Yoga for Skiers and Snowboarders

I was just in Aspen, CO the beginning of November and the beautiful mountains are already snowcapped.    There is so much buzz and excitement as the ski season approaches with more fresh snow on its way out West, the chill in the air at home in Illinois and the latest ski and snowboard movies on tour to awe us and pump all of the skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts up for the season.  I’m so excited for it all!  But mostly for the Pagosa Springs, Colorado hot springs,  snowboarding/skiing and yoga retreat guided by Alchemy Tours, February 3 –6, 2011.  In the meantime I’ll continue to train.  Here are some of my favorite yoga asanas for snowboarding and skiing.

·      For shoulders and wrists Side Plank (Vasisthasana) stretches and strengthens the wrists and strengthens the arms, all which will help for falling out on the slopes and pushing yourself up.  And shoulders are super important for posture in skiing and snowboarding too.

·      For core and spine Boat (Navasana) engages and strengthens the core muscles.   Strong core muscles enhance good turns on the slopes and alleviates pressure from the knees, protecting the joint from injury.  Awareness of your center also helps to initiate movement and distribute weight more evenly making it less strenuous on the whole body.

·      For strengthening the legs, hips, knee joints and lower back Chair pose (Utkatasana) helps to prevent ACL injury by encouraging bending of the knees.  It also helps with absorbing impact especially if you fall, go off cliffs, jumps or like bumps.

·      For balance Eagle (Garudasana) improves your concentration and sense of balance.  It also strengthens the ankles and calves.  On the slopes this will be helpful for side balance progression, refined balance recovery skills and muscle memory.  It also helps with relaxing those feet in those stiff boots, sidestepping and traversing.

·      For flexible legs Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) energizes the body and stretches the hamstrings, calves and arches.  Because skiing and snowboarding require so much lower body strength its essential to keep the legs flexible.

·      For hips   Low lunge (Anjaneyasana) opens your hips.  Having powerful and flexible hips encourages balance and good turning habits and decompresses the lower back, which improves coordination and takes pressure off the knees.

Peace,

Kendra Charts

Go to www.alchemytours.com for more information about the Pagosa Springs, Colorado yoga adventure.

Pagosa Springs

Growing up in a family of free spirited adventurers we would explore the “wild” west on our many skiing, camping or hiking trips.  One place discovered along the way is Pagosa Springs.  Pagosa Springs is a small mountain town located in the Four-Corners region of southwestern Colorado. The region is known for its access to archeological sites, unmatched mountains, great skiing, beautiful rivers, canyon lands and a wealth of cultural history. The town is nestled in a beautiful valley on the banks of the San Juan River, surrounded by the 3 million acre San Juan Forest and adjacent to the largest contiguous wilderness area in the nation, the Weminuche Wilderness.   

One of the best kept secrets that make Pagosa Springs so special is the hot springs.  Long touted as the largest and hottest natural mineral outflow in the world, the “Great Pagosah Hot Spring" is often coveted for its healing and restorative qualities. The use of hot springs dates back to the Bronze Age.  Once you experience hot springs you will be hooked.  Here are some of the many benefits (http://www.livestrong.com/article/146809-benefits-of-hot-springs-spas/): 

Improve Circulation

Hot springs are thought to help with blood circulation, hypertension, nervous imbalances and atherosclerosis.

Treat Skin Infections

Sulfur is a mineral present in every cell of your body and is used to make collagen, which keeps your skin smooth and healthy. Hot springs are a rich source of sulfur and its healing benefits include treating skin irritations and infections such as rashes and eczema. According to the website Alternative Doctor, bathing in sulfur-rich hot springs helps treat dry scalp and arthritic pain as well as internal problems such as menopausal symptoms and digestive disorders.

Reduce Stress

The hot waters of mineral hot springs help your body to relax, which benefits many aspects of your health, including sleeping patterns and nutrient assimilation. When you are experiencing stress, your digestive tract can have trouble digesting and you may even suffer from insomnia, which, according to the National Sleep Foundation, causes more stress in your body and decreases your productivity. The relaxation promoted by the heat and buoyancy of hot springs also helps increase the range of motion of your muscles and joints, making the soaking beneficial for individuals recovering from trauma or suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

Detoxify

According to the article "Some Like it Hot," published in the Spavelous magazine in August 2008, bathing repeatedly in hot springs can help tone your autonomic nervous system and normalize your endocrine system, as well as release toxins in your body through sweating.

Boost Immune System

Some proponents believe that iron content in hot springs, along with other trace minerals, might help build your body's immune system, making it stronger and more able to fight infections.

Keep exploring and living your dreams,

Kendra Charts

 

Alchemy Tours will be combining the healing properties of the hot springs and yoga with the adventure of snowboarding and skiing in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, February 3 – 6, 2011.  If being in a mountain town soaking in hot springs under the stars sounds like heaven or if you have always wanted to learn to snowboard or ski or already a rock star at it please consider  this Yoga and Snowboarding (and Skiing) Colorado retreat with Silvia, Jacob and myself.  And if you can’t wait until then please join me for the pre-season Yoga for Snowboarding and Skiing workshop at Total Body Yoga, October 24, 2010.