Tips On Surviving U.S. NatioNalS

by Lindsay Smith

U.S. Nationals represents the culmination of another year’s worth of blood, sweat, tears and whatever remaining discretionary funds we’ve managed to squirrel away. We’ve spent the year

campaigning and honing our abilities. Our mounts have been fine-tuned and prepared to carry us into the arena to seize our dreams—whatever they may be; a personal best with the ride of our lives … a shot at top ten … a run for the roses. It is the cathartic annual end to seemingly

endless hard work and preparation. It is a time fraught with excitement, exhilaration and at least a tinge of nerves and unnerving anticipation. We’ve brought our “A” game to Tulsa, but our two weeks here can seem an emotional, mental, and physical marathon that threatens to

wear us down and undermine a year’s worth of work with stress and exhaustion.

Between lessons, final preparations, showing, shopping, and mingling, how does one survive and put their best foot forward despite the sometimes-grueling schedule? The following

yoga-oriented tips are designed to keep you healthy, sound, and sane amidst the long travel, late nights, early mornings, and ever present stress we encounter at Nationals. 

SaNtoSha | FiNd Joy aNd CoNteNtmeNt iN eaCh momeNt

Once centered with the mind free and clear, finding joy in each moment is the next step to being a more content rider. Taking in each moment for what it is without expectation can, over time, produce greater satisfaction. We often gauge success or failure in a global sense, unwittingly combining several small, related tasks into one perceived experience. For example, we say we had a good class or a bad class, when the reality is there were many smaller actions which contributed to our perception of either a positive or negative experience. Such thinking tends to emphasize one or two poorly performed or beautifully executed tasks, which then influences our impression of the overall experience. Attaching meaning to each element of a given task can result in a greater appreciation of your hard work and re-frame your definition of success or failure. When you realize that three quarters of the tasks that comprise a class were successfully achieved, it lessens the blow of one or two elements that didn’t go the way we planned. Strive to do each element to the best of your ability and appreciate each small success or isolate each mistake for future reflection. Such an approach will help maintain focus and keep you grounded and sane over the course of your Nationals rides.

Vadhyaya | SelF-StUdy

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.” —Lao Tzu

The more a rider is aware of their habits, patterns and reactions, the more accountable they may hold themselves for the behaviors that stem from them. Use this knowledge

to set up a plan for success in your rides ahead. For example, for a rider who battles nerves, ensure you have plenty of time to prepare. Don’t get caught in a position that will force you to hurry or exacerbate your sense of being out of control. Break things up into manageable tasks that you can wield power over and perceive to control. If crowds, traffic, and steering are your downfall, seek out a less populated area to warm up. If you struggle with your leads, break the transition down into manageable pieces instead of treating it as a daunting, unfathomable task. Collect your horse. Move its shoulders towards the rail. Move its hips toward the middle. Maintain light contact with the bridle. Engage your outside heel. Verbally cue. Everything is manageable when broken down in smaller ‘bites.’

ahimSa | NoN-harmiNg

When it comes to physical and emotional stress, Nationals is a virtual minefield. Traveling, staying in hotels, and spending long hours at the fairgrounds can leave a rider fatigued and depleted. That’s without consideration of your nutritional needs and the limited, often questionable options we face due to scheduling and availability. A strong mind and body must be maintained and nourished and, at Nationals, this often requires a concerted effort and attention. Diet plays a dynamic role in how you’re feeling, your performance, and your mental clarity. Keeping hydrated is another important factor when you’re in an event for the long haul. Proper hydration maintains your temperature and lubricates your joints. We are what we eat / drink / think / do. 

As we morph our bodies into the proper position to aid our mounts for the ride ahead, it’s important to properly prepare our muscles for such a task. Dedicating a few minutes to key yoga exercises and stretches can help open your muscles, improve balance, and focus your mind, bringing fluidity and strength needed for success. 

learNiNg to Be PreSeNt

One of the best ways to conquer Nationals and keep the stress at bay is to maintain focus on the task at hand, rather than looking too far ahead. It can be an overwhelming time and there always seems to be so much left to do, learn, and plan. Cultivating the skill to remain in the present is one of the more important lessons yoga and/or meditation can impart. We are naturally wired to anticipate and prepare for what is next, but getting too far ahead of ourselves can overwhelm us and muddle the task at hand. At Nationals, that could mean blowing a trot transition because you’re thinking ahead to that dicey lead you’ve battled all year and, ultimately, an early exit from competition. A year’s worth of work can vanish in an instant if we fail to focus on the current challenge and block out the doubt, distractions, and tendency to look too far ahead. By weaving a combination of yoga poses, meditation, and visualization techniques into our pre-ride routine, we can quiet our internal voices, heighten body awareness, and encourage a peace and stillness that will help ground us in the present, and ultimately create a more effective connection between horse and rider. Animal behavior experts believe that all animals, including our beloved show horses, live entirely in the present. They do not dwell on the past or look to the future. They are intensely aware of what is going on around them now, what they are doing at a given moment. Even a horse that anticipates isn’t truly anticipating its next movement, but is reacting to an external stimulus in the present—a rider’s tensing legs, the soft buzz of a ring steward’s walkie-talkie, or the announcer’s voice as she makes the next call. Thus, we must remain in the present, not only to quiet our internal turbulence, but to effectively communicate and partner with our horses.

One of the most effective ways to center yourself and remain focused on the present is through conscious and deliberate breath control. In yoga, we call breath control pranayama, or life force energy, because it can be used to either energize the senses or create calmness by mollifying the fight-or-flight tendencies that accompany anxiety. For many riders, our fight-or-flight response kicks into overdrive at Nationals, especially in the “holding pattern” as we circle outside the arena waiting for our gate to open. The simple act of remembering to take deep, calm breaths can assuage show ring nerves, clear our heads and bring us back to the present—allowing us to breathe easy in the line-up knowing that we salvaged a ride that could have gone south before it even began.

BreathiNg teChNiqUe: aBdomiNal-thoraCiC Breath

Combining an abdominal breath with a thoracic breath (chest breath) creates a relaxed alertness, perfect to keep a rider balanced, centered and calm throughout their rides. The easiest way to learn this technique is by lying down, placing one hand on your chest and the other hand on your stomach. Note which hand moves more automatically. 

Abdominal breathing is the most calming of all breathing styles and rapidly produces a relaxed response. This breathing technique contains the entire breath in the stomach with the associated hand rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. The chest will remain relatively still, while the hand on your stomach slowly rises and falls. Think of a balloon being blown up in your stomach and then slowly being released of air. 

Thoracic, or chest, breathing involves breaths that fill the lungs and expand the chest. The hand on your stomach will remain relatively still, while the one on your chest will rise and fall. Imagine your lungs and rib cage stretching towards the ceiling and expanding towards the walls. When the breath is isolated to the chest, it produces an energized response ideal for “psyching” one’s self up or rising to meet a challenge. 

To combine the two, allow the inhale to first fill the entire belly, then like an ocean wave, travel to fill the lungs second. Notice how focusing on the breath immediately calms the mind chatter, grounding the energy and keeping you truly in the now.

1. Child’S PoSe: Benef its: Child’s Pose is a resting posture that can quiet the mind, lower blood pressure, and ease stress and anxiety. In addition, it is a great pose to release tension in the neck, shoulders and back.How To: On hands and knees, adjust your knees to wider than hips distance, big toes touch. Stretch your hips back to sit on or toward your heels. Extend your arms and torso forward to rest your forehead onto the floor. Relax your neck muscles. Hold 1 to 5 minutes focusing on a slow, cadenced inhale and exhale. Modif ications: If knees are tight or if the sit bones do not reach the heals, place a supportive block or pillow between the back of thighs and calves. If the forehead doesn’t reach the floor, use a yoga block for support. 

2. Bridge PoSe: Benef its: Bridge pose stretches the chest, shoulders, spine, back of neck, thighs and hip flexors. It can reduce backaches, headaches, insomnia, anxiety, stress and fatigue. Because bridge opens the chest, it increases lung capacity. In addition, through revitalizing the legs and stretching the shoulders, it is particularly rejuvenating for riders.How To: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor hips distance apart. Extend arms toward heels with palms facing down. Exhale, lift the hips. Lengthen the lower back/ tailbone toward your knees. Snuggle the shoulders down and underneath your body, clasping hands. Straighten arms by pressing forearms into the floor. Keep thighs parallel; do not allow them to cave in or out. Hold for 1 minute.Modif ications: Make bridge pose more restorative by placing a yoga block under the sacrum. This removes

much of the leg work from the pose. If shoulders are tight, keep arms alongside your body with palms pressing into the mat. 

3. tree PoSe:Benef its: Tree Pose brings balance and equilibrium to the mind, improving concentration. It aids in establishing pelvic stability while promoting balance and strength within the legs. Tree Pose stretches the inner thighs, chest and shoulders, all important to posture and control while riding.How To: Stand straight and tall, arms by side. Shift weight to right foot, bend left knee, firmly pressing left sole high on the inner right thigh. Once balancing, raise arms overhead, palms face each other. Looking straight ahead focusing on one object builds balance of posture and mind. Hold for 1 to 3 minutes. Release the left foot, repeat with right. Modif ications: Stand with back against a wall for balance aid. Place right foot to inner left calf or ankle if inner thigh is too high. Always place the foot above or below the opposite knee - never on the joint.  Keep hands at waist if reaching arms overhead is sensitive for shoulders. 

4. legS-UP-the-Wall PoSe

Benef its: Legs-Up-The-Wall pose soothes tired congested legs, relieves stress and increases circulation to the heart, lungs and abdominal organs. This “cure-all” pose reverses the effect of gravity encouraging both lymph and used blood to drain from the legs, cleaning and purifying it more easily and quickly. This helps to alleviate the dead/heavy leg feeling that many riders experience after a long day of riding. 

The following poses can help restore your senses, calm pre-show jitters or focus your attention. 

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How To: Start sitting with your right side against a wall. With a smooth movement, swing your legs up onto the wall and your torso, shoulders and head onto the floor. If your legs or lower back muscles are tight, you will want to move your hips away from the wall. If you are relatively flexible, you can scoot closer in. Arms may rest wherever is comfortable: resting one hand to the chest and one to the belly, in a goal-post form, or out toward the sides are all great options. Modif ications: Place a firm, folded blanket or bolster under your hips for additional support. Wrap a strap around your legs to keep them together. The strap will allow the leg muscles to relax completely within the pose as you will no longer have to work to keep them together. If you have access to a sandbag, bend you knees slightly to slide your heels down the wall. Place the bag onto the soles of your

feet and re-straighten them to the sky. The extra pressure on the legs releases tension in the lower back. 

Armed with this knowledge of remaining present, finding joy in each moment, creating an intelligent plan, and properly warming up, you’ll be set for success to keep nerves and stress at bay. The long travel, late nights, early mornings, and ever present stress can fade away, leaving the enjoyment of the show. I wish you luck and success at Nationals as you realize your personal goals and create memories to last a lifetime. n

“As a well-trained horse needs no whip, a well-trained mind needs no prodding from the world to be good. Be like a well-trained horse, swift and spirited, and go beyond sorrow through faith, meditation, and energetic practice of the dharma.” Dhammapada - (verse143-144). 

Full instructional videos can be found at www.RAWSportsYoga.com.