Trekking yoga, or meditation in motion, helps the exploration of oneself through the ascent, descent and thoughtful step. Let's find out better.
Meaning of Trekking yoga
A form of meditation in movement, a form of exploration of oneself that takes place through the ascent, the descent, the considered step. The difference between spiritual asceticism and ascension of a mountain may not be so great. The term Trekking derives from the Africaans language and refers to the great migration "Great Trek" to which the Boer pioneers ( Voortrekker ) of South Africa were forced in the first half of the nineteenth century, to escape the advance of the English and move towards the highlands of the interior .
Currently the meaning of the term trekking is combined with and overlaps with that of hiking: a way of traveling exclusively on foot using mainly communication routes not enabled by mechanical means. In this yogic version, the walk leaves room for moments of meditation and breaths in yoga techniques.
Origins and philosophy of Trekking yoga
Trekking is a wonderful mountain sport that helps you feel good about your body and the environment. However, it does not prevent muscle-skeletal disorders. On the contrary, sometimes it can aggravate pre-existing pathologies generating for example pains in the vertebral column or knees (areas of the body very stressed during the excursion).
For this, yoga, done before departure or after an intense trekking session can be very useful to rebalance the posture and relax the muscles by relaxing tendons and joints.
The natural scenery helps relaxation and concentration; meditation takes benefit and fluidity from the surrounding environment.
Yoga in the mountains: a unique opportunity!
Practice
Urban trekking, extreme trekking and other forms of trekking, reaching even a milder type of training - but no less effective - like Nordic walking . In the yogic version of trekking, the days of walking are interspersed with the paratic and exploration of various yoga techniques.
The walking days are excellent to create an environment suitable for sharing and purification through practice. The excursions can be more or less demanding, depending on the level of the walkers. In the same way, yogic techniques are based on the level of practice of each one. The days spent in a group are teachers themselves.
The benefits of Trekking yoga
Trekking strengthens the muscles, trains the heart muscle as well, causing the body to adapt to work at different altitudes, consolidating group life.
Yoga has among its benefits the increase in concentration, work on breathing, psychophysical control, the functional performance of the abdominal area, calmness, the rebalancing of posture.
Masters and schools
In Italy there is a Trekking Yoga school that combines symbols, mountains, wind and clouds. They offer intensive tantric meditation, teacher training / yoga trekking guides. Abroad there are many schools that offer courses even in the heart of yogic practice and Eastern philosophy, as in the case of Nepal Yoga Trek.
