Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.08.2013, Side 48

48The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 11 — 2013
A Breath Of Fresh Air
In Þórsmörk
‘Yogahikes’ and ‘nature massages’
for backpackers and day-trippers
by Adrienne Blaine
This summer, entrepreneurial
yoga instructors and massage
therapists, Emil Tsakalis and Mag-
nús Andri Pálsson, tapped into
the backpacking demographic in
Þórsmörk with ‘yogahikes’ and ‘na-
ture massages’ for the first time in
cooperation with Volcano Huts.
Are there back rubs in
heaven?
As the last stop along the
Laugavegur trail, Þórsmörk already
has a reputation for its heavenly sur-
roundings and the resulting atmo-
sphere. And now that massages are
available for all those sore pack-car-
rying shoulders, it’s hard to imagine a
heaven that doesn’t involve back rubs.
Thank goodness Þórsmörk’s wearied
trekkers won’t have to any longer.
As day-trippers we arrived in
Þórsmörk’s nature reserve by a
monster truck of a four-wheel-drive
bus. Wandering the campsite, we
crossed a quaint footbridge over
a tiny rivulet of water that paled
in comparison to the rivers our
bus had just braved. Once safely
on the other side, we met Magnús
who had the firmest handshake of
any yogi I have ever met (in his for-
mer life Magnús was a weight lifter,
before a trip to India changed his
worldview). He showed us the ce-
dar barrel-like sauna situated near
a small pool and invited us into the
large massage tent from whence
he came.
“Yogahike” does NOT
mean easy hike
We decided to embark on our yo-
gahike first and finish with a relax-
ing steam, soak, massage trifecta.
We soon learned the hard way that
‘yoga’ is not a euphemism for ‘easy’
in ‘yogahike.’ While our group rose
to the challenge, we had neither
mentally nor physically prepared
ourselves for the rigours of steep
inclines and rock scrambling. But
as Magnús said, “Meet your body
as it is today,” and that we did.
Magnús was extremely patient and
used our frequent rest stops as a
chance to share some breathing
and meditation exercises. Breath-
ing in and out through the nose can
be difficult when you’re exercising
for the first time in weeks and all
you want to do is pant like a dog,
but once I got the hang of it, I re-
alised the hiking experience was
far more Zen sans gasps.
Off the beaten track
Throughout the course of our hike,
Magnús led us off the beaten track
to Sönghellir, a “singing cave” with
perfect acoustics. Next we con-
quered Valahnúkur and sprawled
out in the grass on top of the moun-
tain. Happily exhausted from the
steep incline, we bathed in the sun
like starfish clinging to a rock dur-
ing low tide. Once upright, we took
in truly incredible views of the gla-
ciers Tindfjallajökull and Eyjafjalla-
jökull of 2010’s ashy fame.
We passed Snorraríki, the cave
of a legendary meat thief named
Snorri, cleverly out of reach of
any pursuing po-po. I attempted
to climb into the cave using the
foot and hand holds that Magnús
pointed out, but was not confident
enough in my wall scaling abilities
to swing into the cave. I plan to
commit a petty crime as motivation
for my next attempt.
We ended our hike with a pleas-
ant stroll near what is known locally
as “the valley of the elves:” a pic-
turesque vale complete with birch
trees, yellow and purple wildflow-
ers and a tranquil stream—yet no
observable elves. Just beyond this
valley lies a field of tall grass where
Magnús conducts his yoga sessions.
Due to a sudden injury within
the group, we could not complete
the yoga portion of our hike, how-
ever recuperating in the field felt
just a meditative and saved me the
embarrassment of not being able
to touch my toes. It is important to
note that the hike is not dangerous
and most people will not run the
risk of injury if they have the proper
hiking boots, but Magnús was par-
ticularly apt in the emergency situ-
ation, and we felt safe in his care.
Relaxation: rain or shine
Sitting in the sun, we earned sun-
burns like red badges of courage.
When the sun shines briefly on Ice-
land during a rainy summer, you
soak it up like there’s no tomorrow.
However, Magnús assured us that
rain can sometimes enhance out-
door yoga sessions. During partic-
ularly inclement weather, he takes
the yoga inside the massage tent
and holds off on the hikes. Luckily
saunas and massages remain all-
weather activities in Iceland.
Magnús’s massages incorpo-
rate the same attention to breath-
ing that he fostered throughout the
yogahike. “Massage is a medita-
tion for me,” he explained, using
breathing to focus the mind. And
while the thought of a man breath-
ing deeply over your thinly veiled
naked body may sound unsavoury
to some, it serves as a good re-
minder to keep breathing yourself.
I think we can all agree breathing
improves all animate activities. Yet
this essential life function is easy
to ignore in the course of our day-
to-day lives. Yoga is about more
than just striking camera-ready
poses—it is primarily concerned
with mindfulness and intention. If
you want to know true relaxation,
take a deep breath of fresh air in
Þórsmörk, hold it for as moment
and then let it all out. Very good.
Tourists have been striking yoga poses in front of Icelandic scenery since time immemorial—or at least since time Instagram-
memorial. Clearly, exquisite natural settings and yoga practice are a match made in New Age hiker heaven.
Luckily saunas
and massages
remain all-
weather activi-
ties in Iceland
Travel
Distance from Reykjavík: 156km
Bus trip to Þórsmörk provided by Reykjavík Excursions www.re.is.
More info about the Yoga walks in Þórsmörk at www.volcanohuts.
com.
Þórsmörk1
Alísa Kalyanova