Is This Yoga?

7 Ways Yoga Supports My Mountain Biking Practice

Have you ever worried that your deepening commitment to one thing (in my case, my yoga practice) would phase out the ability to enjoy other interests? Sometimes life presents us with competing priorities where we ultimately must choose. In my experience with yoga, however, this is not the case. Keep reading below to see how the deepening of my yoga practice actually led to a broader and more inclusive perspective of things that “count as yoga” rather than a limited either/or viewpoint.

Yoga is anything that brings the body, mind, and spirit into alignment, ease, and harmony.

Earlier this year I graduated from a 200-hr yoga teacher training program, and just a few weeks ago I immersed myself into a 300-hr program—how’s that for an eternal student?

I’ve been reflecting on everything I’m learning about physical anatomy, alignment (both physical and spiritual), and sustainable approaches to the yoga practice that enable us to be yogis to 96 and beyond.

I wondered, and watched as my study went deeper and got more granular, would my teaching and practice nudge aside my other passions? Would I get dogmatic about my yoga asana practice and no longer have space in my life for other things I enjoy so much… like mountain biking? Would more time spent on the yoga mat lead to less time on my beloved dusty, rocky trails?

I’m happy to report that the deepening of my yoga practice has not led to a more narrowly focused life. What is becoming clear are the many opportunities for integrating my various practices that support my feelings of well-being. If yoga is anything that brings about a state of alignment, ease, and harmony, then surely being on my mountain bike surrounded by nature and experiencing the rhythm of the ride creates a yogic state of flow. If I meet my mat as I am, don’t I meet the trails as they are, with their swoopy turns, rock gardens, strong roots, and uphill climbs?

This expansive perspective got me thinking... if yoga has helped me to become aware of my Flow State experience while mountain biking, I wonder how else it is supporting and enhancing my time on the trails?

Here are 7 ways yoga supports my passion for mountain biking—

1. Flexibility

Yoga enhances overall flexibility, allowing me to move more freely on the bike and handle challenging terrain with a dancer’s ease. Ya gotta get your seat outta the seat—twist your torso, turn your handlebars, and sometimes you’re in Utkatasana (chair pose) all the way down the hill.

2. Strength

Yoga builds abdominal strength, which is sometimes more valuable than quad strength, even though both are crucial for stability and balance during mountain biking, especially when navigating switchbacks, boulders, and streams.

3. Balance

Yoga improves proprioception—the body’s natural sense of position in space. This in turn improves balance by stabilizing and coordinating body movements with my bike—essential for keeping the rubber side down!

4. Endurance

Yogic breathing boosts cardiovascular endurance during uphill climbs, allowing me to take in more vistas while keeping up with my mountain bike sangha—my MTB community.

5. Mental Focus

Yoga promotes mindfulness and concentration, just like using a drishti (gazing point) in tree pose. By drawing a line with my eye, my bike wheels follow a steady path no matter the terrain.

6. Injury Prevention

Many yoga asanas release tension in the hip flexors and keep the spine flexible. Plus, all of those Chaturangas (four-limbed staff pose, IE half push-up) keeps the upper body strong and nimble for bike handling.

7. Recovery

Time on the yoga mat helps my post-ride recovery, slowing down, reducing muscle soreness, and improving overall well-being. I like traveling inward after traveling forward.

Those are the first seven insights that came to mind. I bet there are many more like community, fun, challenge, and practicing presence.

If you’re a mountain biker, may your chain be lubed, your leg cramps eased, and your tire filled with just enough air to roll over whatever obstacles lie in your path. See you on the mat and the trails!

What about you? What’s your experience with yoga and “things that count as yoga?” Have you ever felt like your commitment to the asana practice held you back from going deep with something else? Wondering what it would be like to look at your yoga practice as a support for your other practices? I’d love to hear it. Feel free to reach out to me directly at any time here. I love to hear from you.