We just got back from a skiing vacation. Skiing is a bit of a non-intuitive vacation. Why would a person want to spend their hard-earned money and vacation time in a cold, physically punishing environment? For the challenge. The challenge in skiing is commonly thought to be pushing your body to its limits in harsh conditions, but the real challenge is to ignore all of the distractions and mindfully focus on the mountain.
I used to think differently about skiing. I know this because I have a 14-year-old son who acts exactly the way that I did. He says, “I want to ski more double blacks,” and “Today sucks. There’s all this ice and no powder.” But we have to explain to him that this is all part of the experience. Skiing is really about overcoming challenges and the constantly changing conditions. It’s not about conquering the mountain as much as it is learning from it.
Skiing is filled with distractions, making it hard to be mindful. It’s a sport encased in luxury. After a hard day of skiing, people enjoy a well-deserved soak in the hot tub to recover before feasting on steak. It’s a challenge to set aside these luxuries to focus on the core experience of skiing. It’s about embracing the moment, the cold air and the unpredictable terrain, and finding tranquility in the midst of physical exertion. The real power in skiing isn’t about conquering the next hill but in finding mental clarity and connection with the mountain. This form of mindfulness, achieved amidst the intensity of skiing, allows me to experience life fully and directly, with all its contrasts and contradictions.
I learned so much on this trip. Unlike previous ski vacations where I aimed to conquer the most challenging terrain and push my limits, this time, my approach was different. I turned inward, focusing not on adrenaline-pumping descents down double black diamonds but on the quality of each turn and my connection with the mountain. I was able to control myself over all of the terrain, whether it was side slipping down a difficult slope or finding a smooth path through moguls. I was most surprised to find the simple joy in gliding down a black diamond cat track, making perfect turns and always staying in control.
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