Yoga over the thumb

At the outset: Yoga originated in India around 5000 years ago. Anyone who still labels it as one of these lifestyle trends has not understood something! It is still very important in India today and is even part of school lessons in many parts of the country.

Although there are many forms of yoga, it can be roughly summarized as a method of connecting body, mind and soul. Many yoga techniques are practiced in the western world today and more and more new variations are emerging. They often consist of physical exercises such as stretching, postures and breathing exercises. Other forms of yoga, for example, focus on mental concentration. A further description of yoga would go beyond the scope of this article, let alone a detailed formulation.

Professionals and yoga - no coincidence

The fact that many professional mountain bikers practise yoga is no coincidence. It offers a variety of exercises and techniques that combine breathing, movement, mind and spirit. And if that sounds too spiritual for you, the relaxation, improved ability to concentrate and flexibility will help.
For cross-country world champion Kate Courtney, yoga is an important part of her weekly schedule. "I do around five hours of yoga a week, so almost every day. Mentally, it helps me to relax, physically it's important for stretching.

German freeride and dirt jump icon Timo Pritzel also swears by yoga, albeit for almost 20 years. Extreme sport had left its mark on him. "I had so many injuries and energy blockages that my body and mind made it clear to me that I couldn't go on like this."
Conventional medicine had reached its limits for Pritzel, so the then twenty-something tried out alternative healing methods - he found a recipe for healing in yoga. It was the mixture of osteopathy, naturopathy and yoga that helped him to rebuild his body holistically and release the energy blockages.

For the Berlin mountain bike pro, yoga, mediation and breathwork are also tools for finding out what is important in life and putting this into practice: For example, finding your inner happiness or learning to let go. You might not expect yoga to sound like a school of life from one of the world's best freeride mountain bikers. However, it shows that it is about more than just being able to deliver top performance at the next competition.

What is the benefit of yoga on the trail?

The statements made by Courtney and Pritzel sound obvious to former Swiss elite biker Roger Schütz, organizer of bike and yoga camps. He sees the benefits, especially for non-performance-oriented mountain bikers who are not equipped with the riding precision and fitness of professionals: "With exercises for breathing, flexibility and concentration, yoga also helps immensely with recreational biking. The complex physical exercises make you focus on what you are doing physically. This increases your concentration and therefore your focus on the trail." Schütz is convinced that this also reduces the risk of falls and injuries.

He continues: "Yoga also improves the flow state - the focus that arises from the meditative state. This is different from the focus that arises from adrenaline release." The meditative flow state has the advantage that the release of energy lasts longer and does not fizzle out quickly as with adrenaline - a kind of mental fat burning.

Yoga nidra is said to be interesting for competitive athletes. It creates a high degree of recovery within a relatively short time. "I experience this with myself, but also with our camp participants," Schütz reveals from his experience.

Camps have lasting success

Schütz, who also competed in the Cross-Country World Cup at the end of the 1990s, discovered yoga in 1999 thanks to his wife Gabriela. He has been organizing combined yoga and bike camps with her for a good eleven years now. This makes the Bernese couple one of the pioneers in this field. "What started out as an idea to combine something that is good for body and soul with your favorite sport became increasingly popular," says Schütz, who works as a social therapist. "It was nice to see that we were right with our idea and were able to appeal to many mountain bikers. Some of them keep coming back to our camps."

As mentioned at the beginning, there are many variations on yoga, and in some cases this makes sense, as Roger Schütz explains: "I incorporate a lot of my experiences from over 30 years of mountain biking into my yoga. We also do this in our bike and yoga camps, but my wife develops the interpretation. As a yoga teacher, she has a huge amount of experience and knows how to adapt the exercises to individual people if necessary.

Roger Schütz and Gabriela Stauffer are not alone with the idea of combining yoga and mountain biking in camps. Timo Pritzel has also trained as a yoga instructor over the years and regularly teaches "yogaforbikers" classes at various bike festivals.

Bike destinations focus on yoga

The fact that tourism destinations offer yoga seminars and camps - and not "since yesterday" - is not surprising. It is a sign that this combination is appreciated.
For example, Germany's former 4x figurehead Steffi Marth brought the idea of a "Bike & Yoga Camp" to Zermatt. This is aimed at female yogis. The focus is on the combination of riding technique and well-being. This camp from 28 to 30 June 2019 will focus on "Yoga as the perfect complement to mountain biking". Together with yoga coach Anita Locher, stretching, stability and strength will be trained with bike-specific yoga exercises as well as outdoor riding technique on the trails.

Another example in Switzerland is the "Keep Riding and Yoga Girls Camp" in Lenzerheide. The focus there is on mountain bike riding technique with Swiss Cycling Guide Baba Anderegg, great trails and feelings of happiness. Combining yoga classes with wellness, good food and a few nights' accommodation sounds more like a lifestyle. But as open as yoga is evolving, it can be combined just as openly.

Just like any form of yoga, the list of yoga and bike camps could go on and on. If you search the internet, you will quickly find what you are looking for. Whether a large hotel or a private individual is behind such a camp, there is something for everyone. However, Roger Schütz concludes: "You may need a little nudge to try yoga. But the decision to practise it regularly should always come from your own conviction.

www.bikeundyoga.ch
www.timopritzel.com
www.traillove.bike/bike-yoga-mit-steffi-marth
www.schweizerhof-lenzerheide.ch/bike-yoga-girls-camp
www.bike-holidays.com/mountainbike-yoga