Join Yoga for Riders with Heidi Blackman

Feel Fit, Strong and Confident
In and Out of the Saddle

Join the Yoga for Riders Program with Heidi Blackman

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy,
not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Socrates

People who have never ridden think we have it easy. You just sit on the horse, how hard can it be?

But as riders, we know just how hard it can be!

Riding requires balance, coordination, and being able to give small cues to the horse. We need to be able to move one part of our body without that movement changing everything else. We need to be strong and mobile.

Riding does more than just challenge us physically, however. When we are riding, we need to stay focused, connected to our horse, and aware of our environment.

With all these different elements, riding requires more than most sports.

As riders, I think most of us feel this drive to be the best we can.

We want to be able to stay quiet and balanced in the saddle, so our horse can move freely, we want to be coordinated and subtle in our aids so we can communicate with the lightest of pressure.

"Riding is the art of learning to be a good load to carry.”

- RICHARD WEISS

But the reality of how much time we have to ride can make progress feel slow.

And the honest truth is that to really do our best, we need to constantly be working on our overall health and fitness, so that we can do the focused riding exercises most effectively.

Even if you are really motivated it can be difficult to keep in the routine and consistency that is so necessary for real improvement.

When I thought about the best way to help riders become stronger and fitter, I wanted to create a program that would help with each of the elements we need to be great riders - coordination, mobility, strength, and the awareness of our internal state.

I wanted to create a program that would help with each of these elements while also making it easy to stay on track and build new habits.

Introducing Yoga for Riders with Heidi Blackman, to help you feel fit, strong and confident, in and out of the saddle.

Heidi is an experienced yoga instructor who specializes in Yoga for Riders and has been practicing for over 17 years.

She focuses on correct alignment, listening to your own body and limits, and building on slow, correct movement.

With Heidi’s guidance, you will learn:

To be stronger and more flexible, the combination we need to be stable in the saddle and give clear aids to our horse.

How it feels to have a neutral spine and pelvis, to be level in how you sit and aligned in your posture, so that you are a better rider for your horse to carry.

How to be aware of your breathing for fluid, easy movement, and a calm focused mind.

The feeling of isolating movement in the body for clear, precise aids for your horse.

Balance for You + Your Horse

All of these ideas can be applied in the saddle to find your optimal riding position, use your aids more efficiently and effectively and find more ease in your movement.

The more balance you have in the saddle, the more your horse will be in balance and be able to perform at their best, moving forward freely and responding easily to your aids.

Beyond the awareness of the physical body and the strength and flexibility that we gain with yoga, we also increase our awareness of patterns in the mind.

We begin to uncover the limiting beliefs or thought patterns that may be holding us back, such as being too hard on ourselves, making excuses, or comparing ourselves to others.

Yoga is sometimes called a moving meditation, as the yoga practice not only improves strength and flexibility in the body, but is also practice for staying calm and present in our minds.

Through the classes, Heidi will provide different options and modifications as there is no one right answer or pose for everyone, every day.

The same can be applied to riding - every horse and human pair have quite different physical and mental characteristics that can change depending on the day or environment.

Just as with our riding, we must learn to listen to our own bodies for feedback on balance, alignment, and the right amount of challenge.

When you can really still the mind and listen to your body - and that of your horse - the path forward will become more clear.

Yoga essentially teaches us to honor the present moment. Being able to stay present and focused is a key of great horsemanship.

"There is one principle that should never be abandoned, namely, that the rider must learn to control himself before he can control his horse. This is the basic, most important principle to be preserved in equitation.”

- ALOIS PODHAJSKY

Meet Your Instructor Heidi Blackman

Heidi has been practicing yoga for over 17 years and is a specialist in teaching Yoga for Riders. She has always had a passion for animals and grew up riding horses and spending as much time as possible at the barn.

Heidi lives in Nosara, Costa Rica and teaches yoga classes for all levels and is co-founder of a retreat company combining the transformative power of yoga and horses.

Heidi’s formal training in yoga is a 500 hour Registered Yoga Training (200 hours of yoga teacher's training through YogaWorks with Kia Miller and 300 hours of SmartFlow training with Annie Carpenter).

In her classes, Heidi focuses on correct alignment, listening to your own body and limits, and building on slow, correct movement - and you will often hear her say "If it feels too much, it is too much"!

Through the class, Heidi will guide us in a sense of curiosity and awareness of what is happening in our body and mind while we are practicing.

"When we have balance and carry ourselves it allows our horse to find self carriage and collection.”

- HEIDI BLACKMAN

Is it possible? After only 2 classes not even doing them well I feel so much better, even the knees!

- PEGGY

Great session. Heidi is very clear and thoughtful in her directions. Thanks CRK.

- MARGARET A

Totally enjoyed my first class. I can’t wait for more!!

- KATHLEEN

Thank you for these classes! Heidi's explanations are so helpful! I'm very deconditioned, and really appreciate the modifications she suggests for people who just aren't that strong yet. Thank you.

- STEPHANIE

I am a yoga teacher for 20 years also an avid rider for 16. Love both so much. Very complimentary to each other.

- PATTY H

What is included in Yoga for Riders

3x 30 minute Asana Classes each week

1x 15 minute Restorative Class each week

1x Guided Meditation Class each week

Horse Homework each week

This program is four weeks long and each week will consist of three 30 minute classes, a 15 minute restorative class, a 10 minute meditation, and Horse Homework with Callie.

You have access to the classes for a full year to repeat as often as you like. Also, you can download the classes, to continue watching them after the year of streaming access!

In the 30 minute classes, Heidi will guide you through a series of poses and movements, helping you improve your posture and remembering to breathe (we will be sure to have a few laughs along the way too!).

These are the classes that will develop your strength for riding and make a big difference in your posture!

Heidi will instruct you how to modify the exercise when it is too difficult or if you have limitations such as an old wrist injury or troublesome knees.

Each week, and each class, will have a particular focus - generally a movement principle or a set of movements as well as general themes flowing from the Chakra system, the energy system of the body.

In the 15 minute restorative yoga class, Heidi will lead you through poses that release stress and tension while improving flexibility and range of motion.

There will also be a short and easy 10 minute guided meditation each week.

If you've tried meditation before and found sitting still and trying not to think for 2 minutes seemingly useless... don’t worry, Heidi’s got you! You will come away from these guided meditations with a sense of calm, ease, and quiet that your horse will truly appreciate.

Finally there is the weekly Horse Homework, where you get a few simple exercises with Callie to take the skills and movements you practiced in your weekly classes into the saddle.

Each week of Yoga for Riders will progress in physical difficulty, but also in a holisitic sense, beginning with grounding and acceptance and moving through finding your edge, sensing connection, and listening to your intuition.

As you progress through each week, you will feel the benefits in your body, during your riding time, and out of the saddle too.

But let's be honest for a moment... We both know how easy it is to get excited about getting fit, especially in the beginning of the new year. We get all jacked up about the improvements we are going to make, only to watch that enthusiasm fizzle as each week passes by. But not with Yoga for Riders!

You will get simple inbox reminders to hit your mat and follow along the classes and meditations guided by Heidi. At the end of the week, you will receive another email with simple journal prompts to reflect on the meaning of that week's theme for you.

After you complete each class or meditation, check it off as done on your Yogi Journey Map and share your success with the group!

New or Returning to Yoga?

It doesn’t matter if you have never done yoga before because the classes will begin with basic foundational poses and movements and gradually integrate more poses and concepts as the program progresses.

Especially as a rider, Heidi is the perfect teacher to help you get started, guiding you in a yoga routine that has been created specifically for the unique challenges of riders.

I love this—never having done yoga I was nervous about not keeping up but it’s so well presented and the FB group is so supportive and interesting with the international members. I still suck at it, but that’s for now—it’s getting better every day!

- BONNIE

Absolutely AMAZING! Thank you. Just what I needed to get my toes in the yoga pool. Looking forward to more.

- NIKKI T

First time doing yoga, I was worried about being overweight if I could do it, but it was fun!

- LISA

Your Flow for the Next Month
in Yoga for Riders!

Week 1 Grounding, Awareness and Acceptance

This week we will work on awareness of breath, standing poses, and lengthening and opening the hamstrings. You will learn grounding techniques to become more present and mindful.

In your riding, you will learn to find a neutral pelvis and spine, and become more flexible through your hips for better mounting and dismounting and easier movement with your horse.

Symbolically, these movements are associated with calmness, patience, and a willingness to slow down and stay in one place. Find a renewed self confidence and commitment to the next steps on life’s journey.

Ease fears as you learn to trust the earth, your horse, and your body.

Week 2 Find Your Edge and Honor It

In this week’s practice, enjoy movement that is uplifting, energizing, and challenging. Learn to honor your body, find your edge, and either go for it or be more gentle.

The physical movements of this week will focus on core strength with twists, inversions, arm balances, shoulder stretches, and back bends.

In your riding, this will help with the broad open chest that helps us to stay stable in our upper body with good contact and clear rein aids.

Symbolically, discover sensible risk taking, where risks may involve confrontation, setting limits, or asking for what we need – all ways of reclaiming our power.

Slow down to discover that everything you need is already inside of you – not somewhere outside of you. The more we can slow down our mind chatter and listen to our hearts, the more we can be at peace.

Week 3 Intention and Intuition

This week focuses on staying connected and true to your True Self.

In the movements and poses of this week, explore the effects of your gaze and intention as you move through balance exercises, neck stretches, and forward folds.

In your riding, you can use this for better turns and clearly knowing and asking what you want from your horse.

Symbolically, listen to your intuition and how to communicate your truth to the outside world. Calm the mind of chatter and recognize the convergence of mind and body.

Week 4 All is Coming! Connection and Consciousness

Consistent practice over time will lead to real change in your body, mind, and feeling of connection to something greater.

Through this week’s practice, we combine all the movements into a well rounded practice for the whole body.

In your riding, you will connect all the elements we have worked on so far, feeling the affects of your combined movement and focus for your riding and your horse.

Symbolically, we explore our spiritual connection to all beings and ability to go beyond ourselves and our own experiences and intellect.

Feel Fit, Strong and Confident​In and Out of the Saddle