Yoga in the Valle Maira
The Valle Maira, one of the most pristine and authentic alpine valleys, is predestined for a combination of hiking and yoga. We are therefore very happy to speak to Barbara Kittel Holmgren today. Barbara stayed with us in summer 2019 and winter 2020. In September 2021, she will come again with a group for a “Yoga & Mountains” week in the Locanda Mistral.
Dear Barbara, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Could you give our readers a little insight into your career? How did you get into yoga?
My yoga path began when I met a 98-year-old yoga teacher 20 years ago. Back then I was a competitive athlete (skiing and tennis) and, like now, an enthusiastic outdoor athlete. At the beginning I thought straight away: “Yoga is not for me.” Nevertheless, the elderly lady fascinated me, so I was persuaded to take a first yoga class.
Today I have more than 17 years of yoga teaching experience and, drawing on my experience from studying sports science, I run a small yoga school on Lake Constance. For 4 years I have been training yoga teachers as a lecturer for the training team of Dr. Ronald Steiner (sports doctor and yoga teacher).
During a yoga trip organised by Dr. Ronald Steiner, I learned most of my knowledge about anatomical relationships and the most important breathing techniques (pranayama). Incidentally, the latter are used more and more frequently for altitude training and altitude adjustment.
For 6 years I have been able to combine my own mountain passions with yoga: ski touring, climbing, hiking, being in nature. On my "Yoga & Mountain" trips, we visit extremely nice places as groups, e.g. in Vorarlberg, the Dolomites, in the Swiss mountains, and of course, with you in the Valle Maira. I'm looking forward to the upcoming winter and autumn weeks in the Locanda Mistral.
The Valle Maira is still one of the few original Alpine valleys that have been spared from mass tourism. To what extent did the untouched nature and tranquillity of the Valle Maira influence your decision to do this yoga and hiking week with us in the Locanda Mistral?
I like summer in the Valle Maira as much as winter. The valley, with all its side valleys, offers the perfect platform to immerse yourself in the fantastic expanse of the plateaus, to linger, to reflect and also to climb.
Many of the houses in the valley are in need of renovation and, overall, the Valle Maira has an incredible amount of potential for discovery. Perhaps this is why your Locanda Mistral stands out: as a small, fine oasis of calm. Because it is precisely such a quiet and powerful place that we “mountain yogis” are looking for as a starting point for our experiences. For our retreat trips, I specifically do not choose wellness temples in large 4- or 5-star hotels. The people who travel with me want much more power places in the midst of nature and in a loving, familiar setting.
You were with us for the first time in 2019 in the Locanda Mistral: What surprised you the most? What do you remember most?
Manuela and you, Renato. You both radiate a pleasant balance: between simply letting the guest BE and being at the guest's side when they need support.
I was particularly surprised by the refined Piedmontese cuisine. I am an absolute connoisseur and big fan of regional and seasonal dishes. If it tastes good, then the soul is fine. Vegetarians will also get their money's worth here.
2020 was certainly a "special" year. Can you give our readers some tips on how to get them back into "balance"? Is the combination of yoga and hiking / nature particularly advisable and / or beneficial?
Yoga and mountains have a lot in common. When we were with you at the beginning of March 2020, it felt like we had found our perfect retreat. Far from all the fear of the beginning of the pandemic. We felt like we were on a snow island, the safest place in the world. In addition to two other ski tour groups in the dining room, we encountered a maximum of one chamois per day. Far away from all media and numbers that scare people rather than give them security. Fear paralyzes our actions. The Valle Maira week, on the other hand, presented us with pure vitality and joie de vivre.
We have around 50,000 to 80,000 thoughts every day. Pantanjali's yoga philosophy describes the same states of mind as well-known mountain people describe expedition experiences. When you practice yoga (on the mat or in breathing techniques) you can experience the state of complete clarity, as with mountain climbing, because your thoughts come to rest after several hours of walking (preferably in silence). This unity experience is yoga. Not necessarily the summit experience itself, but listening to your own breath brings you closer to knowledge. Via meditative walking we are entirely in the moment. There is no place for fears and worries.
And for all “yogis” and “yoginis” among us: What should we definitely try the next time we are in nature?
Never run against time.
Become aware of your own limits.
Realize that we are all in the same boat and that everything is somehow connected.
Stand still, be amazed, discover the beauty of nature in order to become aware of your own beauty.
What are you personally looking forward to most when you think about your next stay at the Locanda Mistral?
The fantastically satisfied feeling of sitting in the bar after a mountain or climbing tour and looking into all the happy and radiant “red-cheeked faces”.
About me, Barbara Kittel Holmgren: I grew up partly in Garmisch and at Lake Starnberg. My mother was on the German national ski team, my aunt was the best German at the Olympic Games in Squaw Valley in 1960. I was allowed to ski and work the so-called Back Bowles in Vail / Colorado for a whole 1995 season. In 1997 I finished my sports economics studies in Bayreuth. I was event manager at Salomon for 3 years, responsible for marketing the Konstanz climbing hall section and for marketing the lectures for Alexander and Thomas Huber (huberbuam) for 3 years.
Then I discovered yoga. I have lived with my family on Lake Constance for 20 years. I am passionate about hiking in the mountains, winter and summer, and I keep discovering new things: this year mountain climbing.
