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Bonnie Berk’s Yoga for
Health
Hiking Yoga
The benefits of exercising
outside have been well
documented. Health studies have
shown that contact with nature
offers a full range of medical
benefits including lower blood
pressure and cholesterol levels,
better recovery from surgery,
fewer doctor visits, less
depression and lower
self-reported stress. In fact,
recent research suggests that
exercising in a park provides
more tranquility and more relief
from anxiety than exercising on
urban streets.
With hiking yoga, you get the
benefits of exercising outside
with the many benefits of
practicing mindfulness and
integrating yoga poses. The
following are some ideas to
incorporate yoga into a hiking
regimen:
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Stand in Mountain Pose
and close your eyes. Imagine
breathing in energy up from
the earth and into your legs
and torso and then sending
the energy out through the
hands as you exhale. Do this
for five (5) breath cycles.
-
Then with your eyes closed,
start to become aware of
your senses and ask
yourself, “What am I
hearing? What do I smell?
How does it feel to take
deep breaths of fresh air?”
-
Open your eyes and start to
walk slowly and mindfully
thinking of your every step.
Notice your arms as they
move to the rhythm of your
feet. Feel the muscles of
your back starting to loosen
as they receive more blood
flow and gentle massage.
-
After walking for about ten
(10) minutes, stop and
stretch. Take some deep
breaths and reach up to the
sky. Bend your knees and
slowly bring your arms and
torso forward. Feel the
release in your neck, and
back from the shoulders down
to the base of your spine.
Repeat this three (3) times.
-
Start walking again at a
comfortable pace. After
about five (5) minutes,
practice the Chair Pose
and then Balancing Chair
Pose on each leg. End
with another stretch up to
the sky and then releasing
forward. Repeat.
-
Begin walking again at your
own pace and then after
about five (5)
minutes, start walking with
a lunge: stepping onto a
bend leg and then bringing
the back leg next to the
bent leg. Then switch legs.
Continuing alternating legs
for about eight (8) cycles (
four on each leg) and then
hold the runner’s stretch
position on each leg while
resting your hands on the
thigh of the bent leg. Try
to keep your torso upright.
-
Walk again at your own pace
for as long as you like.
-
Look around for a tree or
park bench. Get into a
“pushup” position and start
to bring your body forward
while bending your arms and
inhaling. During the exhale,
push yourself back up, bend
your knees and take your
hips back until you feel a
stretch throughout the hips
and back. If you feel
comfortable, you can also
keep your legs straight to
stretch the hamstrings and
calf muscles. Repeat this
five (5) times or as
tolerated. Then reach your
arms behind your back and
either grab a wrist or
interlace your fingers and
pull back on your chest and
shoulders. Hold for three
(3) to five (5) breath
cycles.
-
Start walking again. At any
point, you can practice a
variety of poses including:
The Tree Pose,
Dancer’s Stretch,
Hero Poses, Triangle
Poses and even partner
poses if you are with
someone else.
-
Toward the end of your hike,
stop, close your eyes and
practice Alternating Nostril
Breath for at least five (5)
breath cycles.
-
Then open your eyes and see
if you can look around you
with a “child’s mind,” an
attitude of seeing the world
for the very first time. And
then if you are hiking with
other people, see if you can
walk in silence for a while.
If you are by yourself,
focus your attention on a
word, a sound, or just the
rhythm of your breath.
-
When you have reached your
destination, stand in
Mountain Pose with palms
facing forward. Close your
eyes and imagine breathing
in the energy from the sun
into your palms, up your
arms and then exhaling down
through your feet and into
the earth. Feel the
connection of your body to
both the sun and the earth.
Like the wind blowing
through the trees, imagine
energy flowing through your
body and then notice how you
feel.
Namaste’
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