When people think of yoga, they generally think of a form of exercise. Yoga is way more than that! Yoga is really about the way you live your life, it is in our everyday experiences and interactions. Yes, within yoga there are exercises, or postures you can do to build strength and stamina, amongst other things, but that is just one little part of yoga. Today I am going to talk about a few of the other parts of yoga. I’ll be teaching you how to practice yoga five ways WHILE hiking, with no yoga poses included (however, I am going to share some yoga photos from hikes, just for fun)!
1. Practice “Leave No Trace”
This is protecting nature and enjoying the outdoors responsibly. This is respecting the outdoors, teaching our children to respect the outdoors, taking care of our planet for the future. This is remembering that when you are in nature you are a visitor. When it comes down to it, this is cleaning up after yourself. These principles are very in line with yoga principles. Without using fancy yoga words I’ll just say: doing no harm, cleanliness, and respect for the world around you.
2. Treat Other Hikers with Kindness and Compassion
Share your smile, say hello, offer to take photos for others, be there to lend a hand if someone is in need. Treat everyone you encounter as you would like to be treated. We could take this even further and say treat EVERYTHING with kindness and compassion. Treat wild animals, and people’s pets with kindness, and again treat nature with kindness. Spreading kindness and love is a huge part of yoga. When you spread love it also brings happiness to you, it feels great to be nice to people!
Treat yourself with kindness and compassion. Hydrate and Nourish. This will relieve fatigue and will boost your energy and mood. Rest when you need to, and give yourself credit for your hard work. Feel gratitude for what your body enables you to do and treat it with kindness.
4. Notice the World Around You
Take time to notice the beauty of the world around you. Listen to the sounds of mother nature and notice the little things. Hiking quietly while listening to the sounds around you can easily become a walking meditation. Let yourself be in the moment, and cherish it.
5. Breathe
So much of the greatness of yoga is in the breath. The breath is truly the foundation of a yoga practice and there are a ton of different types of breathing exercises you can do. If you are breathing with awareness, you are practicing yoga. So, focus on your breath, and feel the benefits of a good deep breath. It detoxifies the body, relives stress, gives you energy, strengthens your internal organs, and truly makes you happier and healthier. I have two favorite breaths to use while hiking. The first is to simply bring my awareness to matching the length of my inhale to my exhale. I will count to five as I inhale, and will do the same as I exhale, as I do this over and over I can lengthen my breaths and it becomes a sort of meditation. The second breath I love is the “sounding breath” a deep inhale and a loud sigh! This releases so much! Especially during a hard hike! Give these two types of breathing a shot on your next hike and let me know if you like them too!
So, you see, with no fancy yoga poses you may already be doing yoga while you hike! I clearly am a yoga lover, and one of my favorite things about yoga is that ANYONE can do it ANYWHERE! Yoga is about living a life of kindness and love, and embracing yourself for who you are. Yoga is not only done in a studio, it is done in your everyday actions. I hope these five ways to practice yoga while hiking help you find a way to work a little yoga into your life!
Much Love & Happy Travels,
Lacey
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35 Comments
Interesting 🙂
February 19, 2017 at 6:14 pmThank you!
February 19, 2017 at 6:42 pmI gotta say that I was a little sceptical at first when I started to read it but I get what your message – yoga is more than just pure asana, its your life, your interactions with your surroundings and your relationship with the rest of the world 🙂
February 19, 2017 at 7:59 pmYes! It’s all about living your yoga! 😊👍🏻
February 20, 2017 at 11:47 amNice article. Yoga is all about having good qualities and being human.
February 19, 2017 at 6:29 pmYes! Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words! 🙂
February 19, 2017 at 6:42 pm[…] via 5 Ways to Practice Yoga WHILE Hiking -Without Doing Any “Yoga” — Minnesota Yogini […]
February 19, 2017 at 6:36 pmWhat a great post! I especially loved your 5 points.
February 19, 2017 at 7:04 pmThank you so much!!!!
February 19, 2017 at 7:05 pmAwesome post! I already am practicing yoga while hiking even if I haven’t started yoga yet.
February 19, 2017 at 7:19 pmYes! That’s awesome! Thanks so much! Happy hiking! 😊
February 19, 2017 at 7:26 pmLove it, thank you for the pleasant read! I found myself to have an increased awareness in regards to my interactions with people and the environment after reading this. Thank you again!
February 19, 2017 at 8:17 pmThank you super much! Yes, enjoy the little things and everyday moments as often as possible! Have s great day!
February 20, 2017 at 4:10 pmThis is the most interesting write I have ever enjoyed reading. Thank you for sharing 5 very useful points of it. Thanks a lot.
February 20, 2017 at 6:06 amThank you so much! I had fun writing it so I am happy you enjoyed! ❤ namaste! 🙏🏻
February 20, 2017 at 11:43 amLove the photos and your 5 points. Always love the tree pose and am inspired by the crow pose (still haven’t perfected it), but that second to the last one against the tree…what is that pose? Awesome that you can do yoga anywhere…but better still enjoy nature too!
February 20, 2017 at 7:13 amThanks so much! I am always careful to remind myself to put down the camera and enjoy the nature! We are lucky to live in such a beautiful world! Good luck with your crow! ❤ That one against the tree is called a “hollowback handstand” it’s a difficult one, and a super great shoulder stretch!
February 20, 2017 at 11:47 amThanks again for reading ❤❤❤
Awesome! Thank you…very inspired! 🙂
February 20, 2017 at 3:59 pmThank you! 🙏🏻
February 20, 2017 at 4:11 pmBeautiful. I wish everyone would live this way. What a peaceful existance it would be.
February 20, 2017 at 5:52 pmI agree! That would be a wonderful world!
February 20, 2017 at 5:54 pmGreat post . I like like the photos and the idea.
February 20, 2017 at 9:22 pmThank you so much for reading and for the kind words!
February 20, 2017 at 9:41 pmGood timing for this blog. My wife and I are heading out next week for our three month roadtrip with our yoga mats close by. Thank you for giving me an idea to practice yoga outside as in your pictures.
February 20, 2017 at 9:40 pmGreat! Yay for good timing and thanks for reading! Exciting that your road trip is almost here!!!! Fun!
February 20, 2017 at 10:08 pmAww. Lovely post. A beautiful way to share the OTHER seven limbs of yoga.
February 20, 2017 at 9:43 pmThank you so much! This made me smile. Yes, so many of my favorite parts! Namaste 🙏🏻
February 20, 2017 at 10:03 pmGreat post! Makes me want to go hiking! 🙂
February 21, 2017 at 4:49 amAwesome! Yay! Thanks so much and Happy hiking!
February 21, 2017 at 11:48 am[…] via 5 Ways to Practice Yoga WHILE Hiking -Without Doing Any “Yoga” — Minnesota Yogini […]
February 23, 2017 at 9:23 pmThank you!
February 23, 2017 at 9:24 pmI love number 2! It always amazes me how many fellow hikers don’t acknowledge each other when passing on the trail.
February 25, 2017 at 5:46 amYes! So true!
February 25, 2017 at 12:45 pmWorking on the “noticing” part more, as a kind of mindful meditative state while hiking. Loved this post.
March 7, 2017 at 1:55 amThank you for reading! Yes, it is so important to slow down and enjoy where you are! =) Much love & happy travels!
March 8, 2017 at 3:52 pm