Sitting alone in a kayak on a relatively calm sea offers the chance for precious space – from stress, from too much thought and from too much noise. Of course the ocean can change in the heartbeat of new weather. Calm on the open ocean does not last for long, but undoubtedly long enough.

To permit a little space in a busy mind is healthy. One does not need to become a mystic ignoring career, family and friends, to be nourished by a breath of quiet. With practice the skill of creating space for a moment or two can be exercised in a crowd, at the office or just about anywhere other than a cocktail party. The value of having water present implies that there might be no better place for meditation than alone on a quiet sea.

The kayak hobby is not about the boat but about where the boat can take you. If the rocks aren’t visible from their cover of seaweed or splashing water, then they’re probably deep enough to pass over without concern. Kayaks are especially good for finding meditation places where an already intelligent mind can put its ego on hold long enough to allow the soul to receive another infusion of eternal wisdom. Much like downloading new software from a higher source, the soul only asks that the chatter of hurry, the voice of past mistakes and concerns for reputation all be relaxed long enough to allow the real center to return to the center of the person. Then intelligence and experience return to function on a renewed and solidified foundation.