As a beginner in the world of Standup Paddle Surfing or SUP a word you will see written a lot and hear a lot is 'Aloha'.
One thing you will be wondering pretty quickly is "What is Aloha?" or "Why do people say Aloha?".

Aloha is a Hawaiian word most often used as a greeting such as "hello" or "goodbye" but it also has a much deeper more subtle meaning than that.

The 'Aloha Spirit' can be thought of as what many eastern philosophies was deem as 'the essence'. The vital energy that all things have which is intrinsically pure. As modern people we often stray far from our awareness of this perfect vitality - we allow ourselves to get stressed, to get consumed by anger or jealousy, we succumb to greed, we speak ill and we fall into other negative behaviors that are all too easy to do.

When we surf we should try to keep Aloha in mind effortlessly. The sea, the weather, the mountains are all Aloha and we can become part of their natural state too if we flow with them rather than fighting or trying to control them.

When we ultimately stop trying we become Aloha.

When you hear Aloha as a greeting think of it as a reminder to re-center yourself and focus on enjoying life and the things that are truly important.

Aloha my friend.