yoga+snowboarding

I love snowboarding! Even when it's as cold as it was in the above photo (taken last Tuesday, the 11th), I still love it. I consider snowboarding to be a lot like my yoga practice, actually. Both yoga and snowboarding are very breath-based activities. I find that when I am cruising down the mountain, it's a lot easier (not to mention more enjoyable) if my mind, body (& board!) can become one. In fact, unless I am focused and completely honed in on what I'm doing, I am really likely to fall. Sounds a lot like my yoga practice! How will I be able to balance in warrior three if my mind is racing a gazillion miles a minute?!

Some of my favorite moments in life involve yoga and snowboarding. Perhaps you'll think I'm weird (and maybe I am, but I'm fine with it), but I love the smell of my yoga mat. I love to start my practice in child's pose because the smell of my mat instantly calms me. It's familiar. I also love the sound of the instructor's feet as they walk across the hard wood floor. I love the first down dog of the day, creating space in my back as my heels sink toward the Earth. I love to ride the chair lift at night by myself and catch a glimpse of my shadow cast across the majestic snow-covered trees. I love riding from the Lower Bowl over to Multorpor at SkiBowl because it's silent. I can hear my breath and the board gliding across the snow beneath me, and that's it. I love when balancing in ardha chandrasana feels effortless, when I'm having a really "on" moment in my practice. I love the sound of yoga mats unrolling, even when they mistakenly smack the floor. I love to sit in the snow when there's nobody else around me and marvel at my surroundings.

I love that when I think of yoga, or think of snowboarding, I smile.
 
Namaste, friends!

Tami