Yoga in the Yukon

The sun is well above the horizon and because it is July in the north, I know that it will light the sky until midnight.

- By Jan Albin-Bullock

I find a flat place on the pebble beach, careful to avoid the small purple flowers. I lay down my mat and then lay flat on my back.

After several adjustments, moving pokey rocks, changing the angle of the mat to maximize the flat space, I begin my practice.

I breathe. Movement; water, wind, breath. I move through my imperfect practice. Muscles sore from paddling lengthen and open. Spine becomes aligned. The shadows are my mirror and the water is my meditation. My practice is here in this remote land.

While I love a good yoga studio with smooth floors, I have found that the earth is not flat and the temperature is not controlled. This practice on the river requires me to deal with the elements first hand.

Adjusting to the earth as it presents itself brings a different dimension to the poses I have practiced for years. There is new understanding as I deal with bugs, sun, wind and rain.

Small obstacles allow for adaptations and make flexibility a necessary component.