I like a good snow shovel. I’m partial to the “ergonomic” ones, with the bent handle. There is some debate over whether they are actually better or not. That’s why I also have a couple of straight snow shovels, an ice scraper and a good old-fashioned square steel shovel that the previous owner of the house left behind.
Each year the shovels make their way from our beat-up old shed to live next to the house for the winter. The old-fashioned square shovel has seen better days, and is retired now. The bent-handled snow shovel was working hard this past week. I was at the bottom of my driveway, tossing shovelfuls of our first winter storm aside, when one of my neighbors drove by. He pulled his pickup to a stop, rolled down the window, and said: “You know they have these things called snow plows that make that a lot easier.” He had a plow on his pickup, and a big grin on his face. I don’t know him too well, but he’s a friendly guy and has offered to add us to his plowing route a few times. I told him I’d just bought a new snowblower, but liked to get a little shoveling in first. He thought that was pretty funny. “See ya down the road,” he said, and he and his plow pulled away. I dug out around the mailbox, then headed up the hill to fire up the snowblower.
One of the things I like about shoveling – snow, dirt or anything, really – is that you can see your progress. Your physical actions have a direct and measurable result. It’s instantaneous. It’s also a little hard on your body, because it’s unsupported forward bending with a twisting motion. The practice of yoga can help, because you keep the spine moving in all directions, and build the strength to do it properly. Building a yoga practice takes a little time, but it can keep you doing the things you love to do, for as long as you love to do them. I’m not sure if a yoga practice can help you enjoy winter more or not, but it can certainly help you stay pain-free when winter calls.
My wife and I spent our first weekend together during a snowstorm. We were at a friend’s house, in Greenland, and got snowed in by almost 2 feet of snow. We shoveled our way out of that storm, and a few months later we bought our first house. When we looked at this little place in Strafford for the first time, our real estate agent, Helen, said: “This driveway is gonna be a bear in the winter.”
She was right. It’s about 100 yards long, and uphill. Or downhill, depending on your point of view. I set to the task of purchasing the proper tools for every homeowner: a couple of ladders, some hand tools and a few good shovels. My wife, a more practical sort, suggested a chain saw, lawn mower and washing machine. We got those, too. That first winter, and for a few afterwards, we shoveled that driveway after every storm. It was hard work, and time consuming. Every now and again, when we’d have one of those heavy, wet storms, I’d call my next-door neighbor, Steve, and he’d plow our driveway for 40 bucks. It was worth it, though we could do a much better job with our shovels than he could with his pickup and plow.
Yoga is like using a shovel. It’s pretty easy to start, even if the job ahead of you might be a difficult one. You already have the tools you need to get the job done. You just have to get to using them. When you keep using them, you get better at it. You can measure your progress. Your muscles are leaner, stronger and more flexible. You move better, and your back, neck, knees and hips are less painful. Yoga gives you a toolbox for living in your body, and teaches you to use those tools well.
We got a snowblower after a few winters, a little Troy-Bilt that lasted almost 15 years. It struggled to make it up the driveway, so we twisted and torqued it. It was kind of like motorized shoveling. It wasn’t designed to be used the way we used it, but it adapted. So did we.
Your body is like that, too. It will adapt. It will adapt to tolerate a back injury, or limited range of motion, or a sore knee. It’s really remarkable, and also unnecessary. A yoga practice can teach you that you don’t have to live in a painful body. A yoga practice can give you the energy to do what you like, when you like. A yoga practice can keep you using your shovels, even when you have a snowblower.
This year, the little Troy-Bilt died. It’s motor mounts were rusted through. Rodents had done a number on its guts. It ran for about 2 minutes, and sputtered to a stop. It sits next to that old square-handled shovel. I got a bigger snowblower, with tracks, because I thought it would be easier. After this first storm, it certainly was. It chugged up the hill with ease, and it has hand warmers and power-assisted steering. Still, as we wrapped up our 2-hour clean-up, my wife and I agreed: whether it’s with a plow truck or a snowblower, or an old-fashioned square-head shovel, our bodies are tools that need to be used. A little yoga in your day is a big tool for your life.
“Use it or lose it,” as my grandfather used to say. He also said, when I’d frown or get frustrated: “You’ve got a good face. Don’t screw it up!”
Keep on shoveling on, dear reader. You’ve got a good face!
(Mike Morris is the owner of Hot House NH Yoga & Pilates.)
