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I’m an admitted on-again-off-again yogi. I like my time on the mat, but as an avid trail runner and dealing mom of two, I rarely make space for it. But during a summer escape to a glamping destination tucked deep into the ranchland of the eastern Vail Valley, I signed up for a sunset yoga class. As my husband and I were trading the hustle of real life for 2 days of glamping serenity, an outside yoga session gave the look of the right addition.

Class took place on top of a bluff, a brief walk from my tent, where instructor Yvette Chavy had rolled out mats and woven blankets amongst tufts of sagebrush and wild grasses. In a fortunate accident, it ended up just being me and Chavy.

As we settled into the quiet rhythm of the Rocky Mountains at dusk, Chavy apologized for the uneven ground. I, nevertheless, was grateful for the heft of the land beneath.

As we gently moved through restorative poses and breath work, I became increasingly aware of the surface underfoot: the heat it radiated from hours of baking in the summertime sun, the imprints left behind from grazing horses’ hooves, the perfume of high desert dirt mixed with sage. Tree and Mountain poses felt especially meaningful in that my feet actively sought the strength and platform of the earth below while the remainder of my body reached for the open sky above. These poses weren’t without adjustments or wobbles, and my toes and ankles were in constant motion digging and dealing to search out latest balance. But that was also a part of the sweetness: I used to be reminded that even easy, practiced movements sometimes require a rework.

Chavy’s mindful guidance and mild cues kept my alignment in check and I discovered that certain poses were actually easier on my joints. I often find myself folding my mat over to guard my tender runner’s knees from the unforgiving floor. But here, it was as if the uneven ground was cradling my knees in Cat–Cow, my shoulders in Bridge, and my feet in Triangle. Sinking into Savasana against the ready assurance of the earth was a revelation.

Being so close, so connected to the physical world left me buzzing with awareness. My heart thumped with gratitude and tears of appreciation clouded my vision. This transfer of natural energy—a reminder of how powerful the outside is to my wellbeing—was unlike anything I’ve experienced enclosed in a studio.

After the spell of Savasana was broken, I discussed to Chavy, a trauma-informed instructor who’s studying to be a wellness coach, how much I enjoyed being rooted to the bottom in the course of the outdoor yoga session. She smiled and said, “All the things has energy. That features the earth beneath us, the soil, and every part below that. It’s energy that we often don’t tap.”

(Photo: Amanda M. Faison)

She was quick to indicate that yoga in any form, and in anyplace, is a strong wellness tool. But, given the selection, she’ll all the time decide to practice outdoor yoga. “This natural beauty in front of us brings expansion. I like the sensation of the towering mountains and valleys, it’s about coming out here and giving into the stillness.”

Chavy explained that while she loves teaching out in the weather, it might be ideal to supply the choice of a platform on the bottom to permit students to decide on what best befits one’s practice. She intoned that people with injuries or those recovering from an injury are higher off on a fair surface. For me, nevertheless, there was no higher strategy to explore that pureness of body and spirit than to be rooted and connected to the earth itself.

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About Our Contributor
Colorado-based freelance author Amanda M. Faison has chased stories about food, adventure, and culture for greater than twenty years. Along with publishing stories in Food & Wine, Sunset, Elle Decor, and Travel & Leisure, her ranch-to-plate feature “Soul Food,” was anthologized in Best Food Writing 2010. Faison has also edited 4 cookbooks, and—indoors or outdoors—she’s all the time searching for ways to assemble friends around a meal.