Running. And Marathons. And Yoga.

It’s spring marathon season.  If you aren’t a runner, or a marathon runner at that, you may not have even known that there was a marathon season.   Or two of them for that matter.  But there are.  Spring, when the weather in most of the country is starting to get nice again.  No snow, no ice.  And Fall, when the weather starts to cool off again.  Less humidity, fewer bugs.  Of course marathons are held year round, but there are more of them in the spring and fall.  This includes the Vermont City Marathon.  If you aren’t involved in this event in some capacity, runner, relay teammate, volunteer, the VCM may only mean that you have to wait in traffic on North Avenue while hundreds of runners slog along the side of the road looking somewhere between tired and downright miserable.  But to many, this event is the culmination of months of training, planing, organizing, and hoping.

What does this have to do with yoga?

To me, yoga is the “anti-run.”  And I don’t mean, that it’s everything running isn’t, because there are many similarities.  But yoga does for me many things running doesn’t.  And yoga un-does for me many things running does.  Running is repetitive.  Marathon running is VERY repetitive.  Yoga moves the body in all different directions.  Yoga restores mobility, balance and stability.  Yoga grounds the mind to be present in the here and now.  Running, well, anyone who’s run a marathon knows that the last thing you need at mile 23 is to be aware – acutely aware – of where you are and what you’re doing.  Denial and escape – now that’s more like it.

But together, running and yoga make a good team.  Yoga can be a vital asset to a marathon training program – to “un-do” the repetitive motions.  To improve strength, balance, breathing and mindfulness.    And running brings time for exploring the outside world and letting the mind wander to all reaches.

-Alison Aiken, PT & evolution Yoga Teacher