There’s nothing quite like doing “tree pose” at 9,000 feet. But there I was, balancing in this classic yoga position while taking in a panoramic view of the snow-capped Canadian Rockies.
This certainly isn’t your average yoga studio. This is heli-yoga, a tourist activity that combines the meditative practice of yoga with a traditional helicopter sightseeing tour.
Just a short drive outside Banff National Park near Alberta’s Lake Louise, Icefield Helicopter Tours takes the conventional aerial experience one step further. This helicopter tourism provider has partnered with Martha’s Heli-Hikes, an outdoor adventure outfitter, and together, they are offering a variety of high altitude activities, from hiking to snow shoeing, ice walking to yoga.
Tourist keen on connecting with nature may find themselves high on the mountain top, resting in “child’s pose,” overlooking some of our country’s most stunning scenery.
A day excursion begins at the heliport with a brief safety lesson, a gear check and the distribution of tasty gourmet packed lunches. After piling into the chopper and slipping on a set of noise-cancelling headphones (complete with fighter jet style microphones), the pilot is ready for take-off. The blades rotate faster. The whomp-whomp sound crescendos. The chopper lifts off and hovers above the ground like a giant metal dragonfly. Even for the most jaded of flyers, there’s something truly exciting about cruising around in a helicopter!
We soared above the mountain range, keeping our eyes open for wolves, elk, grizzly bears and other wildlife found in the area.
Depending on the flight conditions, the helicopter can land in a variety of geographic landscapes, from the waterfalls of the raging Cline River to the ridge of Wedding Knoll, a grassy clearing and matrimonial hot spot.
The chopper found a safe pad to land and Martha, my guide and resident yoga expert, hopped out and I followed her lead. I got into yoga gear and prepared for my Hatha yoga lesson. After a series of poses and meditative moments, the lesson ended with a calm concluding “oooom,” a whispered “namaste,” and a scenic helicopter ride back to the base. Icefield Helicopter Tours offers day heli-yoga trips in Alberta’s Rockies at $469 per person. For more information visit www.icefieldheli.com.
– Julia Dimon is co-host of Word Travels, airing on OLN; www.juliadimon.com.
