I was reading an article
yesterday about mountain climbing as a sport that requires extreme
fitness. (The article is in the
current issue of this magazine.)
What I found fascinating in the sample week of workouts was the
determined inclusion of yoga.
While yoga has obvious fitness
benefits in building a lean, strong, and flexible body, one of the points of
its inclusion in the workout plan was its development of mental focus. Mountaineering is not just a whole body
sport; it is a whole person sport, requiring as much from the brain as the
muscles and bones.
Taking the time to meditate, to
tune in, to move purposefully and mindfully builds our fitness. We need those qualities of mind as well
as body in our daily lives.
Tree pose, anyone?