Namaski in Meribel

Each time I ski holiday, I spend a portion of the trip in tears.  I love the majesty of the mountains, the après ski scene, and the abundance of alpine food.  But the truth is… actual skiing scares the crap out of me!  I learned this sport later in life (at age 27) and I only go once a year, so my skills and confidence are, well… still developing.  I don’t have that perfect hip swivel or parallel stance.  Or that fearlessness when facing somewhere steep.  This almost always sends me to a waterworks moment on the mountain.  Yet, I still love the alpine experience.  So each year, I visit a snow-laden Neverland.  However, on this trip to Meribel, instead of looking for thrills, I aimed for peace.  Namely, the ability to namaski.

namaski (ˈnʌməski:)
noun // the feeling of peace while skiing, ski holidaying, or partaking in other ski-related activities

Okay, so I made up that word, combining namaste (i honor you with peace) with a bunch of ski stuff.  But it works perfectly!  And here are a few ways I found peace on the piste:

Mindful Skiing

As I said earlier, skiing terrifies me.  To the bone.  Typically, I look down the barrel of a mountain and panic over its size, steepness, snow tracks, and ice patches.  But on this trip, there were no tears.  I actually never looked down toward the bottom of my run.  Instead I focused my attention inwards – on my body’s movements – the shifting of weight and flowing of breath.  I looked at my form and found a rhythm in its actions.  Perhaps this is an effect of my daily meditation practice, but somehow, I stayed present in my skiing.  And suddenly, the slopes were a lot less scary and I actually enjoyed the ride.

Snowga

Yoga is a big part of my daily life.  So I was thrilled to attend an outdoor yoga event at La Folie Douce.  The Douce is famous for its parties and table dancing, but now, via Aux Alps, you can get down with your dog there amongst the mountains.  Midweek I hit the mat with a few friends, striking poses against snowy backdrops.  After an hour of vinyasa flowing and much needed stretching, I felt like a snow warrior.

Spa Day

Leg day means a lot of different things to different people.  For some it’s walls squats or lunges.  For me, it was spa time at Le Spa des Neiges in the Allodis Hotel.  Just a short walk uphill from Rond Point, it offers a heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room, and loads of treatments in luxe modern designed rooms.  There, I cared for my quads, calves and hammies with a detoxifying rub-down, ending with a lovely mocktail (citrus and ginger water).  The free Clarins samples were a nice little bonus too!

Home Care

While back at the chalet, I drank copious warm cups of Pukka teas – Detox for the liver, Tumeric Gold for muscle inflammation, and Mint Matcha Green for antioxidants.  And I managed in a few meditation sessions (in my new cozy double bobble hat) with crystals in-hand – black tormaline for relieving fear, clear quartz for healing energy, and acquamarine for keeping calm.

And with all that said… namaski.

WHAT I WORE

Mindful Skiing // read all about my ski pieces here.
Snowga // base layers: Sweaty Betty 
Spa Day // not much ; )
Home Care // hat: Pipolaki / sweater & pants: J.Crew / boots: Ugg