WINTER /SPRING2016
MOUNTAINLIFE
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“Before a contest Iwould always try to joke around
andbe relaxed,” agrees JenAshton, a three-time
IFSAWorldChampion freeskier, known for
routinely throwingdownbig, high-consequence
runswhen the pressurewas on. “Forme, if I
wanted results I always had tobe calm.”
Now retired from competition, Jen spends her
time coachingkids in theWhistler FreerideClub,
a 70-member groupof 11- to18-year-oldswho ski
at a very-high level. Part of her job is tohelp them
find and control their focus and fears. “They are
already experiencing that singularityof focus,” Jen
says. “We are skiing in exposed areas and going
off cliffs, but I can alsopull the coach card and go
‘check the landing.’ I don’t have the drive tohit
big airs and get into thatmoment anymore. Iwish
I did, Imiss it, but I don’t. It probablyhas todo
withmultiple injuries in a row.”
When it comes to coaching theFreeride team
about competition, Jen says it’s about establishing
comfort through repetition. “We do a lot of
mock competitions–pretend contests all over the
mountain to get themused to the fear andnerves,
andhow todeal with thosewhile executing their
lines. Some kids are better thanothers, some take
to it verynaturally.”
The argument has oftenbeenmade that the
lifestyle and sportsmost associatedwith the flow
state canbe addicting anddangerous for young
athletes.Terms like “deathwish,” “daredevil” or
“adrenaline junkie” often appearwhenever an
accident occurs in themedia–dubbed “Extreme
Sports.” Inhis counselling and therapypractice,
GregMcDonnell has experience dealingwith
mountain town addictions of all kinds.He says the
euphoric “high” associatedwith a flow state can
alsomaskor numbother pain and/or trauma.
“Movement elicits the ‘happy drugs’ in our brains,”
he says, “serotonin, dopamine, endorphins
and oxytocin, all of whichhave a direct link
to increasedmood.There is no question these
hormones contribute to a transcendent state, but
there is also a tipping point when it is no longer
productive.”
Greg adds that researchhas shown youngmales
tohave a tendency to search for ever-producing
adrenaline activities andhave beendescribed as
being “addicted” to the next hit. “I think it is
possible to ride this line bybeingmindful once the
flow state is achieved,” he says. “You can enjoy the
bliss for awhile, butmindful awareness is the key
to recognizing it as flow, or spiritual.”
Words like ‘mindfulness’ and ‘spiritual’ open a
wholenew avenue of discussionwhen considering
flow. Buddhism,Hinduism andTaoism all
reference a state ofmindbuilt throughnon-action
that resembles flow andpredates it by centuries.
SarahWoods, 30, is a skier, Reikimaster andhealer
whounderstands andworkswith flow, but calls
it something else. “Iwould call flowmindfulness,
or awarenesswithout themind,” she says. “It’s a
natural state and there is no judgement in that
state—you are totally in the body andwithout the
mind. It’s awareness.”
Woods has spent the last 16months training and
writing inmountain towns inCanada, Spain
andChile andbelieves you can enter a state of
mindfulnesswithout having topartake inhigh-
paced, big-consequence endeavours. “I think you
canbe eating, doing the dishes, brushing your
teeth… these are all opportunities tobemindful
and in the body,” she says. “Those practiced
moments of beingmindful inun-risky situations
canbe valuable in risky situations later on.”
JennAshton. BRUCEROWLES.
