Viva Virabhadrasana II!!!

After taking some time off from blogging over the holidays, I'm refreshed, rested and ready to get back at it!  This week, I'm skiing Mt. Bachelor, near Bend, OR.  I grew up in Seattle and skiied these fantastic slopes growing up so it's like coming home.  The mountain does not disappoint!  The snow is good, and today there were rarely any lines.

Sking is one of those athletic endeavours that require physical training or, at the end of the day (and again the next morning), you will be wishing you took the time to be prepared.  Between high-speed lifts and little-to-no lines, one can get in a LOT of skiing in a day.  One body part that gets put to the test are the quads.  Historically, my quads have BURNED in the afternoon.  Today, however, I was amazed how well they withstood the long runs with extended tucks at the end.  I have to give a shout-out to Virabhadrasana II and the two big flights of stairs I now have to walk up several times a day at work to get to my new cube. 

I always think of Seane Corn when in Virabhadrasana II because she would put our teacher training class into the pose and just leave us there.  I think she grabbed a cup of tea and came back to check on us... or at least it felt like we were in the friggin' pose that long.  My thighs were saying uncharitable things to me that were getting hard to ignore.  Thanks to Ms. Corn, however, I learned to appreciate and relax into Vira II and felt my power.  Learning to relax and focus on the breath while holding this pose is a powerful metaphor for learning to relax and breathe when in stressful situations off the mat.  It's also a darn good way to get the ole thighs prepped for the slopes!

Here's hoping for more sweet powder, blue skies and enduring thighs.  :)

Namaste and happy holidays, y'all!!