Interviews: Corinne Mayhew (August 2015)
Interview 4: Kate Munro-Boot - Yoga Alliance Approved Vinyasa Flow Teacher & British Masters Snowboardcross Champion 2014
How can yoga help train the mind to progress in snowboarding?
When most people think of yoga, they usually just recognise the physical benefits in terms of helping with joint mobility and muscle flexibility. Of course yoga does help tremendously with this, but the benefits are far greater.
As a well as great strength, control and flexibility of the body's joints and muscles, a focussed mind and awareness to stay present within your current environment can be learned from a regular yoga practice.
The emphasis yoga places on the breath is used to help control the mind. In our fast paced lives with so much stimuli around us it is actually very difficult to calm and quieten our thoughts. Attuning the breath with movements of the body focuses the mind, creating greater awareness of what is occurring within the body and reminds us to stay present within that moment. This focussed state is instrumental when a rider needs to engage their mind for competition or to learn a new trick, as it can help to block out external factors that may hinder performance.
Learning to use the breath helps, on a physical level, to channel energy through the body. Powerful movements are boosted with the inhale while the exhale calms tension, which allows flexing movements to be deeper. On a psychological level, having control over long steady inhale and exhales helps to dissipate fear and nervousness that the rider might experience while trying something out of their usual comfort zone.
Yoga's emphasis on learning to stay present and aware is hugely beneficial for any snowboarder. The mountain environment can changs very quickly, so having good awareness helps to read situations before they happen and enable quick response and reactions.
