Fresh Air, Foliage and Rock Scrambling

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Sheryl Checkman

Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

I balance my life with active sports – swimming, scuba diving, skiing, biking, practicing yoga, or in this case – hiking and rock scrambling. This past Sunday was a perfect day to escape the city, see the foliage and test my stamina and courage on the Mohonk Mountain rock scramble, known as The Labyrinth. The sign below describes the scramble, weeding out the less athletic and adventuresome, and in case it doesn’t, the first few tricky spots, climbing through caverns within the rock at the beginning of the trail, will.

SIgn for The Labyrinth at Mohonk Mountain

Sign at the beginning of the Rock Scramble leading up to the crevice, better known to hikers, as “The Lemon Squeeze.”

This trail challenges the body as well as the mind. I’ve done this rock scramble several times in the past, but each time I still feel that initial tinge of fear, awed by the physical challenge and my fear of heights. But once I get going and get into the rhythm of figuring out where my next step needs to be to get me to the next plateau, I forget my fear and focus on the rocks and the awesome beauty surrounding me. My yoga practice came in handy when I needed to position my whole body in

Midway through the Mohonk Rock Scramble. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

At the end of the rock scramble is the famous Lemon Squeeeze, a fissure in the middle of the rock cliff that one must climb through to reach the summit. There was a lineup of people waiting to ascend, since getting up out of it at the top after climbing the series of narrow ladders is a bit tricky. The space is so narrow that any backpack you might be wearing up until that point needs to come off, hopefully to be handed up to a friend who has already made it out. I managed, with some effort to get my backpack (with camera inside) as well as my friend’s pack below me safely handed up to my friend waiting above. Then, finding hand and foot holds to maneuver into, I hoisted myself up and out of the crevice onto a plateau overlooking a breath taking view of the Shawangunk mountain range, known to climbers and hikers as the Gunks.

The Lemon Squeeze (or Crevice). Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

View from the top of The Lemon Squeeze. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

Sheryl Checkman makes it to the top of Mohonk Mountain

Made it… what a view!

Once through the Lemon Squeeze, we had to hike up another short scramble to get to the SkyTop Tower where we were met with a 360 degree view of the entire Shawangunk mountains and Mohonk Mountain House down below – all ablaze in the peak fall colors. After taking in the view (and a few dozen photos later), we hiked down the walking path back to the lake and the Mountain House below. Along the way, we stopped to admire the views from the various wooden pagodas strategically situated along the way.

View from the top of the Tower at Mohonk

View from the top of the Skytop Tower. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

The last of the pagoda’s waiting for us on the lake. Photo: ©Sheryl Checkman

Finally down at the end of the trail, my body was tired (just a slight indication of the aches I’d be feeling for the next few days) but my spirit was energized. There is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment that come with the completion of challenging physical activity! After a cup of tea and some cookies on the porch of the Mountain House, it was time to head back to the city for a good night’s sleep and ready to tackle the upcoming work week.

Summer – A Time for Balance!

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Sheryl Checkman

A Perfect Balance

Summer has always been one of my favorite seasons. When I was a child, my family spent the summer at an upstate bungalow colony to escape the city’s heat – my mom and brother and I would move up for the whole sumer and dad would come every weekend after the work week. Then there was sleep away camp – with days filled with general swim, archery, softball games, visits to the county fair, reading True Confession magazines during “bunk activity” and where life-long friends were made and life lessons learned. Those innocent summer days of my childhood may have passed, but my love for summer still holds strong.

Summer is a time to kick back, relax and take things a little slower. It’s a time to reflect upon the months that have passed and to gear up and energize for the balance of the year to come. It’s a time to take time out for yourself – learn something new, read a good book or two (or three or four!), stop and smell the flowers (or plant them!) and just slow down.

There are so many things to do in the summer that help rejuvenate and add balance to our lives. Here are some of the things that I love to do. Please leave a comment below with your favorite summer activities.

Go to the beach and read a good book
Go for a bike ride
Yoga outdoors
Swim in a lake or the ocean
Hang out in my garden
BBQ’s!
Play tennis
Wear a pretty sundress and have an outdoor meal or cocktail
Go scuba diving!
Go sailing
Explore and see or do something new! (below is a description of my something new for July!)

On a recent bike ride along the Hudson River, my friends and I rode up to the little red lighthouse that sits under the George Washington Bridge. In all the years I have lived in NYC and crossed the GW Bridge, I never knew this charming little lighthouse existed! According to the plaque on the site, it was originally known as Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse and was built in 1921 and decommissioned in 1932. According to The Historic House Trust, a not-for-profit organization that works in tandem with the NYC Department of Parks, it was actually built in 1880 and moved to the site under the bridge in 1921. It was immortalized in the children’s book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Grey Bridge by Hildegard H. Swift. It is the last surviving lighthouse on Manhattan Island.

The Little Red Light House under the George Washington Bridge

Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge, NYC. The last surviving lighthouse on Manhattan Island.

If you like to bike, check this historic landmark out. Want a cool t-shirt or tank top to bike in? Check out the Life is Balance Cycle the Distance biking shirts here.

Yoga Balances the Mind as Well as the Body

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Sheryl Checkman

yoga meditation pose at sunset

I’ve been feeling a bit off balance lately. My left shoulder started bothering me back in the fall. I first noticed it while swimming laps. I thought it would go away but it didn’t. So after going to the doctor and getting an MRI, I learned that I have severe tendonitis and a bone spur that is aggravating it. The prognosis: “If I were a betting man” said the doctor, “I’d say you will need surgery to shave the bone spur down.” Not wanting to jump into surgery (I’ve had enough of that lately!) he has me on an anti-inflammatory and will be starting physical therapy. I see him again in 6 weeks and then we’ll re-assess. I’m not sure, but I think as soon as I had a diagnosis, I started to feel worse! I can’t swim – not supposed to lift my arm over my head (hard to swim the crawl with one arm!). And what about yoga? I don’t want to give up the one thing that makes me feel grounded and peaceful!

I was able to ski last weekend though. As long as I avoided the bumps and anything that would put a strain on my shoulder I was good. But, as most of us in the East know, this hasn’t exactly been a stellar year for skiing! What can I do to keep balance? I went to my 8:30 am yoga class this morning hoping I could find enough modifications to make my practice work for me. Suzanne, my wonderful instructor was back from a month-long retreat and she made some suggestions for modifications. I avoided the poses that I knew would hurt my shoulder (chaturanga, knees, chest , chin, shoulder stand) and I modified my arm position for the other poses, avoiding stretching my left arm over my head. After shavasana I stayed for the meditation. The end result? I walked out of class feeling balanced both in body and mind!