Yoga For Climbers
Hi Steph,
I am a climber based in Ireland and am currently training to be a yoga teacher, qualifying in September. I am really keen to provide yoga classes for climbers. I have read your blog and was just wondering would you or have you ever run workshops for yoga with a climbing focus. I have looked a lot around different websites and contacted different people but there does not seem to be as yet any specific yoga for climbers certification.
I know you are probably extremely busy but if you were interested in running a course or workshop with this focus I would be really keen to come and meet you and learn more about how to combine yoga and climbing.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Naomi
Hi Naomi,
I am not a yoga instructor myself, but luckily I know lots of people who know lots about yoga, especially through prAna. I asked my good friend Karen t’Kint for some references. She’s the Key Accounts Manager for prAna, as well as being a mom, a longtime climber, yogi (and new road biker!).
Recently she has been working on making connections for people who are interested in outdoor sports and yoga, so I knew she would have some good beta…. Thanks Karen!
🙂 Steph
Hi Steph,
Here is contact information for a woman who teaches yoga at a local climbing gym here in San Diego.
Mesa Rim offers a “YOGA FOR CLIMBERS” class. I’m not sure if Kati is the specific instructor, but perhaps she can help Naomi.
I called or checked out the websites of 20 of the top climbing gyms in the country and 17/20 offered yoga classes. Kinda’ says a lot about climbers understanding the value of yoga!
Here is another cool tidbit that I dug up: In Encinitas there are 16 places that teach yoga and only 5 Starbucks 🙂
Also, the Yoga Slackers are filming a video that showcases a yoga practice that is great for climbers. Not sure when it’ll be released, but it should be entertaining! They already run a teacher training program that includes the two disciplines (which could also be of interest for Naomi), and they also teach the annually sold out Intro to Climbing class at the Yoga Journal Conference.
Cheers,
Karen
I keep hearing about a big connection between yoga and climbing, definitely makes me want to try it out. I guess I just worry that I have too busy of a brain to be able to quiet it down during yoga. I’ve never had much success with meditation type activities (other thank climbing :-). Maybe once we move I’ll have an opportunity to take a class. I’m really looking forward to trying at least!
Zach, Im a yoga instructor and also a climber, and I say no need to worry about being quiet, you’ll have plenty of thoughts to listen to. The key is, you’ll now be able to hear them, just like when you’re on the rock.
So maybe I’m under a misinterpretation when I think that the mental part of yoga is about quieting/blanking your thoughts?Â
The understanding I’ve gained from my practice of yoga is that the thoughts will come, the key is to let them go. Â As a meditation teacher of mine says, let the thoughts come, let them all come, but let them go, this is the practice of observing our mind…
Thanks for the help Steph and Karen, appreciated* Naomi
The key is not to block out the thoughts, there will always be chatter, but with training, over time it quiets down. The key is practice. Rock climbing is a great way to calm the mind because you must stay very focused. There are many ways to focus the mind, but the thoughts never stop completely. It’s more about realizing that you are the one who’s creating the thoughts and your reaction to them. It’s about lessening the reactions that could be harmful to yourself or others.
Climbing and yoga reinforce the mind-body connection through similar types of movement. There are some Yoga poses that will facilitate a strong internal core, supple hips, a balanced shoulder girdle, relaxed feet, and a sense of ease. But we need to practice these at least three times a week, before or after a climb.
Nadine
http://www.anamayaresort.com