5 WAYS THAT YOGA AND ULTRA RUNNING HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN YOU THINK
In October this year I ran my first Ultra Marathon! 57 miles (more like 58 and 1/2) between Glasgow and Edinburgh following along the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals. At first glance, ultra running and yoga might seem worlds apart. And in many ways they are. Yoga enhances our mind to body connection and encourages us to listen and respect the sensations we feel, particularly pain. Ultra running, often defined as any race longer than a marathon, largely encourages the opposite and often requires a disassociation between the mind and the body, and to ignore the body’s pain signals. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find surprising parallels. In both practices, the journey is not just physical—it’s deeply mental and even spiritual. Here, I explore some of the unexpected similarities between ultra running and yoga, showing how each discipline enriches the other.
1. ACCEPTANCE
There is a concept in yoga called “Santosha”, which roughly translates as contentment, and in practice simply means accepting and appreciating life as it is! This is often easier said than done when we live in our goal orientated modern world. Nothing has forced me to put this into practice more than training for an ultra marathon. While I was a club runner at school and ran a couple of marathons in my thirties I only really started running consistently again last summer after probably a decade. I am no where near as fast as I used to be and I battled niggling injuries on and off during a lot of my training (Getting older is not fun). Never before have I taken on a challenge where the possibility of failure was so strong. I had to learn to practice ACCEPTANCE.
During both my training and the race itself I had to accept the reality of where I was and what I was capable of. I had to accept that my performance was probably not going be to as good as I wanted, and accept that this was OK, and rather appreciate all the amazing things that my body was still able to do! My yoga practice over the last decade helped me prepare for this. If it wasn’t for the work I had already done on my yoga mat and during my breathing practices and meditation I do not think I would have been as accepting. Meaning that the whole process would have been far less enjoyable and possibly even have led to me to giving up. Instead in choosing to accept where I was, I was able to enjoy the process regardless of the outcome!
2. CULTIVATING PRESENCE
Yoga is fundamentally a practice to cultivate presence. When we learn yoga practices such as, asana (physical postures), breathing exercises and meditation, we are training the mind to be still. One thing every ultra runner knows is that the journey is long, and thinking about how far you still have to go won’t help! A common cited goal of yoga is, chitta vritti nirodha ~ cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. When you’ve been running for over 10 hours, let me tell you, the mind will tell you some stories. Understanding that I was not my thoughts, and practicing PRESENCE, was vital to allowing me to continue.
In both disciplines, learning to stay in the moment is key. Runners might focus on each step, each breath, breaking the distance down into manageable pieces. In yoga, we practice staying present in each pose, connecting mind, body, and breath. Both cultivate a strong sense of presence, helping us focus on the journey rather than the finish line.
3. FOCUS ON THE PROCESS / JOURNEY
This is something I preach about a lot to my clients. We do live in an outcome driven, goal orientated society. But every goal requires a process, a journey for us to get there, and focusing on this journey rather than the goal often leads to better outcomes. The path of Yoga is a lifelong journey. Over the last decade I might not have been running much, but I have been practicing ACCEPTANCE, PRESENCE and ENJOYING THE PROCESS OF LIFE. Transferring these concepts into my ultra running journey allowed me to create a training plan, stick to it as best as I could, but not worry too much if I didn’t. Take my training one day at a time, take the race one step, one mile at a time – AND ENJOY IT! Despite finishing at the back of the race I loved every second of it.
4. THE PATH OF SELF DISCOVERY
Ultimately, both ultra running and yoga are vehicles for self-discovery. Ultra running often requires long hours alone during both training and the race itself, confronting the highs and lows of the mind, emotions, and spirit. Each mile strips away the noise, revealing insights about resilience, willpower, and purpose. Similarly, yoga invites practitioners to look inward, to connect with the self beyond the physical form. Helping us to understand that our thoughts are not our true self. Both practices can lead to a profound sense of self-awareness and understanding.
5. COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION
Ultra running and yoga might be personal journeys, but they’re also built on a sense of community. Ultra running attracts a supportive network of people who understand the drive and challenge of the sport. Yoga, too, fosters community; practitioners share a space that is welcoming, non-competitive, and focused on mutual growth. Both communities offer encouragement, understanding, and a safe space to push limits, making it clear that while the journey might be personal, it doesn’t have to be solitary.
IN CONCLUSION
Ultra running and yoga, despite their differences, share fundamental qualities that make them powerful and transformative. Both demand mental fortitude, patience, and a deep connection to the self. Both encourage practitioners to explore beyond the physical, finding strength within. And both offer a journey that, while challenging, is deeply rewarding.
For ultra runners, yoga can provide the balance, strength, and mindfulness needed to enhance performance and prevent burnout. For yogis, ultra running can be a new way to practice resilience, patience, and connection with nature. In the end, the pairing of ultra running and yoga shows us that no matter how different the paths, the journey inward is often the same.
The race is long, and in the end it’s only with yourself…….
If you are a runner (of any distance) and would like to incorporate yoga into your training then I teach an online yoga for Athletes class on Thursday’s 7-8pm GMT.
