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December 7, 2022
Some people talk about winter with such dread, like it’s an unwelcome out-of-town relative arriving with suitcases packed for a prolonged, bothersome stay.
But not Holly Twining. To her, winter is a snow-covered playground. Or, to stick with the original analogy, winter is a snow-pants-wearing neighborhood pal with a couple of sleds and a thermos of hot cocoa knocking on her door asking if she can come out and play.
Twining’s not one to turn down an opportunity to play. She’s even inviting us to come, too.
An experienced yoga instructor, Twining is the founder of Maine Yoga Adventures, a Maine-based event company that combines yoga with a range of outdoor activities all year long — from hiking and rock climbing to whitewater rafting, cross-country skiing and outdoor hot tubs.
But it’s Twining’s own unique blend of goofiness and good humor that makes adventuring with her so memorable. She’s the type to trek you into the winter woods in snowshoes and then lead you through a standing yoga practice while still wearing snowshoes. She calls it “snowga.”
The practice typically begins with strong warrior poses or arms stretched toward the open sky. It typically ends with hilarious tumbles into the snow and the spirited creation of snow angels.
It’s that contagious winter enthusiasm that first lured me to join an ice climb with Maine Yoga Adventures on Mount Desert Island a few winters back. I was not an experienced ice climber that February morning (I’m still not), but there I was with a crew of fellow beginners, learning how to swing an ax and kick my crampons into the ice under the guidance of experts from Acadia Mountain Guides.
The ice climb was part of a whole day’s worth of activities that included a winter hike on Dorr Mountain, yoga indoors at a studio in Ellsworth and the promise of hot soup and red wine to close out an active day. It was all coordinated by Twining in collaboration with local guides and instructors. All I did was pull on some snow pants and show up.
Standing there at the base of the ice wall, though, I was nervous. It was a wall of ice, after all. What if I fell? What if the ice cracked loose and plummeted to the ground, me clinging to it like a terrified koala?
But Twining’s easy sense of humor and goofiness immediately helped take the edge off (as did the reminder from our guides that the ice was sound and all redundant safety measures had been implemented).
Twining amped us up with words of encouragement and did a little tap dance in her crampons to make us laugh. She offered to climb up the ice first to demonstrate, and when she reached the top of the route, she raised her mittened hand into the air with a flourish and let out a call of triumph.
Zane, Holly’s son, ice climbing
Soon we were all taking turns climbing up. Though we were strangers an hour ago, we readily cheered each other on and belted out loud woohoos with each successful swing of an ax. Some climbed all the way to the top, others were content to go part of the way. That’s one of the perks of adventuring in a welcoming group like this. You’re encouraged to give it a try, but there’s no pressure to be perfect at it. Everyone gets to move at their own pace.
By the end of our day, we were all wonderfully exhausted and proud. Those are the kind of results Twining aims for. Getting people outside and trying new things is a driving force for why she does what she does.
“Trying something new takes adventurers (and myself) to that awesome mix of anxiety and excitement where the energy is truly lit,” she said. “What would life be if you didn’t try anything beyond your usual, your routine? Newness fills an otherwise dormant empty space with possibility and potential.”
New adventures are also really good reasons to get outside at a time of year when some struggle to find a good reason to. Who knows, by the end of winter, you might even be sad to see the snow melt.
Shannon Bryan is a writer and outdoor enthusiast who lives in South Portland. Find her at shannonkbryan.com.
Yoga can have physical and mental benefits to maximize performance and enjoyment of the great outdoors.
Despite how industry marketing paints the picture, I’m here to tell you that skiing and snowboarding is not all smiles and leisure. (And in case you were wondering, it isn’t always bluebird and powder days, either.)
No, sometimes mornings are peppered with little challenges, like a missing left glove after schlepping 20 minutes from Lot E to the base area. Sometimes afternoons go sideways when you discover your RFID pass flew out of your pocket somewhere and now you’re causing a backup in the lift line. And the soreness you feel at the end of the day, after skiing all those bumps, really bogs you down the following morning when you can barely move without making agonizing noises.
On the bright side, you’re the lucky one compared to the guy returning from the emergency room on crutches and in an air cast.
Time to do it all over again. But don’t reach for the Motrin. Try a yoga mat instead.
Introducing a little more “yoke” into your skiing is a much better way to deal with the mental and physical demands of the outdoor sports we love so much, especially skiing.
Maine Yoga Adventures
Holly Twining is the founder of Maine Yoga Adventures, which is offering a wide-ranging schedule of themed yoga day and weekend retreats during the fall and winter seasons. Themes include “Hiking Adventures” at Chick Hill/Peaked Mountain in Clifton, “Axe Throwing” in Bangor, “SUP” at Holbox Island, Mexico, “Snorkeling and Sunsets” in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, and “All the Things: Adirondacks” in Lake George, N.Y.
For skiers, Twining is planning an “Ice Castles, Skiing & Wicked Resort Vibing Adventure,” Feb. 4-6 at Riverwalk Resort in Lincoln, N.H., close to Loon Mountain. In addition to visiting the Ice Castles, participants can cross-country or downhill ski, snowshoe, practice MYA’s version of snowga (yoga while snowshoeing), ice skate, hot tub, swim, sled and more. This will be its third play-in-the-snow adventure in Lincoln.
“I’ve been offering outdoor experiences for six years and absolutely love the wintertime,” Twining said. “MYA attempts to get in as many ski adventures — downhill and cross-country — as possible.”
Twining became a certified yoga teacher in 2011 after completing the Namaste Institute training program. She teaches a variety of yoga classes at Om Land Yoga studios, including Mantis Yoga for Kids. She is a certified foundations instructor through Color Me Yoga and has trained in Unnata Aerial Yoga with Michelle Dortignac.
A skier since the age of 10, she’s always had a passion for the outdoors, having grown up with a birder/gardener/naturalist dad and a dog walker/fitness aficionado mom. When a knee injury brought her modern dance career in New York City to a screeching halt, she discovered yoga.
“It was a great way to calm my nerves and help me transition out of life’s difficult moments,” she said. “The two passions of the outdoors and yoga came together for me as a no-brainer. It makes perfect sense to combine the natural world and outdoor fitness with the healthy and sustaining movements of yoga. I can’t tell you how beautiful it is to share a post-ski yoga practice after a soak in the hot tub.”
Twining said yoga is the perfect match for anyone who is active outdoors regardless of the season. “Whether it’s a simple meditation, a physical flow or some deep breaths, the positive effects are undeniable. The practice is even more fun when you take it outside.”
For beginners, Twining said a few “sun breaths” can go a long way to relieve tension. Skiers can benefit from side-stretching and lunges and should practice stretching out the hips. This can set skiers up for more fluidity in their skiing and ready their core with strength and confidence. Good exercises for that include the figure four on your back, which also works standing up and crossing your ankle above your knee while bending the standing leg to sink it in.
She also recommends deep breaths while on the ski lift. “Close your eyes for a moment, then open them up and be grateful for the beauty that surrounds you,” she said.
“Yoga in the morning before hitting the slopes gets your body, mind and spirit ready to take on the mountain,” Twining said. “Deep breathing, paired with deep stretching. Yoga after a long day of skiing can not be underestimated. Stretching away tense hips and thighs is a wonderful thing.
“Yoga helps you prepare, helps you reset, helps you take on challenges with ease — or at least a little less anxiety. Yoga is the best medicine.”
Matt Boxler can be reached at matt.boxler@gmail.com.
Overview: Holly combined her yoga practice with her love of nature and adventure in 2015 to form Maine Yoga Adventures. The ever-present goal is to get people outside, connected to nature and, ultimately, to themselves. A native of Rhode Island, Holly moved to Maine following ten years of NYC living, theatre, dance, writing and earning an interdisciplinary masters from NYU. She spent ten years at Maine Audubon’s Fields Pond Nature Center and teaches classes at Om Land Yoga when not climbing mountains, paddling seas, hiking trails or soaking her feet in a hot tea bath. She lives in Orono with her husband, the award winning playwright Travis G. Baker, and her boys, Zane and Augi.
August 20, 2020
Holly Twining is the founder of Maine Yoga Adventures - a company that brings together her love of nature and the outdoors with her love of trying new things, the more random the better. Like the marriage of flow poses with beer and knitting. Belly dancing and Bellinis. Or Maces and Macrame - don’t ask me, check out her site, you can join her for that in September.
If fun was an actual person, she’d be Holly.
Maine Yoga Adventures celebrated its 5th anniversary this summer, so I thought it was a great time to check in with Holly and talk about the continual reinvention of both herself and, more recently her business. And listen to her spontaneous laugh, which makes me smile ear-to-ear whenever I hear it!
You connect with Holly on her Maine Yoga Adventures website, Instagram and Facebook. Also check out her YouTube channel for tons of amazing flows and inspiration from her travels.
Other resources:
(**WORD OF WARNING - There’s an instance where Holly drops the F-bomb, not gratuitously, but in relation to a name change of a performance she was in. So if that will offend, take a pass, or maybe pop in some earbuds if you’re listening with your littles around!)
photo by Lauryn Hottinger
Maine. Yoga. Adventure.
(click on link above for images) By Melanie Brooks May 29, 2018
Holly Twining combines yoga with hiking, fat biking, rock climbing and more with Maine Yoga Adventures
It was a fluke, really. Holly Twining had no intention of becoming a yogi. She was working as a naturalist and communications coordinator at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden when a couple of volunteers from the center approached her. They’d been participating in a weekly class in Bangor with certified yoga teacher Barbara Lyons, but Lyons was moving away. Wanting to keep their yoga practice going, the volunteers suggested Twining take the helm.
“They told me their teacher was leaving town and I should just be their teacher,” Twining laughs. Her first thought: Why not? So the novice started leading a yoga class at Fields Pond Audubon Center and soon realized she wanted to learn more and gain training. What ensued was a career change and the eventual birth of Maine Yoga Adventures, a company she founded in 2015 that combines yoga with other activities, ranging from rock climbing and hiking to paddleboarding, theatrical performances and brewery tours.
Twining leads day trips and weekend getaways in Maine and week-long retreats in places like Costa Rica, Iceland and Tuscany. Each event incorporates some variety of yoga (think poses in a snowy field while wearing snowshoes or a hike in the woods that includes pausing under the trees for a few minutes of flow). The yoga style, and her adventures, are intended to be open to all levels of yogis and adventurers.
“Maine Yoga Adventures is all about bringing people together and getting them outside,” she says.
And always, Twining leads her adventures with a personality that is as colorful as her apparel (she’s always decked out in bright colors, from her socks to her nail polish). She is, underneath it all, a performer. While living in New York over a decade ago, Twining was a dancer and performer for an experimental theater company. A knee injury forced her to change her priorities. “It was so bad…I had to choose between dancing and walking,” she says. Common sense prevailed. A nature lover, she earned an interdisciplinary master’s degree focusing on environmental ethics and literature from New York University. After 10 years in the city, she and her husband decided it was time to trade traffic jams and honking horns for woodland trails and birdsong.
Since Twining and her husband, Travis Baker, are both New Englanders (Twining is originally from Rhode Island) they decided to move to familiar territory. They settled in Orono, where Baker earned his master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Maine, and Twining joined the Fields Pond Audubon Center. After finding success in her “yoga club,” she became a certified yoga teacher in 2011 and left Maine Audubon in 2015 when she launched Maine Yoga Adventures. She also teaches weekly studio classes at Om Land Yoga in Orono.
Ideas for her trips come from her participants as well as her own research and desires. Often times she creates an adventure around a place she wants to go or something she wants to try—like fat biking or ascending Mount Katahdin in the winter or happy hour at a local pub. Partnering with local businesses is important to Twining, as is living a vegetarian life. A personal chef creates a strict vegan or vegetarian getaway for all her participants on the longer adventures. “Eating this way is a lot lighter on the planet,” she says.
Danielle Dorrie of Hampden has attended a few of Twining’s adventures. “They give me the opportunity to engage with others who have similar interests that I wouldn’t know otherwise, doing things I wouldn’t do otherwise,” Dorrie says. “Holly brings people together from all walks of life and makes you feel super comfortable. It’s a lot of work doing what she does!”
Currently, Maine Yoga Adventures runs two adventures a month. Upcoming events include a hiking and paddling day-long adventure in the Amherst Mountains Community Forest, a day-long goat yoga experience at Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham and an overnight seaside retreat in Penobscot. “I can’t believe how quickly people signed up for that goat yoga,” Twining says. “People have been begging me to do it!”
Twining herself likes to push boundaries and try new things. And she thinks it’s important for others to get off the couch, get outside and do the same. “I feel like there’s such a payback when you do something you don’t necessarily want to do,” she says. “Because when you do it, it’s ‘Hells yeah!’ High five! It’s energizing. For a lot of people, Maine Yoga Adventures is something that’s easy to do…they just have to show up and try.”
But how does yoga practice change when you have a paddle (or beer) in your hand? How does it differ from a traditional studio setting to the beach or a mountain trail? “It’s not as formal, and the exercise is a little shorter,” Twining explains. “There is just something about practicing outside that gets people all….ahhhhhhhhh.”
Maine Yoga Adventures will celebrate its third anniversary this July. Twining is looking forward to pushing the boundaries of her adventures in the near future by introducing an element of volunteerism into the repertoire. One idea is partnering with Earthwatch, a conservation group that uses citizen scientists on their research projects. Twining envisions a longer adventure trip that coincides with one of Earthwatch’s ongoing projects. “I want to pull my conservation training into this, to do more with Maine Yoga Adventures than help people feel good being outside. To help make a difference.”
For more info and upcoming events with Maine Yoga Adventures, go to:
maineyogaadventures.com
Hardy Group Takes Yoga Outside During Maine Winter Months (click on link to view photos!)
By Aislinn Sarnacki, BDN Staff • January 31, 2018
Four women emerged from the woods and trudged uphill, the snow crunching under their snowshoes at Hirundo Wildlife Refuge in Alton on Sunday Jan. 28. In the middle of a meadow, they stopped, set down their backpacks and faced the sun.
“Take in the sounds. Take in the sights and smells. Take in as much of it as you can,” said the group’s leader Holly Twining, founder and owner of Maine Yoga Adventures.
Through the trees came the faint roar of Pushaw Stream as it rushed between icy banks.
The sun, breaking through a thin layer of clouds, reflected off the white field, warming the air to the 40s. And all around, tracks of wild animals were stamped into the snow.
“Snoga” is yoga in the snow, Twining explained, with some limitations.
“I’m not going to make them lie down on the ground and do a cobra [pose],” Twining said. “For snoga, it’s standing poses, and then some partner poses we can do, too, because we can use each other for balance, so that makes it really fun.”
Wearing a fleece hat designed to look like a shark, a row of pointed teeth marching across her forehead, Twining led her snoga adventure with enthusiasm and positivity that was infectious. Laughter rang through the snowy meadow as she led the women through a series of movements, poses and breathing exercises.
Snowshoes can actually help a yogi maintain balance in some poses, Twining said. The three “warrior” poses, for instance, can actually be easier while wearing snowshoes because with both feet are on the ground, snowshoes form a wide, sturdy base. Lift up a foot, however, and the weight of a snowshoe can easily toss you off balance. Or you can try lifting both feet off the ground.
“If you want to try a headstand, now is the time,” Twining said in an excited voice.
The group watched as Twining got down on her hands and knees, then stuck her head in the snow, then slowly kicked her feet to the sky. She then remained there, moving her legs into different positions with remarkable control, inspiring a few of her clients to give it a try while she spotted them.
Prior to living in Maine, Twining worked in New York City as a performer in experimental theater and dance.
“I think because I was a dancer, so I love movement, so I think I’m addicted to moving and I want other people to experience the joy of it,” Twining said.
After obtaining an interdisciplinary master’s degree focusing on environmental ethics and literature at New York University, Twining moved to Orono and worked for Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden for nearly 10 years. During that time, she developed an interest in yoga became a certified yoga teacher through the Namaste Institute 200-hour training program.
“I think yoga hits so many parts of you,” Twining said. “With your breath, it can calm you down, it can focus you. And you know, people love the benefits in terms of flexibility. Also, it just stirs up all this positive energy, I think.”
In 2015, Twining founded Maine Yoga Adventures, pursuing her dream to lead adventures that combine yoga with travel, nature, community and new life experiences. She now organizes about two adventures per month. They vary greatly in location, length and cost. Most recently, she just returned from leading 14 people on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, which also included plenty of biking, snorkeling, ziplining, horseback riding and surfing. And in June, she’s organizing a trip to a cottage in Tuscany, Italy, where participants will practice yoga, take cooking classes and participate in wine tasting events.
“[My business] seems to be building some momentum, which is really exciting for me,” Twining said. “I love the bigger trips that I have that are out of the state, but I love that I can hit all these different places in Maine, too, because Maine it’s just offers so much. There’s an endless supply of adventure ideas right here at home.”
For the first weekend in February, for instance, Twining has organized a cross-country skiing adventure on the Maine Huts & Trails system in western Maine. And in March, she’s planned a snowshoeing and camping adventure in Baxter State Park with the intentions of ascending Katahdin. Both trips are sold out.
To safely organize the Baxter trip and many others, Twining partners with local guides and businesses to provide additional expertise and resources.
For her upcoming “ice climbing, snowshoe and soak” adventure in Acadia National Park scheduled for Feb. 28, she’s teaming up with Acadia Mountain Guides. And the adventure will end with a soak in the hot tub at Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center.
“It’s super cool because all the trips are different and unique,” said Stacey Coventry of Bangor, one of the three women who attended Twining’s snoga adventure on Jan. 28. “You’re not just doing yoga.”
Coventry takes classes at Om Land Yoga in Orono, where Twining works as a yoga instructor, and in December she attended a Maine Yoga Adventures zumba and wine event at the University of Maine in Orono. She also hopes to be able to attend the upcoming Tuscany trip.
“It’s a great way to connect and meet new people,” Coventry said. “It’s really hard to meet people in our area. People tend to stay in their circles. This time of year when we’re all hibernating, I appreciate her trying to do things to get us out, engaged.”
Coventry and the two other women who attended the snoga adventure on Jan. 28 were complete strangers. They’d all attended the event solo, to get outdoors, enjoy the unusually warm day and explore Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, a place none of them had been to before. And for one of the participants, it was her first time using snowshoes.
After the snoga session in the meadow, the group trudged through the woods to Hirundo’s nature center, where they enjoy homemade potato soup, chatted and journaled before calling it a day.
“I’m so glad I didn’t cancel the adventure because of low numbers,” said Twining, as she typically has higher participation at her events. “It was so rewarding to hear the three of them talking about what the outside does for them. … They really needed this.”
Maine Yoga Adventures still has some great adventures before the arrival of winter
Wednesday, 16 August 2017 13:57 Featured
BANGOR - Summer is flying by quickly, but there's still time to squeeze in some adventures before the arrival of winter.
The folks with Maine Yoga Adventures may have what you're looking for.
Holly Twining joined Craig Colson with the details. To find out more about Maine Yoga Adventures see their Facebook page.
Watch the video: MYA interview
Chamber Chat with Don Cookson & Deb Neuman 8/15
MYA on the radio at the pulse am 620 to talk about upcoming adventures & why oh why we choose to adventure...
http://www.wzonthepulse.com/
LOVE MAINE ADVENTURES: BOUNCE 'N BEER ADVENTURE W/ MAINE YOGA ADVENTURES
May 25, 2017 by Willow
(Please see blog for lots of fab pics!) DD and Willow, coming at you. We’ve recently discovered a great new Bangor Adventure, and we are THRILLED to share it with you! It all started one rainy day…..when the weather calls for rain for days, and days, and days, what’s a pair of adventures to to do? We were sorting out our weekend plans when we saw Maine Yoga Adventure’s Maine Bounce ‘n Beer event come across our facebook feeds and decided that this was the perfect way to spend a rainy spring day and meet some new friends! Maine Yoga Adventures has a mission to reconnect people to the outdoors and nature and incorporate yoga into fun activities throughout Maine and beyond! Maine Yoga Adventures is run by Holly Twining who is a yoga instructor and adventure babe extraordinaire. We love their mission and were excited to join them on this excursion!
We met the crew at the Orono Trampoline Park where we engaged in some good old fashioned bouncing and frivolity. If you haven’t taken a trip to the trampoline park, it’s totally worth the trip for young and old alike. It’s great for big kids, big little kids, and adults that think they are kids. DD was a bit worried it would be packed with screaming kids on a rainy day like this, but this place is HUGE. SO HUGE. Like a whole county huge. Plus it was early, so it wasn’t that packed. It was a fantastic time. We got a great workout and learned some new skills! Willow mastered the slack line and DD, Holly and Amy owned their handstands.
If you’re not doing this as part of a Maine Yoga Adventures, individual tickets cost $14.00/hour for adults and it’s worth every penny! See here for additional rates + info. After an hour of bouncing, we headed to Bangor to get on the Growler Bus for a misty, soggy trip down the Maine coast. We poured some Liquid Sunshine from Black Bear Brewing and made our way down Route 1 with Justin at the wheel.
Our first stop was at the Penobscot Bay Brewing and Winterport Winery, right in Willow’s hometown + down the street from where DD currently resides. Owner Joan helped us pick the right samplings for our palates while owner Mike gave us a tour of the brewery! After learning about what we were imbibing, went upstairs for some lighthearted yoga lead by Holly and Amy. After our session, we went back to the tasting room for mango mimosas and finished off our time there with some purchases.
Back on the bus, we enjoyed some beverages and snacks that Holly had provided (including birthday cake for Amy). We jammed out to tunes, laughed, and enjoyed the misty ride down the coast.
Our next stop was Threshers Brewing Company in Searsmont. This brewery is right off Route 3 just outside of Belfast and was founded by two carpenters. Their beer was great and we loved chatting up with the locals and bartenders. We enjoyed some BBQ from the Grinning Dog Barbeque and a game of darts. This place is definitely worth the detour!
After our tasting and lunch, we had a dance party on the bus before heading back to the coast for our final stop of the day, Marshall Wharf Brewing in Belfast.
Marshall Wharf is a midcoast essential. We love their beer, they have an awesome biergarten and they throw a great party every October. (Be sure to check out their 10th Year of Beer on October 14th.) We started in the tasting room and then David gave us a tour of the brewery and shared the history of the brewery. We enjoyed the fire in the biergarten and then made our way over to the footbridge for our final outing of the day.
Maine Yoga Adventures showed us an awesome time and we can’t wait to join them again! Their adventures are not to be missed!
IMPORTANT ADVENTURE DETAILS:
Cost: $120.00 per person – includes everything you see above + vegetarian lunch (we bought our lunch – pork sliders – but a vegetarian option was included)
To connect with Holly and book your own Maine Yoga Adventure – she can be reached at the following:
T: 207-299-0082
E: maineyogaadventures@gmail.com
Cheers!
DD + Willow
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ICE CLIMBING IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK WITH ACADIA MOUNTAIN GUIDES
March 19, 2017
MAINE YOGA ADVENTURES
The first few swings of the axe land awkwardly – too light and tentative.
“Really give it a good swing,” one of the guides says. “Show it who’s boss!”
A few more attempts follow – each more intent than the last – and then the axe lands in the ice, grabbing hold with a satisfying sound. Oh yea, I’m the boss.
FIT MAINE & MYA pics
I’m not all that experienced a climber of any kind – rock, ice, jungle gym – but learning to ice climb was an exciting prospect. Intimidating, too. In my novice climber’s mind, ice seemed delicate and unstable – like it might shatter beneath me at any moment – which made the idea of climbing it even more daunting. And, yea, kind of terrifying-exciting.
There’s a whole world of things I don’t know about ice and climbing, which is why guided climbing trips with outfits like Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School are so fantastic. They supply the gear and expertise to keep us safe, which means we get to focus on having a good time and swinging those axes like a champ.
Shannon Bryan pics
My ice climbing excursion was part of a whole-day, multi-part experience (which started with ice climbing and ended with yoga, wine, and hot soup) put together by Maine Yoga Adventures. Our day started at the Acadia Mountain Guides home base on Main Street in Bar Harbor, where we signed waivers (but of course) and got our gear: harnesses, helmets, and boots.
It just so happened that we were on Mount Desert Island during a bit of a winter warm spell – a fact that, as you might guess, has an impact on area ice. Having scouted out conditions in advance, our guides decided to switch our destination, nixing the ice formation on Dorr Mountain and instead going with the ice-covered cliffs just off Sargeant Drive.
Climbing on ice on the side of the road sounds weird – but this is a sweet spot. There’s barely any cars on the road this time of year, so you don’t have to worry about a constant parade of traffic (although a few cars did cruise by and the drivers seemed as delighted to see us climbing there as we were to be there climbing). Plus you’re overlooking gorgeous Somes Sound, with views of mountains in the distance and a ice-covered cliffs right in front of you.
Our guides, Pat and Dick, walked us through all the basics – getting our crampons onto our boots, how to hold the axe near the base of the handle and swing it with purpose, how to keep our pelvis forward and our heels down as we climbed. Pat showed us how to belay, too, and how to back-up the belayer. Each of us was going to have a chance to do all the things.
Because ice conditions weren’t ideal for an all-day climb, we spent the second half of the day snowshoeing.
“Perfect,” I thought. “An easy-going snowshoe after all that climbing will be just the thing!”
And for the first few minutes, it WAS easy-going.
And then it got steep.
The climb (and the huffing and puffing) was worth it, though, because the views from Dorr Mountain are stupendous.
Ice Climbing with Acadia Mountain Guides
228 Main St, Bar Harbor
888-232-9559
www.acadiamountainguides.com
Rates vary based on half-day or full-day climb, the number of people in your group, the number of guides. And Acadia Mountain Guides goes all over – Acadia, Camden, Moosehead Lake region, Bangor area, the White Mountains,
There’s a Half Day Ice Climbing Taster that’s perfect for beginners (offered in Acadia and Bangor), as well as a full-day Introductory Ice Climbing Experience (offered in North Conway, Sunday River/Grafton Notch, Sugarloaf, Acadia National Park, and Camden). Intermediate guided climbs also available.
All the climbing gear is provided – helmet, harness, boots, crampons, axes. You’re responsible for wearing appropriate clothing (layers!).
Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School on Main Street in Bar Harbor. Shannon Bryan photo
Maine Yoga Adventures came together with Maine Jr Black Bears to celebrate Girls' Hockey Weekend!
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Adventuring Up & Outdoors #236
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Where do you find your adventures? Maine offers something for everyone in the realm of adventure. Today we speak with Holly Twining, founder of Maine Yoga Adventures, and Tino Fuimara & Taki Miyamoto of Salt Pump Climbing, about the ways they are helping people get up and out in search of adventure.
http://themainemag.com/radio/2016/03/adventuring-outdoors-236/
Fit Maine
January 20, 2016
Get Outside With Maine Yoga Adventures: Snowshoeing, X-C Skiing, Rock Climbing, Beer!
You know those days when you go out with friends and do something engaging and fun – like a group hike or a friendly game of tennis – and then after that you do ANOTHER really fun thing, like cross-country skiing, yoga, kayaking or, wow, horseback riding? And then after that you gather at a local watering hole to socialize over beers or hot soup or a glass of wine?
Maine Yoga Adventures is just like that.
Holly Twining started the Orono-based adventure-plus-more-adventure company last year, with the hopes of getting more people outside and moving their bodies – and making new friends along the way. (Even better, Holly does all the planning, which is fantastic for those of us who – ahem – maybe aren’t the best planners.)
It’s a great concept for anyone who wants to do fun stuff outside, whether you’re already fairly active or you’re just dabbling with the idea. Beginners are very welcome on Holly’s adventures and you’ll have a built-in group of fellow adventurers to enjoy the afternoon with. That’s worth noting, too – while we’re all free to plan our own afternoons filled with paddling and a picnic and a hike in the woods, it’s harder to do if you don’t know where to start or if you don’t already happen to have friends who are equally psyched to partake in the adventure (because doing fun stuff is even better with other people…unless those people have to be tricked into snowshoeing or crammed into a kayak by force because they just really don’t want to. In such cases, leave those folks be and join up with Maine Yoga Adventures).
I originally chatted with Holly back in July when she was just getting started with summer adventures that paired yoga with kayaking and wine tasting or paddleboarding and an afternoon of tennis.
This winter, the adventures are decidedly more snow-centric (because snow!) and last weekend I joined Holly and a half-dozen other women for a Climbing and Snowshoeing Adventure in Orono. The adventure included indoor rock climbing, a snowshoe trek through University Forest, a brewery tour (and complimentary pint!) and plenty of socializing. All in one afternoon. And all for just $50.
It took me a lot longer to make the drive from South Portland to Orono on Saturday, on account of all the snow piling up on 95 (snow is glorious…except when you’re trying to drive somewhere and the snow seems intent on pushing you into a ditch. On those occasions: drive slow or stay home). I arrived at Maine Bound Adventure Center, on the University of Maine campus, to climbing in progress.
Two women were steadily making their way up the rock wall while others cheered them on. The staff – who were also belaying – offered guidance on where to place a foot or where to reach next. I found out later, when I was on the wall and certain I could not go any higher, that they staff also knows when to tell you to just get to the top already because they know you can, even if you’re doubting yourself. (Admission: I doubted. But I’m easily influence by friendly threats from the person holding the rope – i.e. my LIFE – in her hands, so when she said, “I’m not letting you down unless you reach the top,” I decided to reach the top. Well played, belayer woman. Well played.)
After we’d exhausted our upper bodies on the rock wall, it was time to get outside into that splendid snow. Maine Bound provided snowshoes to anyone who didn’t bring her own and we carpooled to another part of campus closer to University Forest.
Now this is why I dig winter. It’s good-looking. And getting to meet new people out in the snow-covered woods is cool, too. We made our leisurely way along the trails, Holly stopping now and then to lead us in some yoga poses. The deep breaths felt great. Warrior stance was a piece of cake. We even managed to balance quite well on one foot (the snowshoes seemed to help).
Our final stop: Black Bear Brewing Co.’s Tap Room. Owner and brewmaster Tim Gallon gave us a tour of the brewery and we settled around the table with our pints of choice to socialize and enjoy some of Holly’s signature soup, which she’d made just for the occasion.
It was certainly a full afternoon. And it all happened in four hours. No joke. And it didn’t matter at all that I didn’t know a soul when I arrived. Everyone was chatty and welcoming and we kept together as a group (leave no man behind!). So if you’re hankering to get outside but you’re all, “I won’t know anyone” or “What if I can’t keep up?!” never fear. Maine Yoga Adventures has your back.
Bangor Daily News Blog
Without Screens Making time to live unplugged by Erinne Magee
Local yogi and business owner travels to Costa Rica by Holly Twining (guest blogger)
Jan 12
There I was leaping over fear, traveling to Nosara, Costa Rica to scout out accommodations, quirky destinations and helpful locals for an upcoming adventure in February 2017.
While not a fan of hot weather, surfing or spiders, there were times I wondered if this were the right decision, but really, those are the best decisions – out of your comfort zone and flying freely into the present moment.
Goodbye comfort zone!
Actually, it was in the spirit of pushing comfort zones that my company, Maine Yoga Adventures, was born. I wanted to find things I’d never done before and toss in adventures like rock climbing, back country cross country skiing, yoga on horseback, surfing, etc.
After all, when you add a little fear into your fun … you’ll be surprised by what happens!
Upon arrival in Nosara, friends Kelly & Scott (who had been visiting this destination for 4 years) left a note with two key points: beer in the fridge and don’t miss sunset at 5:30 p.m.
With travel companion and foodie extraordinaire, Sophia, the adventure began.
We busted out of our room at KayaSol Surf Hotel (complete with foliage views from all sides) and immediately had wildlife encounters. We saw geckos, a family of howler monkeys swinging on branches and chomping leaves, and a giant iguana. I was in heaven- or whatever that place is when you feel immense elation.
One of the locals.
On the beach it got better. Ok, maybe not better than monkeys, but better than Maine at 10 below. The sunsets were extraordinary, mind blowing and prance-around-delirious good.
We admired shorebirds, crabs moving sideways and in-and-out of their shells, snails spiraling patterns into the sand, horses trotting by and the incredible-changing-ever-so-slightly-from-moment-to-moment sunset. The natural beauty of this country already had me excited about the 2017 return with Maine Yoga Adventures.
Sophia and I launched into our first day with the best of intentions – coffee and yoga on the beach. Then it began: the lefts when we “should’ve” gone right.
Coffee in paradise
Scott had given us directions to the beach and I nodded and smiled and took pictures, while doing my best to listen.
The beach stretched out with uncommon beauty … free of development; low on humans. In a shady spot enhanced by lush greenery and bright red flowers, we freed our minds and muscles of yesterday’s long journey from Maine. On a beach-yoga high, we followed many paths. There was scuffling from crabs in the scrub followed by scuffling up above … was it a lemur? A flying fox? Nope. It was a funky, tawny brown Costa Rican squirrel – common to some, a novelty to us. Then the birds came. As we were still … in came the colors. Thank you “wrong” turn. We eased our way off the trail to the sound of howler monkey growls.
It was hot – melting at 9 a.m. We were on a mission to rent the bikes Scott put on hold for us. But there were so many options … two sites in front of our hotel and two behind. Our confusion turned to juice, GoJuice specifically. Yes, a truck full of juice. Sure we couldn’t find our bikes but this cool treat seemed even better (at least for the moment).
Eventually, we found our bikes.
We sat outdoors (always outdoors here), with no recognizable stores or restaurants anywhere … Hallelujah! Along with our fresh green juice, we enjoyed acai coconut bowls with granola. Nick, the truck owner, gave us the lowdown of the area. We may not have had bikes, but we now had possibilities.
Off we went walking again in the hot sun (getting lost in the hot sun) and finding a path, unexpected and beautiful, that led us to a market- our new destination.
Bogged down with yummies, we passed the same area a couple times with the same people selling their wares along the dirt road. Hola!
Still going in the “wrong” direction, we met Carlos, a bartender from the Reef Hotel. He sent us in the “right” direction, to our pool, one of the best places to be, cold and shaded. We realized the value in the fortuitous meeting of Carlos when we returned to his hotel and found gardens, rooftop yoga, two pools (one you can sit in while having drinks/food). The accommodations themselves were circular in shape with wrap around balconies. “Mistakenly” we just might have stumbled upon THE site of our Costa Rican adventure in 2017.
Up until our last day in Nosara, we kept taking the “wrong” path and kept finding fabulousness.
As we journey home today, I will leave you with this thought – don’t let fear put a hold on your experiences … let yourself make mistakes and get lost; pour yourself into life, into life’s mysteries where surprises lie. Yes, you’ll screw up but be brave and know that something better could be mere moments away…
Nosara, Costa Rica
To learn more about Holly and the upcoming local adventures she has planned visit Maine Yoga Adventures on Facebook.
Holly Twining: Exploratory Adventures for Mind and Body
11/5/2015
This story is part of our 1,000 stories campaign. What’s your story?
Name: Holly Twining
Business: Maine Yoga Adventures, adventures for the body and mind
Industry: Adventure, Health & Beauty
Location: Orono, Maine, U.S.
Reason for starting: I had been working for Maine Audubon and started a quarterly Yoga & Nature workshop at the nature center that I truly loved. After 10 years, I was set free from the organization and realized that I could take that piece of my job — connecting people of all ages to nature and bring it together with my yoga practice — and build community on my own. The Yoga & Nature workshop expanded and became Maine Yoga Adventures.
Related: Read about another yoga entrepreneur here.
How do you define success? Success is an ability to inspire people and bring them into a community that moves, shares, connects and imagines together. Success is simply seeing faces light up with glee during an adventure that I’ve designed. I would like my adventures to expand beyond Maine. I’d also like people to come to me to design adventures for them for a group of people they’d like to bring together, either family members or employees or entities of schools, universities, hospitals etc.
Biggest Success: Maine Yoga Adventure’s launch event in July. We were sold out and full of excited participants ready to kayak, practice yoga and enjoy a wine tasting and yummy healthy food. It was amazing to hear people ask me when the next adventure was and what was it going to be and could they please be kept informed of upcoming adventures…
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it? Getting people to take the leap and register for adventures is a huge challenge. I’m constantly addressing this challenge (the business is only 3 months old) and looking for new ways to spread the word of Maine Yoga Adventures so it is not limited to my local community. The loss of a part-time job made me a business owner — the best thing that could’ve happened to me. Via the services/adventures that the business offers, I try to make the amount that I made monthly for Maine Audubon.
Related: An Inside Guide to Angels
Who is your most important role model? My parents. From my mother I received my high energy, loud laughter, enthusiasm and love of being physical, and from my father I received the ability to be brave, to connect deeply with nature and to say exactly what you feel.
Website www.maineyogaadventures.com
Facebook www.Facebook.com/MaineYogaAdventures
Bangor Metro Magazine: Adventures in Yoga
September 2015
By Jodi Hersey
Yoga is one of the most relaxing forms of exercise. It's all about breathing, stretching, meditating and listening to your body. But who knew it could also be considered adventurous?
Holly Twining of Orono is turning people's perception of this low impact workout on its head by combining yoga, nature and seasonal activities into one experience with her new company, Maine Yoga Adventures or MYA. Twining, a yoga instructor and tennis teacher is also a former Fields Pond Audubon naturalist. She started MYA as a way to combine her many passions in life.
"It's going beyond your terrestrial or ordinary yoga practice and freshening it up a little bit by connecting with the water, connecting with the outdoors and connecting with each other," said Twining. "Some folks spend too much time on their computers, phones or in front of the TV, so the connection to nature is a huge piece of it, and a nice way to mix things up." Twining believes MYA will attract longtime yoga lovers as well as first-time participants and adventure seekers. "I have a paddleboarding and tennis adventure in southern Maine [this September] and some of my tennis crew, who I know do not practice yoga but could really use it, will come to this adventure to take on the tennis piece but get the additional benefit of practicing yoga," she said.
Laurie Osher has been participating in Twining's classes for years and already has signed up for three adventures.
"I want her business to be a success. I love yoga, I love Holly and I very much enjoy paddling, so it's a win-win-win," said Osher. "We live in a state where people can do it on their own but the joy is going with someone who is so knowledgeable about the outdoors, and you can't beat that."
Twining, who teaches basic, gentle, chair, aerial and Vinyasa flow yoga, as well as Mantis yoga (for kids) at Om Land Yoga in Orono and Brewer, said this form of exercise is something all ages and fitness abilities can enjoy.
"Yoga spans all ages. You only go where your body wants to go. It's not about doing every detail that your instructor is doing. You've got to feel it out for yourself and see what feels good and works well for your body," explained Twining. "A lot of time it's about taking a moment, a breath, to go inside and clear the busy mind of constant thoughts that are going on. Yoga helps clear the mind and while you're clearing your mind, you're nourishing your body with the breath. From there you can move into stretches and relieving your body of stress through the movement."
Over the years, Twining has seen yoga's popularity shift. "When I lived in New York City, yoga seemed popular in the dance community. But I've certainly seen yoga shift and change from meditation, gentle and Vinyasa to fitness yoga, paddleboard yoga, aerial yoga and beyond, which seems fine as long as the instructor doesn't let go of the fact that this is still a yoga practice full of breath and mindful movement," she explained.
Having an instructor who is in tune and mindful of the body's movements or lack thereof, was a big priority for Osher, especially after a back injury.
"I've been doing yoga for 20 years and before I moved here, the teacher really mattered and the same is true here. I do yoga on my own and with Holly because I have to make sure the teacher is guiding me and I feel physically safe so I will not re-injure my back," said Osher.
Twining has already organized several adventures including Paddling & Wine Tasting ($55 plus cost of kayak rental if you don’t have one) and Hiking & Paddleboarding ($75), and during each excursion, yoga is either incorporated into the actual activity or practiced in between the outdoor experiences.
"You can do terrestrial poses on a paddleboard. My favorites are wheel, down dog, headstand and crow," said Twining. "But during our first adventure we started with a little yoga warm up, then got into our boats and had two hours devoted to kayaking, followed by some light food, an hour-long yoga practice and a wine tasting."
The cost for each adventure varies depending on the actual activity, rental space, food and professional fees needed for other instructors. Twining can also create custom adventures. "If there is a group that wants to come together to create their own adventure, I'm really happy to do it because I have professionals in every arena and can bring people together to create an adventure for anybody," she said. Twining is already looking to expand her business by creating a Maine to Mexico adventure in 2017. "I'm going to Costa Rica in January to set up an adventure for next February. Maine Yoga Adventures came from a workshop I was leading called Yoga & Nature. In those workshops we'd have some different yoga practices, the outside element and the healthy food element. So I'm just expanding on that and taking it out of state."
There is a limit to the amount of participants Twining can take on each adventure, so people are encouraged to sign up in advance.
"No matter how you are doing it, you can always find a way to practice yoga," said Twining. "So if people come out to an adventure and have never practiced yoga, great. If people have never been on a paddleboard, great. It doesn't matter, we have professional instruction for everything."
For more on Maine Yoga Adventures, visit maineyogaadventures.com.
FIT MAINE
The Coolest Ways To Work Out In The Pine Tree State
MAINE YOGA ADVENTURES: PAIR YOUR YOGA WITH PADDLING, TENNIS, HIKING & WINE!
22JUL
There are yoga classes. And then there are yoga adventures.
Holly Twining is inviting us all to join her in an adventure.
Holly, a yoga instructor based in Orono, is the founder of Maine Yoga Adventures, an event company that combines yoga with an array of other fun activities, from hiking and tennis to writing and wine tasting.
Her first event – a Paddling and Wine Tasting Adventure – is coming up this Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. in Orono. The afternoon starts with an outdoor yoga practice and then moves to the water for two hours of kayaking. Afterward, there’s a picnic, more yoga and then – oh yes – a wine tasting.
Yoga + Kayaking + Picnic + Wine. That’s a pretty fantastic way to spend a summer Saturday. Oh, and did I mention the optional chair massage?
Late summer and fall adventures are already scheduled, too, like a hiking and paddleboarding adventure in August and an overnight on Borestone Mountain in September. There’s also an upcoming event for kids and Holly’s also hoping to get a yoga and karate event on the calendar.
And Holly plans to keep the adventures going year round (think writing and snowshoeing workshop in January or February).
Photo Courtesy of Maine Yoga Fest
But whatever the adventure, Holly hopes to get people outside to enjoy nature and meet each other.
“I think it’s important for people to get outside, to move their bodies, to stay curious and try things they haven’t tried before,” she said.
The adventures are open to all levels – people who have yoga experience and people who have never done yoga at all. In fact, Holly said, novices are encouraged. “I want people who haven’t practiced yoga to get out there with me and give it a try.”
Participants can also work with Holly to plan a specific yoga adventure of their own (yoga and swimming? Yoga and birding? There are so many options!).
“Maybe you really love to kayak but never practiced yoga,” said Holly. “I’m hoping that those people will come and experience a yoga practice and are drawn to it and all the things it can do for you.”
And since Holly also has a deep appreciation for nature (nature’s pretty awesome, so we can see why), she’s hoping to share that, too.
“I think in my life I found it important to inspire other people to get excited to get connected to nature….even if it’s just in your own backyard.”
Holly Twining and Kelly Anchors at Maine Yoga Fest
Upcoming yoga adventures
Paddling and Wine Tasting Adventure
3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 25
1 Old Meadow Ln Orono
$55
FMI: maineyogaadventures.com
“Connect with nature with an outdoor yoga practice then move onto a two hour paddling excursion. Learn to make your boat dance and play on the water learning new strokes and maneuvers with a focus on body alignment and fluidity that will link to your yoga practice.”
Kooky Kids Adventure
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, August 5
Webster Park, Orono
$65
FMI: maineyogaadventures.com
“Venture out with your children to enjoy a day of yoga, art, and nature. Holly Twining, founder of MYA, will lead an outdoor mantis yoga class – a fun animal and insect inspired yoga class filled with yoga postures both flying and terrestrial.”
Hiking and Paddleboarding Adventure
3 to 9 p.m. Sunday, August 30
Ship Harbor Nature Trail, Acadia National Park
$75
FMI: maineyogaadventures.com
“Join Machelle Lahaye, certified paddleboard and yoga instructor, and Holly Twining, founder of MYA, for hiking, paddleboard yoga fun, and healthy food.”
Paddleboarding and Tennis Adventure
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 5
Fort Williams, South Portland
$175
FMI: maineyogaadventures.com
“Find strength and confidence in your core as we move beyond the shoreline with paddleboards provided by Portland Paddle. After paddleboard fun, we’ll take a break to breathe in the beautiful environs. A healthy lunch will nourish our bellies and spirits….We’ll hit the tennis courts. Kelly will lead an hour long clinic to work on tennis skills and strategy followed up by an hour left to play.”
Borestone Mountain Weekend Adventure
1 p.m. Friday, September 25 to 1 p.m. Sunday, September 27
Borestone Mountain, Guilford
$300
FMI: maineyogaadventures.com
“Maine Yoga Adventures is heading to a gorgeous sanctuary for hiking, yoga, paddling, healthy food, an evening explorations. Encompassing more than 1,600 acres in Maine’s Hundred Mile Wilderness region, Borestone Mountain Sanctuary offers a spectacular array of natural features, including rare older forest, three crystalline ponds, exposed granite crags and sweeping panoramic views. ”
For more information on Maine Yoga Adventures:maineyogaadventures.com
THE WEEKLY - Bangor Daily News
Posted June 29, 2015, at 2:08 p.m.
New business
ORONO — Holly Twining announced recently that she has opened Maine Yoga Adventures, a business that will allow her to focus on her desire to bring people together to enjoy yoga and nature in unique ways.
Twining, who worked formerly at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Orland, said Maine Yoga Adventures was created to offer retreats that connect diverse yoga practices with nature and seasonal outdoor activities. Adventures will include hiking, birding and paddleboarding and many others. Companion activities to yoga and nature immersion include creative writing, vegetarian cooking, dancing and more.
Adventures will vary to include different age ranges and activity levels from beginning to expert. For example, families can enjoy a Mantis Yoga for Kids adventure mixed with painting and a picnic lunch, and seniors can enjoy a Chair Yoga class then move onto Thai food and a leisurely walk. Expert instruction will be provided for each adventure and space given for individual inspiration, as well, Twining said.
Maine Yoga Adventures will launch its first event, Paddling and Wine Tasting Adventure 3-8 p.m.Saturday, July 25, in Orono. The event will include outdoor yoga practice, a two-hour paddle excursion with Karen Francoeur of Castine Kayak Adventures, food and wine tasting.
For information, go to maineyogaadventures.com.
Bangor Daily News
Yogis take practice out of the studio, onto the water
Ashley L. Conti | BDN
Brian Ulbrich (left) of Southwest Harbor and Natalie Feulner do yoga poses during an Acadia Stand Up Paddle Boarding yoga class at Echo Lake on Mount Desert Island.
By Natalie Feulner, BDN Staff
Posted June 26, 2015, at 9:16 a.m.
MOUNT DESERT ISLAND — Sun glinted off Echo Lake as five paddleboarders taking a class with Acadia Stand Up Paddle Boarding made their way to a quiet cove. Their experiences with paddleboarding and yoga varied, but once out on the water, that mattered little.
Instead, instructor Alex Taylor worked to keep class more about having fun, exercising and connecting with nature.
Stand-up paddleboarding has been common in Maine for several years. During the summer, the state’s many rivers, lakes and coastlines are home to young and old standing on long boards, exploring the waterways.
But it was only recently that paddleboard enthusiasts and companies such as Acadia SUP started combining the low-impact sport with another: yoga. These days, classes and programs in Bar Harbor and southern Maine are indicative of a national trend that has yogis and paddlers alike eager to accept the new challenge.
Diversifying income
Many of the customers at Acadia SUP’s yoga classes are newbies to stand-up paddleboarding, yoga or both. Only a handful hit the water regularly — but for owner Chris Strout, that’s OK.
“It’s very novel, still, for a lot of people,” he said.
Strout explained his company’s “bread and butter” is not their speciality classes, such as paddleboard yoga, but rather rentals and paddleboarding basics at lakes and in the ocean. Still, when he heard about the yoga trend, he knew it was an opportunity to “diversify” his revenue stream.
Classes cost $25 for 75 minutes of instruction and a rental of all needed gear: a 9- to 12-foot board, a paddle, a lifejacket and an anchor so the board doesn’t float away. Strout said he knows it may be pricey for some people to do regularly — yoga studios often charge $12 to $15 per class — so he tries to offer incentives, such as a free class after four.
So far, it has been working. Classes started in mid-June and regularly are full or close to it. Taylor — who lives in Los Angeles, California, part time and said the sport is “taking off everywhere” — said the classes in Bar Harbor are indicative of how quickly it’s catching on.
“It’s trendy. It’s exciting for people to try. It’s a great combination of things; you get to move and get some cardio along with traditional yoga,” she said.
Yoga instructor Holly Twining, who recently started a company called Maine Yoga Adventures, said it’s becoming more common for yoga students to seek unique or different classes, whether they’re new to the practice or are an expert.
“Yoga has started falling into many different categories: You have chair yoga, paddleboard yoga, aerial yoga,” Twining said. “Now that [yoga is common] a lot of people are looking at how we can enhance our practice or find new challenges, and taking it off the mat is fun for people.”
Connecting with nature
Southwest Harbor resident Brian Ulbrich started paddleboarding about a year ago. He loved being on the water, and it offered him a different perspective than he was used to with kayaking.
He also started looking into practicing yoga around the same time.
“I like to try to keep young and limber, and yoga is easy on your body,” Ulbrich said.
After one class in a traditional studio, he decided he was better off practicing outside and while floating.
Paddleboard yoga “lends itself to focusing on the world around you,” Ulbrich said. “The fusion of paddleboarding and yoga is a great combination: It’s a symbiotic relationship.”
Taylor said a lot of her fellow yoga instructors are looking to move their practice outside.
“Once you’ve done it, you get hooked and curious. You want to see what else you can do,” she said. “I don’t even do yoga inside anymore. I love to just take the board out and play.”
Twining agrees and said yoga has always had a holistic component that is enhanced by bringing it outside.
“Taking yoga out of the regular practice [environment] is just another way to connect with nature,” she said.
And it’s a great way to focus entirely on the moment, something yoga teachers frequently are reminding their students to practice.
“You really have to be present in what you’re doing. When you’re on a paddleboard, it’s really hard to check out,” Taylor said.
An activity for all
When Twining started practicing paddleboard yoga, she taught lessons at the University of Maine swimming pool in Orono. Something she noticed right away was the range of options for students.
In addition to the fun factor, many students felt more comfortable trying challenging poses knowing they weren’t going to face plant into a hard, wooden floor.
“They felt safe enough. You know you can fall in the water, and it’s going to be OK,” she said. “They would fall, laugh it off and get back on.”
When Ulbrich returned to class last week in MDI, he brought along his 9-year-old daughter, Emma Mattingly. Emma had been on a paddleboard with her father but hadn’t ever done yoga. Shortly after starting class, she was holding poses alongside some of the more experienced students.
It demonstrative of what Taylor said is another big draw. Poses usually are easy at first, then become more challenging. All have an advanced option for those who want to push it further.
“It’s beginner friendly, but it’s also great for experts, too,” she said. “Yoga gets exciting again. Even advanced yogis are going to find it challenging.”
http://bangordailynews.com/2015/06/26/outdoors/yogis-take-practice-out-of-the-studio-onto-the-water/ printed on August 1, 2015