CityScene
Namasail: Yoga and Sail Retreat Flex Your Mind and Body on Lake Superior Story by Betty Carpick, Photos by Tara George
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s the hurly-burly of life accelerates and the obligation to be continually plugged in permeates our personal, professional, and social spaces, a person’s mind can race from one thought to another with no stillness. Taking stock of who we are is a step in cultivating the awareness, relaxation, and concentration that’s important for reconnection with ourselves, our friends, our communities, and the world around us. There’s many different ways and opportunities to learn how to maintain a sense of inner peace to live in our everchanging world. Captain Greg Heroux from Sail Superior and yoga instructor Catherine Tombs recently began offering day-long retreats combining the experience of yoga with sailing. On an early Sunday morning, mats were rolled out on the lawn adjacent to the Tai Chi Circle at Prince Arthur’s Landing for a one-hour vinyasa yoga session. Tombs gently eased everyone into the zone with a sequence of postures to get body and breath moving and energy flowing. Practicing yoga beside a body of water as beautiful and mercurial as Lake
Superior is an act in itself. On this particular day, the warm sun, the dew-kissed grass, the songs and calls of birds and the gentle sounds of the city waking up set the stage for a rejuvenating experience. With the fresh endorphin surge of an hour of yoga, boarding Sail Superior’s fully equipped 40’ long boat for a fourhour sail to the Welcome Islands made the yoga experience even better. There’s a great appeal of being on the largest freshwater lake in the world with the full sky, sparkling water and views of Thunder Bay and the ancient boreal forest coast. Lulled by the undulations of the waves, we continued with mindful exercises, enjoyed a delicious, healthy lunch from The Growing Season, and after docking, took part in a short meditative nature walk. Even one short day of doing some yoga, savouring the calming sensation of being on the water, and thinking about living mindfully can trigger a recalibration. The thing is, you won’t know it until you try it. For more information, contact Sail Superior Adventures at sailsuperior.com. The Walleye
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