Ahhh, just finished a practice on my backyard deck with a nice long savassana in the shade from the maple trees. Like anything good, I wanted to share it with you. Eoin Finn, one of the finest yoga instructor around, has some great resources on his website, you can download a variety of sessions for free on his downloads page.

I’m just taking my time this morning getting ready for a week in Whistler; Norco has their 2009 product launch and will be hosting the top Norco dealers, distributors, and media for riding and dining.

This will be the first time riding in a bike park since VPS Fest last year at SilverStar mountain; I think it’ll be a pleasurable shock to my body and forearms. It’s actually always surprising to me that I can ride trials all day with no forearm pump, but a few minutes of blasting downhill in a bike park, and I can hardly hold on. I guess it’s a matter of what you’re used to.

I’ll figure I’ll post a few times this week with rumors of what will be in store for Norco’s ‘09 line-up. The weather looks great, so I think we’ll all be a bit spoiled this week. If you’re up in Whistler on Wednesday, I’ll be setting up for a trials show on Wednesday evening at about 7pm, come on by and say hi!

Happy Monday everyone, and all my best….

Many often miss a very important and joyous part of riding. Whether you’re racing your friends up or down the hill, annoyed at your bike because it’s not running smooth, maybe you’re stressed about something at work, or busy worrying about that stunt ahead and the one you biffed a few minutes ago, who knows, but it results in missing out on this gift, yes, that present moment when you can truly experience Nature. It’s the fleeting experience of being in Nature, not doing in nature.

This is similar to yoga, the most important part of the practice isn’t that crazy balance posture you pulled, it’s savasana, or corpse pose as it’s often called. So when you’re out on your next ride in the woods, take a second to feel the power of Nature, experience the presence of the trees or the desert rock, feel the wind or rain hitting your face, and just be, if only for a few moments. In the past I have been in some of the most incredible natural settings and not truly realized, recognized, or appreciated it; perhaps I took it for granted.

A large majority of the population takes the environment for granted, and it is because of this unfortunate view that most environmental degradation and exploitation occurs. We live as though the planet provides a never-ending supply of resources that can be manipulated for financial profit and enjoyment. That has to change. As David Suzuki once said “with six billion of us now shuffling up to nature’s buffet, the “all you can eat” sign will have to come down soon or those at the back of the line - the next generation - will be left with nothing but Jell-O salad.”

So the importance of these moments in Nature can be great, especially if riding is the only time you have that is free from the demands of the modern, fast-paced lifestyle. It’s in these moments of being that provide a certain perspective otherwise unavailable to the incessantly thinking mind; this following quote from Joseph Campbell is a great analogy of what I’m trying to say, “what if you worked your whole life climbing the ladder, and finally saw the view at the top and discovered you had leant it up against the wrong wall”. Why not let those mountain bike rides give you a glimpse of the view along the way; all you have to do is take a moment to look.

Just a few weeks ago, I was out practicing. I rode hard for about an hour, working on a few new moves, and jumping on everything in sight. It was a warm afternoon, the sun was out for the first time in a while; so I found some grass under a tree at the park, took my helmet off, sat down facing the sun, and just sat there soaking up the spring-like rays and letting my winter thoughts melt away. Not sure how long I was there, but I have to say it was the most important part of the ride. Conversely, I went on a night ride with a bike shop group last Fall, and they proceeded to race for two and half hours, trying to hit as many trails as possible; what I would have given for a few moments to stop, catch my breath, and gaze up at the night sky. For animals have the capacity to know, but it’s only humans that have the capacity to know they know; this is called consciousness, and it is something that we need to develop individually and then spread around.

Once a true relationship with Nature is realized it becomes very difficult to purposefully (or unconsciously) harm it. Now I don’t mean a kind of one-way relationship such as the “love” for nature because it provides you with endless powder snow and vertical, no. When you truly connect with Nature there is a certain respect, awe, and sense of responsibility that goes along with it. I can’t think of a better time and place to experience this connection than on a ride, how about you?

There’s nothing better then getting in to a yoga routine, mixing some classes with some solo practices at home. For me though, routine is a foreign word. I travel extensively as a professional mountain biker, and since February this year, have performed over 160 trials shows. Yoga is the last thing I’d give up because it’s the only thing that keeps me going!

I ask so much of my body doing what I do, so no matter where I go, I am sure to make time for yoga, and have never regretted waking up early to do so. I can always find space to practice while travelling, even small hotel rooms can be rearranged for the appropriate footprint. If I can open a window and turn off the air conditioner, that’s a bonus; glaring ceiling lights have to go off too. Then there is the issue of that nasty carpet, and in plank position, you get a pretty good idea of what you’re dealing with. I often grab an extra bathroom towel to lay down at the head of my mat, so that deep inhalation in to upward dog doesn’t include a bunch of dust mites, not a good visualisation!! Another thing I do is lay my mat down the same side, thus keeping a ‘clean side’ for practising on, a clever idea I thought until my wife Caryn pointed out that when I roll the mat up, the dirty carpet side always touches the practice side, there goes that theory!

In a way, mountain bike trials is like yoga; I have to put my bike and body in a variety of contorted balance positions which ideally require a clear mind. In this state of ‘no thought’ the best results seem to occur, both externally and more importantly internally. With riding these ‘clear mind’ moments are deep (my physical well being depends on this!), but at the same time are very short lived (the length of the riding challenge). With yoga, I find I can have a clear mind for longer, but perhaps not as deep (that internal dialogue always pipes up). This long lasting clear mind is of course the biggest challenge for an encultured westerner like myself (I’m lucky to have 10 seconds of this!).

Hotels often have deserted fitness rooms or outdoor decks which serve as great practice areas and if the weather is nice, it’s worth looking for a peaceful setting outside. On my recent Canadian tour (drove from coast to coast to coast), I decided to do some camping along the way, and found lakeside practice spots a couple times, and then went back to the campsite for some extended savasana in my hammock, good living!!

After a good year of solo practices where I tended to flow in to my favourite positions, I think it’s time to increase my pose database and push myself a bit, looking forward to some great Fall classes with Eoin Finn!!