness are tax deductible
EIN Number: 87-2740782 | IRS Determination Letter
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