At TRAK we do our best to foster a positive environment for personal responsibility, and to help paddlers live what we call a Life Unleashed. Staying positive in the face of a pessimistic global situation has tested many people, paddlers included, to the limits of their nerve. Sometimes, to fortify our happiness and vitality, we need to look down the sights at exactly what troubles us and take a definitive stand for what we want and what we love.
Particularly over the past 18 months, a series of circumstances, mandates, and predicaments - professionally and personally, have left many people feeling:
The compound effect of media addiction in our society, which manifests in our over-reliance on “expert” opinions and the fear of being ostracized by the people around us, has left a mark on the psyche of many. The body and mind are in symbiosis with one another, and they have a direct link to each other's vitality and health - if you are feeling mentally assaulted by daily notions of fear and emergency, then your body will correspondingly weaken as you lose the motivation to stay active and healthy.
Your mind suffers as your body diminishes, leaving you feeling foggy, unsure, unable to focus, and easy to control. This is the new normal for you, and it is something that you’ll have to learn to live with. Experts say that the world is different now, and it is your responsibility to do your part in keeping it that way.
Many of us have lived lives of relative ease. Sure, we all face hardships from time to time, and many of us have had to be resilient through tragedies or circumstances, but our day to day lives have largely been the peaceful pursuit of novelty. We’ve all had something taken from us over the last 18 months - what have you lost, and what are you willing to do to take it back?
We are taking our lives and health back by KAYAKING. Kayaking engages every part of the human experience: bodily fitness, mental acuity and planning, cognitive response through sensory input, and social intelligence to keep a group together and working toward the same goal. We love it. We use this sport to restore our vigor, and create opportunities to make our own choices. We're the ones choosing where we want to go, without restrictions. We're the ones choosing which risks we do and do not expose ourselves to. We're the ones with a paddle in our hands and the sea under our keel, sharing this human to human experience in nature. Does this resonate with you?
EVERGLADES 2021 - Photos © Braden Gunem
Follow Braden and Claire's latest kayaking trip and other adventures on Instagram at @bradengunem and @eclairecripps.
ALASKA 2021 - Photos © Braden Gunem
Follow Braden and Claire's latest kayaking trip and other adventures on Instagram at @bradengunem and @eclairecripps.
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