experiencelifemag.com Print › | Back › Mind-Body Adventure Blend mind-body practices with adrenaline-pumping sports, and you get a hybrid adventure that challenges you and keeps you grounded. By Laurel Kallenbach June 2008 Broad Horizons Tuning In, Chilling Out Synergetic Experience Is This the Adventure for You? Resources Julie McDonald schussed down the mountain in Bear Valley, Calif., just like she’d done hundreds of times before. This time, though, she was breaking a 15-year hiatus from downhill skiing. She’d competed in college, but as a busy film producer, wife and mom, she’d stopped skiing because of time constraints. For her comeback, she chose a mind-body adventure retreat — one that combined skiing with yoga and meditation. “Because I’d once been a really fast skier, I was afraid I might jump on an advanced black-diamond run out of ego, and then injure myself,” says McDonald, 47. So she joined a Wild Yoga Adventure Retreat with wilderness guide and yoga instructor Dennis Eagan, who led the group in yoga and meditation before and after daily skiing. “Meditating helped me set aside my expectations and gave me the patience to test my abilities safely,” she says. “I wasn’t in the same shape as 15 years ago, but I discovered I could have fun skiing again without injuring myself. It was a whole new beginning for me.” McDonald’s ski-yoga vacation is just one example of the growing “adventure therapy” trend: getaways that blend outdoor adventure with mind-body practices such as tai chi, meditation, massage and yoga. These trips push your physical and mental limits, helping you safely address fears. And because there’s time devoted to introspection, they build confidence and help propel you toward your goals. Want to try rock climbing and tai chi? Horseback riding and yoga? These hybrid trips attract people who want to layer outdoor adventure with therapeutic work for personal growth and improved physical performance — all in a natural setting. “I loved bringing my yoga practice into proximity with the extreme nature of winter,” says McDonald, who lives in Oakland, Calif. “Yoga poses improved my flexibility and strength on the slopes, and the mindfulness practice helped me set aside judgment that would have pushed me to overreach.” Broad Horizons We all hit roadblocks in life, and embarking on an active outdoor vacation can help you change course. Adding mind-body elements to the mix may seem like a minor benefit, but elevated physical awareness can improve such things as balance, posture and performance. Heightened consciousness can help you recognize when fear or other emotional obstacles are holding you back. Wild Yoga’s Eagan considers such hybrid retreats as meditation in motion. “By approaching an activity such as skiing with a curious, yet playful, attitude, you can bring the same awareness to the slopes that you bring to the yoga studio,” he says. On ski trips, Eagan emphasizes yoga poses that concentrate on key muscle groups for moving down the mountain. For instance, being conscious of the feet in standing poses, such as Warrior or Triangle, helps skiers stay grounded while making turns. And yoga breath-work quiets the mind and eases tension that can build with any adrenaline-generating sport. “Outdoor adventures are therapeutic because you step outside the box,” says exercise physiologist Erin Leider-Pariser, whose Sports Travel Adventure Therapy (STAT) company offers challenging trips for women. “Add in yoga, and it’s magical: You come away feeling a huge sense of accomplishment.” STAT participants hike, bike and kayak in exotic locales, including the Caribbean and the Amazon. Leider-Pariser begins excursions with a ceremony during which each woman sets an intention for the week. This ceremony, plus yoga and meditation twice daily, provides the therapeutic framework of STAT trips. “Yoga stretches your muscles, lubricates your joints and stills your mind, all of which helps you rise to the challenges of a wilderness adventure,” she says. “Mind-body techniques inform you about how your body feels. It’s all about getting in touch with yourself.” Which is exactly why people who attend adventure-therapy outings often go alone — so they can focus on personal exploration while still sharing activities such as rafting or backpacking with others. Tuning In, Chilling Out Mind-body practices partner well with adrenaline-filled activities because they provide time out for relaxation, reflection and awareness. They can also give you a fresh perspective on yourself — and your relationships. Last summer, Debi and Heath Kramer of Salt Lake City spent five days on a couples’ rafting and yoga trip organized by Holiday Expeditions. While on the Green River, which runs through Colorado and Utah, each explored something new: Heath had never practiced yoga, and Debi had never been rafting. “It was wonderful learning yoga on the beach with the peaceful sounds of the river,” says Heath. “It really relaxed me.” ˙ Debi laughs. “Heath was so happy after the slow, restorative poses that we almost had to dig him out of the sand,” she says. “The yoga also calmed my anxiety about rafting the rapids,” she notes. “And as it turned out, because of low river levels that summer, lack of water turned out to be more of a concern than white water.” During their wilderness experience, the Kramers were responsible only for breaking down their tent and packing their waterproof bag each morning. The guides did all the paddling, though the couple sometimes opted to kayak alongside the raft. The itinerary left them with plenty of private time, so they hiked every afternoon at their new camp. They also tried partner yoga, which got them moving together and supporting each other in two-person poses. Synergetic Experience When mind and body work together, your outlook and physical performance can improve, as Tom Fleming of Richardson, Texas, discovered. He signed up for a kayak-snorkel-yoga trip that took him to Baja, Mexico, and the beautiful bays and islands of the Sea of Cortez. Fleming was charting new waters: Although he was athletic, he’d done little yoga and no sea kayaking before. His group paddled three to five hours a day to reach a new island destination. They did beach yoga each morning, then repeated a restorative late-afternoon session once they’d reached their next camp. “Being in a meditative state sharpened my focus on the environment,” Fleming says. “It slowed things down, so I could look around and appreciate trees, birds and rocks that I might not have paid attention to otherwise.” Yoga also eased the fatigue of paddling. “Our teacher taught us breathing techniques that came in handy during long hauls in the kayak,” he says. “I also could focus more on relaxing muscles that tightened while I was paddling.” After an idyllic week of island hopping, snorkeling and watching dolphins, Fleming returned home and discovered fresh applications for his new meditative skills. He and his partner launched a company, Integrated Elements, that specializes in helping corporations motivate employees to be more engaged, leading to higher productivity. “I keep in mind that focus I learned on my trip,” he says. “I share the experience with other folks to help them improve their enthusiastic concentration in the workplace.” Now Fleming is training for a marathon and again tapping into lessons from Mexico. He started taking a weekly yoga class for stretching his running muscles and for controlling the rhythm of his breath. “I went on that kayak-yoga trip expecting that I’d have a good time,” he says, “but I never expected that I’d come home so changed.” Laurel Kallenbach writes and practices yoga at her home in Boulder, Colo. Is This the Adventure for You? When selecting a motion-and-meditation getaway, here are some factors to consider: Experience level. Ask the outfitter or organizer how a trip will be tailored to students at different levels of ability. Most trips accommodate newcomers to yoga, meditation or tai chi, but advanced practitioners will also benefit. Physical performance. Some expeditions are geared to people with experience in an activity — climbing or cycling, for example. Check to see if beginner instruction is available or whether you need a certain level of proficiency. Sleeping arrangements. Be sure to investigate the accommodations: Are you comfortable moving from camp to camp sleeping in a tent, or would you prefer to stay put at a wilderness lodge? (Some can be quite luxurious.) Time off. Mind-body adventures range from four-day weekends to full-blown nine- or 10-day retreats. Prices vary according to accommodations and location. Wild Yoga trips, for instance, generally run $150 per day. A five-day Sports Travel Adventure Therapy (STAT) trip starts at $2,500. Resources These outfitters organize outdoor adventures that include yoga, tai chi or meditation. BikeHike Adventures — Offers kayaking, hiking, snorkeling and yoga in Baja, Mexico. 888-805-0061; www.bikehike.com Holiday Expeditions — Women’s and couples’ rafting, yoga, and tai chi retreats in the western United States. 800-624-6323; www.bikeraft.com The Home Ranch — A specialist in equestrian yoga leads women’s horseback riding retreats at a Colorado dude ranch. 970-879-1780; http://local.homeranch.com Northern Edge Algonquin — Yoga retreats blended with sea kayaking, snowshoeing or dogsledding in Ontario’s Algonquin Park. 800-953-3343; www.northernedgealgonquin.com Outward Bound Wilderness — Take an “Inward Journey”: Rock climb, backpack or canoe, plus do yoga and meditation. 866-467-7651; www.outwardboundwilderness.org Red Horse Mountain Ranch — An Idaho dude ranch that offers daily yoga, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing and other activities. 888-689-9680; www.redhorsemountain.com Sea Kayak Adventures — Kayaking, snorkeling and yoga in Baja, Mexico. 800-616-1943; www.seakayakadventures.com STAT Trip — International women’s retreats with yoga and outdoor adventure. 203-618-0854; www.stattrip.com YogaRocks — Daylong rock-climbing excursions at California’s Camarillo Yoga Center. 805-484-8810; www.camarilloyoga.com Wild Yoga Adventure Retreats — Yoga with skiing, rafting and kayaking in the United States and Mexico. 530-626-6353; www.wildyoga.com Women’s Quest — Hiking, cycling, running and horseback-riding adventures, plus yoga, in the United States and Italy. 303-545-9295; www.womensquest.com Magic Of Skiing — Downhill skiing combined with training in author Thomas Crum’s approach to mind-body coordination and relaxation. 970-925-7099; www.magicofskiing.com See the Web Extras! at the top right of this page for tips on selecting yoga-focused retreats, as well as more mind-body getaway opportunities.

Mind-Body Adventure

Blend mind-body practices with adrenaline-pumping sports, and you get a hybrid adventure that challenges you and keeps you grounded.

Broad Horizons
Tuning In, Chilling Out
Synergetic Experience
Is This the Adventure for You?
Resources

Julie McDonald schussed down the mountain in Bear Valley, Calif., just like she’d done hundreds of times before. This time, though, she was breaking a 15-year hiatus from downhill skiing. She’d competed in college, but as a busy film producer, wife and mom, she’d stopped skiing because of time constraints. For her comeback, she chose a mind-body adventure retreat — one that combined skiing with yoga and meditation.

“Because I’d once been a really fast skier, I was afraid I might jump on an advanced black-diamond run out of ego, and then injure myself,” says McDonald, 47. So she joined a Wild Yoga Adventure Retreat with wilderness guide and yoga instructor Dennis Eagan, who led the group in yoga and meditation before and after daily skiing.

“Meditating helped me set aside my expectations and gave me the patience to test my abilities safely,” she says. “I wasn’t in the same shape as 15 years ago, but I discovered I could have fun skiing again without injuring myself. It was a whole new beginning for me.”

McDonald’s ski-yoga vacation is just one example of the growing “adventure therapy” trend: getaways that blend outdoor adventure with mind-body practices such as tai chi, meditation, massage and yoga. These trips push your physical and mental limits, helping you safely address fears. And because there’s time devoted to introspection, they build confidence and help propel you toward your goals.

Want to try rock climbing and tai chi? Horseback riding and yoga? These hybrid trips attract people who want to layer outdoor adventure with therapeutic work for personal growth and improved physical performance — all in a natural setting.

“I loved bringing my yoga practice into proximity with the extreme nature of winter,” says McDonald, who lives in Oakland, Calif. “Yoga poses improved my flexibility and strength on the slopes, and the mindfulness practice helped me set aside judgment that would have pushed me to overreach.”

Broad Horizons (Back to Top)
We all hit roadblocks in life, and embarking on an active outdoor vacation can help you change course. Adding mind-body elements to the mix may seem like a minor benefit, but elevated physical awareness can improve such things as balance, posture and performance. Heightened consciousness can help you recognize when fear or other emotional obstacles are holding you back.

Wild Yoga’s Eagan considers such hybrid retreats as meditation in motion. “By approaching an activity such as skiing with a curious, yet playful, attitude, you can bring the same awareness to the slopes that you bring to the yoga studio,” he says. On ski trips, Eagan emphasizes yoga poses that concentrate on key muscle groups for moving down the mountain. For instance, being conscious of the feet in standing poses, such as Warrior or Triangle, helps skiers stay grounded while making turns. And yoga breath-work quiets the mind and eases tension that can build with any adrenaline-generating sport.

“Outdoor adventures are therapeutic because you step outside the box,” says exercise physiologist Erin Leider-Pariser, whose Sports Travel Adventure Therapy (STAT) company offers challenging trips for women. “Add in yoga, and it’s magical: You come away feeling a huge sense of accomplishment.”

STAT participants hike, bike and kayak in exotic locales, including the Caribbean and the Amazon. Leider-Pariser begins excursions with a ceremony during which each woman sets an intention for the week. This ceremony, plus yoga and meditation twice daily, provides the therapeutic framework of STAT trips. “Yoga stretches your muscles, lubricates your joints and stills your mind, all of which helps you rise to the challenges of a wilderness adventure,” she says. “Mind-body techniques inform you about how your body feels. It’s all about getting in touch with yourself.”

Which is exactly why people who attend adventure-therapy outings often go alone — so they can focus on personal exploration while still sharing activities such as rafting or backpacking with others.

Tuning In, Chilling Out (Back to Top)
Mind-body practices partner well with adrenaline-filled activities because they provide time out for relaxation, reflection and awareness. They can also give you a fresh perspective on yourself — and your relationships.

Last summer, Debi and Heath Kramer of Salt Lake City spent five days on a couples’ rafting and yoga trip organized by Holiday Expeditions. While on the Green River, which runs through Colorado and Utah, each explored something new: Heath had never practiced yoga, and Debi had never been rafting.

“It was wonderful learning yoga on the beach with the peaceful sounds of the river,” says Heath. “It really relaxed me.” ˙

Debi laughs. “Heath was so happy after the slow, restorative poses that we almost had to dig him out of the sand,” she says.

“The yoga also calmed my anxiety about rafting the rapids,” she notes. “And as it turned out, because of low river levels that summer, lack of water turned out to be more of a concern than white water.”

During their wilderness experience, the Kramers were responsible only for breaking down their tent and packing their waterproof bag each morning. The guides did all the paddling, though the couple sometimes opted to kayak alongside the raft. The itinerary left them with plenty of private time, so they hiked every afternoon at their new camp. They also tried partner yoga, which got them moving together and supporting each other in two-person poses.

Synergetic Experience (Back to Top)
When mind and body work together, your outlook and physical performance can improve, as Tom Fleming of Richardson, Texas, discovered. He signed up for a kayak-snorkel-yoga trip that took him to Baja, Mexico, and the beautiful bays and islands of the Sea of Cortez. Fleming was charting new waters: Although he was athletic, he’d done little yoga and no sea kayaking before.

His group paddled three to five hours a day to reach a new island destination. They did beach yoga each morning, then repeated a restorative late-afternoon session once they’d reached their next camp. “Being in a meditative state sharpened my focus on the environment,” Fleming says. “It slowed things down, so I could look around and appreciate trees, birds and rocks that I might not have paid attention to otherwise.”

Yoga also eased the fatigue of paddling. “Our teacher taught us breathing techniques that came in handy during long hauls in the kayak,” he says. “I also could focus more on relaxing muscles that tightened while I was paddling.”

After an idyllic week of island hopping, snorkeling and watching dolphins, Fleming returned home and discovered fresh applications for his new meditative skills. He and his partner launched a company, Integrated Elements, that specializes in helping corporations motivate employees to be more engaged, leading to higher productivity.

“I keep in mind that focus I learned on my trip,” he says. “I share the experience with other folks to help them improve their enthusiastic concentration in the workplace.”

Now Fleming is training for a marathon and again tapping into lessons from Mexico. He started taking a weekly yoga class for stretching his running muscles and for controlling the rhythm of his breath. “I went on that kayak-yoga trip expecting that I’d have a good time,” he says, “but I never expected that I’d come home so changed.”

Laurel Kallenbach writes and practices yoga at her home in Boulder, Colo.

Is This the Adventure for You? (Back to Top)
When selecting a motion-and-meditation getaway, here are some factors to consider:

Experience level. Ask the outfitter or organizer how a trip will be tailored to students at different levels of ability. Most trips accommodate newcomers to yoga, meditation or tai chi, but advanced practitioners will also benefit.

Physical performance. Some expeditions are geared to people with experience in an activity — climbing or cycling, for example. Check to see if beginner instruction is available or whether you need a certain level of proficiency.

Sleeping arrangements. Be sure to investigate the accommodations: Are you comfortable moving from camp to camp sleeping in a tent, or would you prefer to stay put at a wilderness lodge? (Some can be quite luxurious.)

Time off. Mind-body adventures range from four-day weekends to full-blown nine- or 10-day retreats. Prices vary according to accommodations and location. Wild Yoga trips, for instance, generally run $150 per day. A five-day Sports Travel Adventure Therapy (STAT) trip starts at $2,500.

Resources (Back to Top)
These outfitters organize outdoor adventures that include yoga, tai chi or meditation.

BikeHike Adventures — Offers kayaking, hiking, snorkeling and yoga in Baja, Mexico. 888-805-0061; www.bikehike.com

Holiday Expeditions — Women’s and couples’ rafting, yoga, and tai chi retreats in the western United States.
800-624-6323; www.bikeraft.com

The Home Ranch — A specialist in equestrian yoga leads women’s horseback riding retreats at a Colorado dude ranch. 970-879-1780; http://local.homeranch.com

Northern Edge Algonquin — Yoga retreats blended with sea kayaking, snowshoeing or dogsledding in Ontario’s Algonquin Park. 800-953-3343; www.northernedgealgonquin.com

Outward Bound Wilderness — Take an “Inward Journey”: Rock climb, backpack or canoe, plus do yoga and meditation. 866-467-7651; www.outwardboundwilderness.org

Red Horse Mountain Ranch — An Idaho dude ranch that offers daily yoga, mountain biking, kayaking, fishing and other activities. 888-689-9680; www.redhorsemountain.com

Sea Kayak Adventures — Kayaking, snorkeling and yoga in Baja, Mexico. 800-616-1943; www.seakayakadventures.com

STAT Trip — International women’s retreats with yoga and outdoor adventure. 203-618-0854; www.stattrip.com

YogaRocks — Daylong rock-climbing excursions at California’s Camarillo Yoga Center. 805-484-8810; www.camarilloyoga.com

Wild Yoga Adventure Retreats — Yoga with skiing, rafting and kayaking in the United States and Mexico. 530-626-6353; www.wildyoga.com

Women’s Quest — Hiking, cycling, running and horseback-riding adventures, plus yoga, in the United States and Italy. 303-545-9295; www.womensquest.com

Magic Of Skiing — Downhill skiing combined with training in author Thomas Crum’s approach to mind-body coordination and
relaxation. 970-925-7099; www.magicofskiing.com

See the Web Extras! at the top right of this page for tips on selecting yoga-focused retreats, as well as more mind-body getaway opportunities.

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June 12, 2008

andy ross says:

I was looking for Erin Leider. I went to high school with her and wanted to say hello ... if this is Miami Beach Highs, Erin Leider. ps. love your site. Thanks, andy ross www.thepajamaman.com andyross@cox.net