Après-Ski Yoga poses to recover faster – with The Yoga Pixi
A long day on the mountain can take it out of you physically and mentally. To make the most of your holiday and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to hit the piste again, take some time to stretch!
FEEL the benefits of…
RECOVERING FASTER (ache less and last longer on the mountain)
GOOD POSTURE (on and off the mountain, preventing injury)
INNER CALM (to tackle challenging slopes!)
Sound good to you? We had a chat with Jo The Yoga Pixi – one of Morzine’s resident Yogis to find out her ‘go-to’ stretches. Here’s our take on what we found out.
“Whether you ski, snowboard or hike these stretches will target the muscle groups in need of TLC. This sequence will help re-centre and rebalance, soothing body and mind after a day on the slopes.”
For Body, Mind and Snow Soul…
- Child’s Pose (Balasana)
♡ Works into the outer hip, inner thigh, lower back and ankles
❆ Decreases stress and fatigue, while re-establishing focus – minimising any slope errors!
- Thread the Needle (Urdhva Mukha Pasasana)
♡ Releases everyday tension from neck, shoulders and back
❆ Facilitates rotational separation between upper and lower body – progressing our technique on the slopes!
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
♡ Aligns spine, releases tension from legs/upper torso whilst strengthening rest of body
❆ Full body stretch to balance strength and flexibility – the next best thing to an active recovery massage!
- Lizard Lunge (Utthan Pristhasana)
♡ Improves flexibility in overworked hips
❆ Builds strength and stability in inner/outer legs, hips and glutes – improving our on snow performance!
- Reclined Pigeon (Supta Kapotasana)
♡ Stretches IT band, hip flexors, glutes and groin (including hard to reach piriformis)
❆ Aids digestion and improves blood flow to back body – rids feelings of sluggishness, naturally improving our mountain postures!
- Reclined Spinal Twist (Supta Sucirandhrasana – variation)
♡ Energises the stabilising muscles of the core while releasing the lats
❆ Rebalances and soothes the nervous system – providing energy for another day on the hill!
and a little Xtra pose…
- Shavasana (aka the sleepy bit!)
♡ Improves concentration, calms the nervous system and aides healing
❆ Bonus micro sleep – no need for lift snoozes!
Jo adds that it’s important to “Find what feels good for you, use your breath to discover the balance between effort and ease – letting go even more with each exhale. Listen to your body and if you feel pain in any of the positions, release and find a place of relief.”
We recommend attending a class for thorough guidance or for details and photo cues from Jo you can head to www.theyogapixi.com/yoga
For those already in the s’know, you can do your CHILD > NEEDLE > DOG > LIZARD > PIGEON > TWIST > SNOOZE back at the chalet – a carpet is ok if you don’t have a mat. Hot Yoga fans can practice in front of an open fire or after a sauna, to re-warm those muscles that cooled down in the ice bar!
N.b. We’re not endorsing ‘tipsy yoga’ as Yoga should be practiced on an empty stomach – so please don’t try these after dinner!
If you’re staying in one of Mountain Xtra’s chalets and are keen to use a mat (but have forgotten yours in resort) give us a text as we might have a spare for our guests!
Ommm, Shanti snow fans!
(Meaning peace for everyone and everything, on and off the mountain. And in the cosmos.)
#LoveTheLifeYouLive
#TheYogaPixi
#Rebalance #Regroup #Rest #Recover
#XtraStretches #XtraAsana #XtraTime
