I’ll admit that I feel a bit silly running around in public taking pictures. I’ve said it before. I’m sure that I’ll end up on influencers in the wild doing something absurd. Yet, I persist. And really, I’m genuinely excited to share my love of movement (MoveMint 😉) and nature with people who share those interests, and maybe can’t get to these places.
Grow Your Pose is a challenge hashtag that I am hosting with some friends on Instagram. The idea is to work on inversions from the ground up- growing in strength much like a seed to a flower. So I set out to a trail not far from my house, GoPro and phone in hand. There is a five minute YouTube video showing the trip, check it out!
If you haven’t hiked a mountain to get to that scenic outlook- what are you doing with your life? Just kidding. Kinda. I am not a hardcore hiker, but a casual one. A few hours and a few miles gets me the dose of nature that I need without much need to plan ahead, pack a ton of supplies, or end up devastated the next day.
Along the trail I saw lots of dropped flowers, I have no idea where they came from. If you do, let me know! I also had the funniest encounter with an older couple when I was perched up on a rock. As they came down the trail, I awkwardly said hello and waited for them to pass before carrying on with my shenanigans. The man stopped directly in front of my phone on the ground and asked, “oh, am I in the way of this?” super innocently. Who suspects a phone on the opposite side of a trail from a person lurking on a rock? I assured him, that yes, indeed, he was in front of my camera, but I promised that it was not problem at all and that I wouldn’t put them on the internet. They passed and went a little distance down and watched me pincha for a bit I guess, and kindly commented to each other that they wished they were young again. As I see it, if I’m still out hiking at their age, I’ll be pretty happy with that.
On this particular trip, I had the pose lineup of:
⭐child’s pose- a great way to start your practice- get grounded, set your mind or intention set, and get a bit of a stretch.
⭐ crow- I crow everywhere. Mostly on rocks. I don’t know why. It is like they were made for it. It is my first and most beloved arm balance and a great foundation to build strength and confidence in inversions.
⭐ dolphin- dolphin is harder than pincha. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Get in dolphin pushups a few times a week and you’ll soon have some added strength and stability in your shoulders.
⭐headstand- this one I took upon myself to learn as a child, supported with a pillow underneath my head and a wall behind me. Freestanding, there are so many options for strength building even for someone who is proficient at pincha and handstand.
⭐handstand- the most Instagrammable of all of the asanas. Need I say more? 😂 When I am on rocks or near a cliff edge, I tend to undershoot my handstand entrance. Self preservation that I am not in a hurry to overcome! But I can usually catch decent hang time in the middle of a trail.
And that is my story for today, folks! Check out our gallery, as we have some wonderful hosts and people participating with us, the community is always the best part of these challenges.
MoveMint Yoga 