Patrick Thorne
Kaunertal, in the Tirol region, is one of five Austrian glacier ski areas where the lifts are still running and the pistes and parks open in the latter half of May.
This coming Saturday 20th May, there’s the added opportunity to take part in an ice bathing and yoga nidra session at the glacier.
Both mountain top yoga and ice bathing have become increasingly popular in ski areas in recent years. On the upside the ice bathing at Kaunertal takes place as temperatures warm for the spring, on the downside you’re nearly 2,500m up in a glacial meltwater pool.
“Become one with your inner self. After a preparatory breathing technique, you’ll slowly step into cold water up to your chest. The duration of the bath can range from a few seconds to several minutes, depending on individual feelings,” said Marcel Schmid, who leads the activity.
Yoga nidra or yogic sleep in modern usage is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, typically induced by a guided meditation.
Barbara Scherrer, who leads the activity, says the systematic method will bring about complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation. You don’t need any previous knowledge for this.
“The body is asleep, thoughts are quickly stilled, attention expands further with full consciousness. This is effective stress management for our modern life,” Barbara adds.
The activities take 5-6 hours and participation costs €99.00, but at time of writing the day is sold out.
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