The following post is from one of my long-time yoga clients, Joe Potter. On our summer trip to Estes Park, we had an opportunity to visit with Joe during his preparations for Long’s Peak. Take a look at his story:
I’ve been practicing yoga for about 5 years. I was 60 years old this year and my ambition was to climb Long’s Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. I hiked 83 miles in 10 hikes in the Park over a 3 week span this summer culminating in my successfully reaching the summit of Long’s.
I know my yoga practice helped me in several ways on my most challenging hikes. The terrain on my three hardest hikes, including Long’s, included large boulders. Keeping my balance was a challenge. I’ve noticed that even taking a week or two off from my regular weekly yoga can affect my balance. I know my yoga training helped me to keep my balance better as I climbed over large and sometimes unsteady boulders.
There’s one part of the Long’s hike that is called the “trough.” This section of the hike is a non-technical, but vertical climb of 1000 feet. The flexibility of my body, especially the flexibility of my hamstrings and calves were a great aid to me as I spanned the distance from one foothold and handhold to the next one. I was used to stretching that far with strength in our poses.
And finally I know I benefitted from the habit of centering that is such a key part of the yoga practice. Completing Long’s and the 3 other most difficult prepatory hikes were the hardest things I ever physically accomplished in my life. On each of those hikes, our rest stops were so important. And there were times, my body was just saying, no more. There’s no more fuel in the tank. But then I would center myself. I concentrated on my breathing and the present moment, again a technique practiced throughout every yoga class. I was able to touch a reserve of energy and focus that enabled me to take the next steps necessary. Beyond the physical help yoga gave me, this was the greatest benefit in helping me achieve my goal.
