Fear Factor

Last night I felt like a contestant on that show… you know, the one where they put people into situations that terrify them & the only way to win is by mastering fear?

Many of you know me as an avid snowboarder, a sport in which riding chairlifts is all part of the deal. As I am extremely afraid of heights, this has always been my least favorite part, but thousands of rides throughout the years has tempered my fear. Anyone who has ridden a chairlift has undoubtedly thought, at one point or another… ‘what if this thing broke down..?’ Well, last night, it did.

The lift stopped (normal) stayed stopped for a long time (not normal) & then all the lights of the ski hill went out… (yikes!)

The first 10minutes were kinda cool- super dark, quiet, lots of stars- definitely a unique experience. But the novelty wore off fast. We (thank goodness I was not alone – my partner was with me) were stuck at a decently high spot, I’d guess 30ft, and it didn’t take long for my nervous system to overreact to where I was & that Ski Patrol had come by to shout up to us that, “it might be a while.”

A while it was. We ended up being up there for almost an hour & a half. By far the longest I’ve ever had to keep my shit together while terrified. And here’s where I bring the story around to yoga.

Yoga has taught me that you are not at the complete mercy of your autonomic & even central nervous systems. Your thoughts and actions can greatly affect how you react to stress. Here’s what I practiced to keep from passing out:

-Slow, steady breathing

-Relaxed gaze at eye level

-Hold on (but not too tight!) to the safety bar & my partner

-Talk

-Focus on the music playing in my helmet & sing a little

-Remember that gravity has me & I’m just sitting on a bench like normal

-Practice gratitude that it wasn’t 30 below, windy, snowing or raining

All of these tools helped lessen the tunnel vision & shunting, & they saved me from a full blown panic attack. I tell you this epic tale to remind you that your yoga is not only fun, feel-good shapes on your mat – it’s building you tools to face your fears.

love, Steph