Mount Rainier Yoga: Eight Poses From the Volcano, Trees and Animals

The park says two million people visit Mount Rainier each year to connect with nature, and that it is not always possible to be there. So it made up yoga poses from the volcano, the trees and the animals. Each pose comes with one fact about the park. The activity is meant for ages 3 to 12 and takes about 20 minutes, and the park suggests doing the poses outside if you can.

The mountain and the trees

Erupting Volcano Pose (NPS photo).

Erupting Volcano. Mount Rainier is an active volcano. Over the past 500,000 years it has erupted many times, each eruption adding a layer of new rock. Stand tall with your feet planted and raise your arms up like an eruption.

Mountain Pose (NPS photo).

Mountain. At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington and towers over the rest of the Cascade Range. Stand as tall as you can.

Tree Pose (NPS photo).

Tree. The park has many kinds of trees: evergreen conifers with needles and cones, and deciduous trees whose leaves fall every autumn. Stand tall, raise one leg, bend the knee and press the sole of the foot against the inside of the other leg. When you are balanced, raise your arms overhead like branches.

The animals

Fisher Warrior Pose (NPS photo).

Fisher Warrior. Fishers hunt porcupines and survive the long Mount Rainier winters. Over-trapping for their fur brought them close to extinction, but with scientists' help they recovered. Put one leg forward with the knee bent, keep the back leg straight with the toes out, and spread your arms out parallel to your legs. Look past the bent knee with your warrior face on.

Sleepy Fox Pose (NPS photo).

Sleepy Fox. The Cascade red fox is one of the park's many animals. In winter it sleeps coiled in a burrow dug under the snow, using its tail to keep its nose warm, and stretches when it wakes. On all fours, put your "tail" in the air, lower your head toward your forearms and lengthen your back.

Elk Pose (NPS photo).

Elk. Elk are related to deer. Each year the males grow antlers to attract females, and the antlers can weigh up to 30 pounds, so elk have strong neck muscles to hold up their heads. Kneel on all fours looking ahead, then arch your back and lift your head. Switch back and forth between this and Mountain Lion.

Mountain Lion Pose (NPS photo).

Mountain Lion. Mountain lions are predators, and in the park they hunt elk, as part of a balanced food web. From all fours, hunch your back and bring your head in toward your arms.

The ground

Feel the Earth Pose (NPS photo).

Feel the Earth. The ground under Mount Rainier is always moving. Sometimes it shakes enough to feel, and sometimes the movement is so small that only machines notice. Scientists use seismographs to detect shaking and earthquakes, which matters because earthquakes could be a clue to volcanic activity. Lie flat with your arms at your sides and stay as still as you can. Can you feel the ground move?

Sources

• National Park Service, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Rainier Yoga; rewritten in hubnx's own words.