When people hear “backcountry yoga”, they probably think, “Wow, you hiked all the way up to the top of the mountain just to perform some useless poses?” Another thought might pop up as “Can’t you just do the same thing in a studio?” Yes, that’s where you usually practice yoga, but a studio isn’t your only option to get in touch with your inner self and meditate. In fact, it is actually way more rewarding to connect with yourself in the outdoors.
Last weekend, I traveled down to Southern Utah with a Utah Outdoor class to camp out in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to explore the desert and learn some outdoor yoga. When I say learn, I didn’t mean learn yoga for the first time. I meant it as learning a new way to practice yoga and find peace within yourself. Before leaving my life for the weekend, I never thought that I would leave the studio and use what I have learned to do with my body in the wilderness. That was a scary thought to process when I was driving down with strangers that I had just met that week during the class meeting. However, I was able to overcome that thought of fear when I was encouraged to get out of my comfort zone and to see what my body can possibly do. From hiking three miles to Lower Calf Creek Waterfall to ‘SUP’ (Stand-Up Paddle Board) yoga, I learned three reasons that I want to experience this trip again, along with encouraging others to give backcountry yoga a shot.
1. Getting Out Of Your Comfort Zone Is Extremely Healthy For Your Body
I accomplished a lot of activities this past weekend that I thought my body couldn’t handle, especially with my low oxygen levels. First off, I have never stepped foot in the Grand Escalante National Park; I was also nervous to see what the trip was going to be like, so that was a little anxiety ringer. Second, I have never done yoga out in nature so that was another worry. Third, as much as I love the outdoors and experiencing what Mother Nature has given us, I am not a “camper.” I cannot deal with sleeping on a cold ground for more than a day than waking up six times throughout the night wondering if my back received any bruises from the rocks underneath the tent. Coming to the realization that I was going to be living on the ground for the next two nights terrified me. I’ve camped before but not for more than one night. I kept thinking, “What about my Tempurpedic mattress? My nice, warm covers?” This was something I had to deal with again.
However, on that Saturday, my group and I all hiked Lower Calf Creek Falls, a six-mile hike that leads to an astounding waterfall with a tiny beach covering the area. The hike was very generic and flat-leveled, however having lots of up-and-down hills that made my legs weak and my entire body sweat like the Pacific Ocean. When we arrived at the waterfall, I kept thinking about how proud I was for pushing my levels to what I can actually do and look forward to more of these adventures in the future. After having the opportunity to practice my yoga in front of the waterfall, I fell in love with the fact with connecting with the Earth on my mat not just in a studio, but in surrounding nature.
Another boundary I pushed was trying paddle board yoga for the first time. Now, I wasn’t able to accomplish the “tree” or “crow” pose on my board, but overcoming my fear of balancing my body on water was definitely a check off my bucket list. Even though I fell into the lake trying to perform the different warrior poses, I still thank Wide Hollow Reservoir in Escalante for giving me the strength to learn SUP Yoga.
All of these examples from my weekend are just some of the reasons why getting out of your comfort zone is the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself. It gives you new skills, makes you learn more about what your body can overcome, and of course have fun with it!
2. Escaping Reality Is Good for the Soul
This is a concept that everyone struggles with. Our eyes are always glued to our screens 24/7 and the stress levels tend to rise when we have a lot on our plate. For example, my brain went into a complete panic mode when I entered no service zone into the Escalante territory. How was I going to deal with the incoming text messages from my friends and Snapchats of what all of my Snapchat buddies were up to? Don’t even get me started on those work emails.
However, there was another reason why I wanted to come down and meditate in the wilderness: to escape all of my stresses that my busy life had to offer, and putting my phone away to focus more on being present and mindful with everything around me. If I had another opportunity to experience no screens for a weekend, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
3. You Have the Opportunity to Find Peace Within Yourself
Practicing yoga gives you a chance to connect with your body and find the peace that you deserve in that moment. I suffer from anxiety and PTSD so finding peace within myself wasn’t exactly easy this past year. Yet, with this amazing invite that I got to go and do this backcountry yoga trip was an incredible opportunity to learn more about my emotional and mental state of my mind and how I can improve my levels in the future. Even with ten other people around you that may be better or worse than you are, the only thing that matters is how YOU are growing, physically and mentally.
If you ever find yourself wanting to take a trip to the Escalante National Park, stop in the nearby town of Torrey and order a delicious box of chicken tenders and fries at Slacker’s (165 E Main St, Torrey, UT). And do not forget to grab a devouring cup of coffee and maybe a raspberry scone from Kiva Koffeehouse (7386 Hwy 12 Mile Marker, Escalante, UT)… it comes with an iconic view of the desert range.