Taming the Lizard Brain

Chris Wing, Owner, Founder of H20 Dreams

“It never gets easier, you only go faster” –Greg Lemond 

I read this quote when I actually started to bike to help cross-train when I couldn’t make it out on the water every day but I really felt that it resonated quite well with me and kayaking. No matter how much better I got in a kayak, it still never seemed to matter; I was always still just as challenged, as I was the first day I sat my butt down in a kayak. A lot of what we challenge ourselves to do in a kayak is the exact opposite of what millions of years of “programming” have taught us. This little part of our brain is aptly named the “lizard brain.” This part of our brain is the automated command center for our body, using chemical and electrical signals to tell our bodies what to do. The “Lizard Brain” concept of reality, however, is one of the past, and in order to push ourselves in the direction of progress we have to find ways to “Tame the Lizard Brain.” Join me as I delve into several simple ways to help alleviate this biological limitation through logical approaches all while still appeasing the Lizard in us all.

Chris has been a professional instructor for nearly 15 years, and owner of H2o Dreams, and has had experience with thousands of folks who themselves are trying to tame their “Lizard Brains.” Having a stint in professional athletics and working and training with some of the world’s best whitewater athletes, Chris incorporates his personal experiences with his professional ones, making an exquisite blend of both hard and soft skills in his teaching approach.