Are you ready to become your most confident, fluid, in-tune surfer? Go to 5:19 for a Surf Hypnosis Meditation - BUT NOT WHILE DRIVING!

And now, a brief farewell, dear friends. I began these conversations three years ago with women surfers to find out if surfing had transformed them as profoundly as it had me. Check! It has been such a gift to interview dozens of ROCKING women, and be moved, and lifted, by their stories. As I reflect back over the conversations, I see one clear throughline: surfing is more alchemy than sport, or even therapy - it helps women tap into a sacred power source within ourselves. As a hypnotherapist, I am finding a similar alchemy. And so in this parting episode, I leave you with a Surf Hypnosis Meditation. It starts at 5:19 if you want to bookmark it , but please DON'T LISTEN TO THAT PART WHILE DRIVING! Find a comfortable position, tune out the world, and let your own powerful mind transform you into the surfer you truly want to be.  

With all my love, you belong in the water!
Sheila

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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REWIND UPDATE: Just a short 32 months ago (!!!) I interviewed the spectacular ER Doctor, Candice Myhre, who saves surfers and regular humans from death and destruction on the regular.  In that episode, she mentioned a book she was planning to write, and now she’s done it! Well, ALMOST done it! Her manuscript for Sex, Surf, Sutures, Scars: A Surf Doctor’s Story of Love and Trauma in the Lineup is in the final editing stages, book proposal is finito, and she has been firing it off to literary agents.  She continues to create mermazing stories in her everyday life, and uplift women in life and play!

ORIGINAL NOTES: Today’s guest is Dr. Candice Myhre, @drcandysurfvival, surf doctor, ER doctor, mermazing surfer, and champion for equality for women in two male-dominated arenas - medicine and surfing. Coming from a surf city where women were not welcome in the lineup, it took a friend flaking on her to send her on the adventure that would change the trajectory of her life, help her through the rigors of medical residency, and learn that everything is timing. Trained as an ER doctor, Candice followed her passion to become a surf doctor on remote islands around the world, with mottos like “will work for surf” and “expert in the unexpected.” Her most harrowing rescue will have your heart pumping! When she accidentally landed on front pages for her posts about #medbikini, she found herself on the podium championing equality for women in medicine, which she handles with both directness and humor. This is just a peek into an extraordinary life! Her new book, Sex, Surf, Sutures, Scars: A Surf Doctor’s Story of Love and Trauma in the Lineup should be out next summer and will be an absolute page-turner!

👀Questions about hypnosis and hypnotherapy for surfing, or surfing for life? I'd love to know what's on your mind! Email me at [email protected] or come by sheilagallien.com.

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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REWIND TIME! Two and a half years ago, I paddled through an impact zone of technophobia, stagefright, and impostor syndrome to launch an experiment called the Dropping In To Power podcast. My question: Had other women's lives been transformed by surfing like mine had, and did they want to talk about it, and did anyone want to listen? Yes, yes, and yes, it turns out.

It also turns out, that transformation is never-ending.  I looked at the calendar today, and realized that more than 3 months have passed since my last podcast!

The reason is simple. I've been hypnotized. 

And, hypnotizing. 

I have touched on this in the podcast over the last months, and now it is real! I have just launched my hypnotherapy practice, which I love so much that the unthinkable has happened. I actually forgetting to surf. 

Kind of.

I'm so into what I'm learning, and doing, that I miss the window, and instead, spend time mind-surfing, and studying how hypnosis can enhance surfing - in performance and potential, in removing blocks, and in supporting mental health.  The next podcast, in fact, will be a lesson in self-hypnosis, and how you can apply these tools to improve your own surfing.

I may then do some live sessions, or more storytime, who knows? We'll see what you think!

In the meantime, the stories are so alive! I want to reshare some of the most popular episodes of Dropping In, starting with the fearless, incomparable, Aurelie, who trusted me even though I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Until we started.

Aurélie is so vulnerable, fearless and funny - and I am forever grateful for her trusting her stories to a person who had NEVER done an interview before! If you missed this episode, you will love her. If you already love her, well, here you go! And you might also notice how far women's surfing has come in just this short time.

More info on hypnotherapy sessions: www.droppingintopower.com or email [email protected].

ORIGINAL EPISODE NOTES: My very first guest is Aurélie Madec, a born storyteller with a divine accent. Aurélie is a teacher, surfer, and mother, who sculpted her career and life around her passion for surfing.  In our conversation, she shares many pieces of her life, from her pioneering grandmother, having to save pocket money for her first board, traveling the whole world to surf, being a part of Surfing Mums in Australia, transitioning from cold water to warm and back to cold again. She also reveals her favorite surf spots on earth, how she has navigated serious injury, some deep surf wisdom, and the thrill of bringing the healing power of surfing to others. Now based in Cornwall, she volunteers locally with a surf therapy charity, https://www.waveproject.co.uk/ 

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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"Auntie Mo"   - Maureen McNamara - Maine

On Halloween of 2023, when Surfline shared her (now viral) video, we fell in love with a salty New England surfer hurling clean insults and sage advice to an offending “whippasnappa” in the lineup. “Auntie Mo” barreled into our hearts and has since graced our feeds with her elixir of deep surf knowledge, self-deprecating humor, and truly helpful surf (and life) tips embedded in gentle ribbing. Talking to the "the whole Mo," I discovered that “Auntie Mo” is a character she created to manage her own grumpiness about the bulging surf scene and her body’s refusal to act like a grom. For the usual flow of this podcast, Mo’s story is in reverse. An accomplished surfer since youth, she is learning to bring a beginner’s stoke back to her surfing as her ability declines. The whole Mo does not disappoint! She is brilliant, compassionate, articulate, thoughtful, kind, and funny. She is also an incredible talent - writer, photographer, shaper, triathlete, and storyteller. You may be surprised to hear the accent slip away, but the heart and soul of “Auntie Mo” shine through every moment in our interview as she espouses her ultimate mission:  "Share the stoke, and spread the stoke.” But heart-forward as she is, she is no shrinking violet. She has plenty to say about how contests temporarily killed surfboard innovation, why so many people are still riding the wrong boards, and why surfers need to play not just the big notes, but the long ones. 

@waterwoman74 on IG
Waterwomanphotography on fB

Links to the Surfline posts - 

The one that started it all:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CywQqHQxAz8/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Wetsuit Truth Bombhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/Czy2tQAREHq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Video we reference that the journalist shot and Surfline edited:https://www.instagram.com/reel/C09qJLmRHSx/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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“Moments before drowning, she became the sea.” - Mermaid’s Lament

In this episode, we temporarily ditch our surfboards and plunge into the raw power of the ocean, its intersection with salvation, and creativity. I talk with the director and stars of Mermaid’s Lament, a film about trauma, grief, resilience, imagination and…mermaids! Shot entirely on the island of Hawaii with a regional cast and crew, director GB Hajim has created, in his words, “a love letter to all people who find peace in the ocean.” Stars Dayva Summer Escobar and Justina Mattos share their stories of breath-holding, fire-breathing, reef-harrowing ocean stunts, the surreal experience of being surrounded by dozens of mermaids, the development of trust, and the power of risk. We dig into the heart of art, and I couldn’t help but feeling, as we talked, that perhaps this surge in women’s surfing, and women’s community, is its own art form. As Dayva says, “Our job as human beings is to tell stories and share experiences that make everybody else feel less alone.” And, in surfing, art, and life, may we all follow GB’s advice, “Go out there and fail wondrously.” Listen and enjoy the passion and brilliance of these deeply authentic artists and if you are on the island, don’t miss it on the big screen!

11/17, 7pm, Hilo Palace Theater Tickets: https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/716?siteToken=gm8khysj2xp8q7h501dqxk57cg

Silent Auction of Movie Memorabilia to benefit the Palace: https://givebutter.com/c/mermaidslament/auction

11/25, 7pm, Aloha Theatre Tickets: https://prod5.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=347091

12/15, 5:30pm Honoka'a People's Theater: TBA

@mermaidslament

Mentions @sharksofhawaii, @oneoceandiving

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🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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Para surfer Victoria Feige, the winningest female adaptive surfer on record, unveils her inner nerd and offers us a breakthrough that will rock your world: a simple, visual explanation of the mechanics of the DUCK DIVE and WAVE MECHANICS. I promise, you will have an AHA moment! At heart, beyond her injury, Victoria is just a girl who LOVES to surf and has thought a LOT about it (and a lot of other things). Our convo touches on how hands make us human, how resilience informs grit, how neuroscience is sexy (isn’t it, though?) Trained as a physiotherapist who has been both a patient and a clinician, Victoria’s knowledge of the brain and body informs her mission to follow her joy.  Her observation that many of us are born with bodies or challenges we didn’t choose makes her approach to surfing, and life, universal. She also has fantastic advice for would-be adaptive surfers on equipment and wetsuits, available on her site, victoriafeigesurfing.com (I say it wrong in the podcast!) Listen to Victoria!

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For more info on Victoria’s story, see these two articles.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-paralympic-surfer-victoria-feige-knows-how-to-be-strong-in-the-water/

https://www.buttermag.io/surf/victoria-feige/

🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and get a love poem from the ocean - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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🏄‍♀️“Surfing well with a smile is the best revenge.” Mindy Pennybacker 🏄‍♀️  Mindy Pennybacker, lifelong soul surfer, author, journalist, and surf columnist for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, just released the gorgeous tome, Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii, a history, celebration, and, really, guidebook for how women have ruled and can rule the waves! Her axiom, “Our place is in the waves,"  leaps off of every page, a celebration of ordinary and extraordinary women surfers with a shared love of surfing. Mindy’s personal story spans the whole saga of women elbowing their way onto waves from Gidget to today, and glorious moments in between the jostling. Mindy jokingly calls herself a “brain in a jar,” which is accurate only in reference to her intelligence and wit. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground! She recounts tales of the great Hawaiian surf goddesses who were revered, and coveted, for their prowess. The struggle with body image and sense of self, even with the most accomplished women surfers, like Carissa Moore (whom she interviewed twice for her book). She digs into the gender wars in the lineup, with brilliant solutions for the onslaught of the three invaders: hotshots, visitors and groms. We delve into what it was like growing up in Hawaii in the surf scene of the 60s and 70s, the Tonng’s gang of boys who encouraged and protected her, being marginalized, alternately dropped in on and mentored by famous watermen, being nearly beaten up, and being cheered. What else? Pro surfing, friendships, harrowing moments, pioneers, life. And, being accidentally barreled. Mindy talked to countless women, famous and not, for her book. Their stories are now woven into hers, and ours. Don’t miss this episode! 

Buy the book: https://mutualpublishing.com/product/surfing-sisterhood-hawaii/

Love the podcast? Buy me a coffee !  ☕️☕️☕️

🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and get a love poem from the ocean - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️

Other references:

Surf Girls Hawaii on Amazon Prime

Important movies about the history of Hawaiian surf (though NOT women’s surf)

Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

Waterman (The story of Duke Kahanomoku)

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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One of the joys of women flocking to the water is how we are learning to cheer for one another. (I know, some of us, ahem, are still working on this on particular days and in particular conditions.) This is NOT something we are raised with, cheering for other women, especially successful ones. We come up against our own competitive feelings (no one should be smart, pretty AND talented), as well as the constant messaging that women athletes are "less than" by the misogynist (yes, I said it) sports industry. I got extra fired up about the inequities still in action for pro women surfers while listening to the last two episodes of The Double Up podcast, about the attempt to keep women from winning prize money, the ensuing coup spontaneously launched by pro Lucy Small (yas, girl!) and, then...the fallout. More than anything, I want to inspire us to watch and support women's pro surfing! In this episode, I walk through the whys, and also the HOW'S of watching women in the World Surf League. Let's get our girls!

Show Notes:

Listen to The Double Up Episodes 54 & 55 about the Kirra Longboard Classic

Links to my 7-part series on Why (And How) to Watch Women's Surfing in the Olympics (principles apply to all pro women's surfing)

Watch at worldsurfleague.com website and app, on Facebook, and on YouTube

🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and get a love poem from the ocean - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️
IG @dropping_in_to_power

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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“To be in the water like this is to be in movement to a musical note, it is to be one with color while painting, to be with a line while drawing.” From the upcoming, Break.

Dr. Stephanie Han, Korean-American author, educator, speaker and self-proclaimed “bad surfer” came to surfing with a dream - to stop the splintering of her family. Instead, the ocean exposed the jagged, reef-like edges, of her marriage, and herself. Though her relationship with water has been complex—the haunting of a childhood near-drowning, years of phobia, and a hella long learning curve to swim—the ocean finally called her home, becoming an integral part of her story, and her life. Through the sublime and the savage, surfing is teaching her to listen to her body, a place once ignored by her powerful mind. Steph’s writing, like her speaking, is ferocious, visceral, intentional, and empowering. As a producer for Hawaii Pubic Radio’s The Conversation, and writer of her Substack, Woman, Warrior, Writer, she showcases brilliant women who are authoring their lives. And for those who have not found their voice, she teaches. You can find her eviscerating, award-winning short stories Swimming In Hong Kong, on her website. And be on the lookout for her upcoming book, Break (excerpted above) where she shares her (surf-laced) divorce story, and teaches women to write their own. You will want to cheer for Steph, yourself, and all women after this episode!

 Website: drstephaniehan.com   IG @drstephaniehan 
Drstephaniehan.substack.com

🏄‍♀️💜 Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and get a love poem from the ocean - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️
IG @dropping_in_to_power

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Melissa Volker found a way to obsess about surfing in any conditions--by obsessing about writing about surfing! A mid-life blooming writer and water woman from South Africa, Melissa’s delicious fiction blends “surf noir” with “environmental romance suspense.” (Check out the addictive Shadow Flicker!) In our pod, we chat about the coastal topography and bathymetry of South Africa’s breaks (get out your pencils) and she indulges my obsession with South African sharks. (Did you know you can get a gig as a Shark Spotter in Cape Town?) The South African waters are wild and intimidating, and though she grew up learning to paddle on flat water in an estuary, the ocean felt menacing to her well into her 40s. She still considers herself one of the most frightened surfers in her lineup, but she has braved sharks, orcas (!!!) and kilometers of open water on paddleboards, SUP’s and longboards. She credits a community group focused on supporting women for getting her off the beach and into the lineup. She also finds inspiration, and courage, in books and courses on surfing, the ocean, and, yes, sharks. Recognizing how her own life has transformed from surfing, feeling “older, but stronger, happier, braver, and stoked” she created Saltwater Sisters with her BFF to share their love and stoke and to empower other women to experience the joy they have found themselves. Melisa wraps up with one of my fave pieces of advice so far: “Get to know the ocean, because not every day is your day.”

Mentions:

Shadow Flicker by Melissa Volker

Stoked by Chris Bertish

https://melissaavolker.com/

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Want to be a guest on the podcast? Let me know!

🏄‍♀️💜 Interested in hypnotherapy for surfing or any other issues? Learn more at www.sheilagallien.com and or schedule a Free 30-minute Zoom💜🏄‍♀️

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