From Yoga Skeptic to True Believer
Living in Park City, it's almost a prerequisite to play outdoors. Having moved here five years ago, I've fulfilled this requirement (and then some) with mountain biking, hiking, skate skiing, snowshoeing and of course, downhill skiing.
So, imagine my surprise when I took my first yoga class and discovered that yoga is not just "stretching for wimps." Before you stop reading, know that I was as skeptical as the best of them. Think yoga is just a bunch of hippies sitting cross legged, burning incense and chanting? Yep, I did too.
In reality, you never have to sit cross legged, incense is rarely used and the chanting is limited to an "Om" or two. As for the hippie part, some of the finest athletes in Park City are yoga converts, including members of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me.
An Olympic athlete I am not. In fact, you might even call me a klutz. I have numerous scars, bumps and bruises from my many mountain sports to prove it. For me yoga has become the perfect complement to my active pursuits since it tightens my core, strengthens my legs and creates lean muscle mass in the process.
Don't worry about not knowing Downward Dog pose from Crane pose. All of the instructors in Park City are adept at explaining these poses (not all of which have animal names.) Most importantly, these gifted yogis ensure that you are in proper alignment, thereby avoiding strain on joints and tendons.
Yoga has also helped me with injury prevention (let's ignore the fact that I missed a switchback a few weeks ago and toppled into the brush.) With its focus on flexibility and balance, yoga allows you to pull out of a fall more easily and if it does happen, it's significantly less severe. The aforementioned fall resulted only in a bruised foot as opposed to a sprained ankle.
The best benefit of yoga is how it quiets my overactive "monkey mind." As a mother of twins who works from home, my thoughts are always ricocheting around my brain, like a monkey swinging frivolously from tree to tree. A key yogic principle is focusing on your breath. This allows me to focus on the present moment, a true gift in the multitasking world of motherhood. Best of all, I leave feeling refreshed and renewed which in the end makes me a better writer, wife, mother and weekend warrior.
Yoga Studios in Park City
Lululemon Showroom: Next to Good Thymes, Kimball Junction; 435.655.2601
Park City Yoga Studio: Across from Taco Maker in Prospector; 435.655.9642
Tadasana Yoga Studio: Behind the Jeremy store; 435.649.7260
The Shop Yoga Studio: Across from the library in Old Town; 435.649.9339
Liz Yokubison is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Park City Magazine. In addition to writing, mountain sports and yoga, her passions also include her husband and 9-year-old twins. Find her on the web at www.lizyokubison.com.
Email
Print
Feed
Your comment may be edited for brevity and foul language.
Reader Comments:
Yoga is not just a physical exercise regiment but was founded as a Hindu philosophy back in the Mauryan Dynasty (322-185 BC.) If the exercises help you clear your mind, then you're half way there to explore the significance of the philosophy.