10ofRods
Verified Anthropologist
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I am going to mention a factor in deaths like this, because I think WS is the right audience. One of the things we gain from yoga - or hiking - is a sense of well-being, even euphoria. We feel strong and invincible.
This is true of many people who have misadventures in nature, I believe. Base jumpers might be the most extreme example. It's something I've had to temper in my own self (I no longer go solo hiking in backcountry - and it's not because I fear crime, at all, it's because I know the statistics about risk taking and I know myself, I have a hard time sticking to plan, think I can go explore an area that could be dangerous, etc).
Having an inner dialogue with one's own self (in which one side of your inner conversation plays Devil's Advocate and says, REALLY? you're going hiking with just 1 liter of water?? What are you thinking?? - or whatever it is), is barely adequate for safety.
It's better to actually have a partner or a concession operator who asks tough questions and points out risks. This doesn't always happen at retreats or in resorts.
But today's emphasis is on solo decision-making, euphoric experiences in nature, etc.
This is a recipe for some risk. Studies show that having truthful conversations with an intelligent adventure partner is protective. When we go to tourist places and see a lot of other people doing more risky things (kayaking on a big, deep lake without a PFD; people jumping off kayaks into the same lake), we are more likely to do them ourselves. When we are feeling on top of the world, relaxed and joyous, we might actually be more likely to make major errors.
Depression or desperation causes errors too, but I'm speaking of something else here - not often talked about, from personal observation of SO many deaths in nature, over 30 years of study. I know a lot of us are parents or grandparents and have to watch our kids take risks, but in my case, I find I must say something to them beyond "Be careful."
This is true of many people who have misadventures in nature, I believe. Base jumpers might be the most extreme example. It's something I've had to temper in my own self (I no longer go solo hiking in backcountry - and it's not because I fear crime, at all, it's because I know the statistics about risk taking and I know myself, I have a hard time sticking to plan, think I can go explore an area that could be dangerous, etc).
Having an inner dialogue with one's own self (in which one side of your inner conversation plays Devil's Advocate and says, REALLY? you're going hiking with just 1 liter of water?? What are you thinking?? - or whatever it is), is barely adequate for safety.
It's better to actually have a partner or a concession operator who asks tough questions and points out risks. This doesn't always happen at retreats or in resorts.
But today's emphasis is on solo decision-making, euphoric experiences in nature, etc.
This is a recipe for some risk. Studies show that having truthful conversations with an intelligent adventure partner is protective. When we go to tourist places and see a lot of other people doing more risky things (kayaking on a big, deep lake without a PFD; people jumping off kayaks into the same lake), we are more likely to do them ourselves. When we are feeling on top of the world, relaxed and joyous, we might actually be more likely to make major errors.
Depression or desperation causes errors too, but I'm speaking of something else here - not often talked about, from personal observation of SO many deaths in nature, over 30 years of study. I know a lot of us are parents or grandparents and have to watch our kids take risks, but in my case, I find I must say something to them beyond "Be careful."