Yoga vacations on horseback
Boots, check. Jeans, check. Yoga mat, check.
I started riding horses when I was a kid and have always loved the feel of wind on my face. Something that keeps me sailing as well.
Feeding modern women and their youthful Flicka dreams, a variety of yoga and horseback riding adventures have emerged and many have retreats coming up in the fall.
Some are one-day classes while others mix the “Dude Ranch” tradition with yoga elements.
A woman in Pennsylvania is leading classes where participants stretch out with a hatha practice before and after riding but also learn how to do certain poses while the horse is resting. Keeping a yogic calm while on the horse means it won’t sense your fear, Tina Smith, owner of The Yoga Pony said in the article.
Stretching out also helps riders after being in the saddle. Unfortunately, I don’t think yoga can help my sit bones after a long ride.
Similar to doga (yoga with your dog) Whoaga is yoga to help with riding. The positions and balance from yoga translate into a more confident rider, according to the Whoaga website.
But for longer escapes, companies in the U.S. and Canada have options for yoga vacations with horses.
The Chezacut Wilderness Adventures in British Columbia and Big Sky Yoga Retreats in Montana are two of several options but there are more in Arizona and the Midwest. With a yoga mat strapped to the saddle, visitors can build a relationship with a horse that deepens the yoga experience.
The theme has been popular for articles in Girlfriend Getaways and Yoga Journal. Women seeking their own version of City Slickers but with a yoga twist.
