BCJ_WINTER18 Digital Edition

INSTRUCTIONAL
Bill McDavid photo
YOGA FOR HUNTERS
BY DR. ERIKA PUTNAM
16 | BACKCOUNTRY JOURNAL WINTER 2018
IT TOOK ME 16 DAYS TO TAG A DALL SHEEP in Alaska last
year. If it weren’t for my yoga practice, I don’t think I could have
stayed mentally strong or returned home injury free. I’m 49 years
old, so my yoga doesn’t look like sitting cross-legged under a tree
and my goal is not to do a photo-worthy backbend. I practice a
combination of meditation, yoga poses, balance poses, controlled
breathing and mindfulness. My practice benefits me mentally and
emotionally as much as it does physically.
We all hunt for different reasons but nobody hunts to come
home emptyhanded or with a trophy of a sprained ankle. You
want your body and mind dialed in when your hunt date arrives.
If your boot gets caught behind a rock and you end up in the
downhill splits, you want your hamstrings flexible and your core
strong. If your partner says “breathe,” you must be able to calm
down, focus and make a clean shot. An injury can cut your hunt
short and impatience can lead to mistakes you may regret later.
A regular yoga practice incorporates physical challenges that require
strength, flexibility and balance. It is also a practice in pursuing
a particular state of mind. Yoga is slow paced. It allows time
to pay attention to body mechanics, and it develops patience and
precision of both thoughts and emotions – muich like archery. It
builds physical and mental endurance. This can help you develop
the stamina to crouch for 30 minutes, waiting for a buck to present
a shot, or dig deep to find the determination to keep glassing
a promising mountainside all day. Success in the field depends on
strength and agility, both physical and mental.
You might be surprised how a yoga practice affects your hunting.
Not only will it help you prevent injuries but it will give you
a keen appreciation for the entire experience. Consider these five
benefits and add yoga to your training regimen to enhance time
in the field.
Erika is a chiropractic physician who recently relocated her practice
from Nampa, Idaho to Whitefish, Montana to seek adventure and
sanctity in the mountains and rivers. Erika is an avid outdoors enthusiast
who teaches yoga, hunts big game and volunteers her time and
expertise to non-profits like the Wild Sheep Foundation and BHA.