Yoga practice in Morzine's Mountains

Mountains and yoga, Emily’s dream life

As you reach your Morzine accommodation, what always impresses is not only the view of its beautiful snowed mountains, but the town’s post card like scenery. With Switzerland’s Leman lake and vineyards just round the corner, it feels like time has stopped in this typical Savoyard village.

This is probably why two years ago, Emily decided to put down her luggages and settle in Morzine. A surprising choice for the globetrotting young English yoga teacher. But even she had to admit that the melange of forest and mountain, this small treasure in the valley of the Alps offers an intense life for those who love the mountains.

Emily Ruth practising yoga in the snow in Morzine | ©Jackson Lana Winter

It must be said that every year’s ski season, Morzine and its neighbouring community, Avoriaz, host an anglophone community of very active and united people. It feels like home for this Cornish native! “Morzine is my second home. There is something really special in this little Alps town,” confesses Emily, giving away a smile.

From discovering yoga to teaching

If Emily started practicing yoga, it was above all to keep in shape. But little by little, this daily practice started having unexpected impacts on her life ! “My way of taking decisions or reacting to daily situations changed! I discovered a sense of consciousness that was not part of my life before,” Emily said. It is this new vision of life that led Emily to pursue the practice of yoga and become a professional.

Emily Ruth giving an outdoor yoga class in Morzine | ©Samuel Ingles

Emily trained in the Indian Himalayas, where she obtained her teaching diploma before deepening her training in Canada. “I started yoga to keep in shape, but it turned out to be the psychological effects that made me want to pursue it and want to transmit this teaching to everyone,” she admits, giving away a smile.

Mountains and yoga, a pair that makes so much sense

Emily is smiley and full of energy, and if after many winters she chose to settle in Morzine two years ago, it is to live her passion for mountains and yoga daily. “Yoga is a great complement to mountain activities. Skiing, hiking, and climbing are practices in which flexibility of the body and mind allow you to go further and protect yourself from injury,” says Emily.

Emily Ruth practising a yoga pose in the mountains of Morzine | ©Samuel Ingles

Having made sharing the benefits of yoga her mission, she offers sessions adapted to all physical conditions and expectations.
“When I design my private sessions, I find out what my students did in the days leading up to the session, whether they were injured, and their energy levels. I then create the Flow, which is ideal for them.”
In the summer, Emily partners with a mountain guide and organises hikes/yoga over several days. “There's nothing like a sun salutation in the middle of nature before a great hike!”

Like summer like winter, the beauty of the summits

In winter, Emily happily hurtles down the slopes on her snowboard, and in summer she's constantly on hiking trails.

Emily Ruth ready for an outdoor yoga class in Morzine | ©Samuel Ingles

The omnipresence of nature in Morzine is her anchor in a busy daily life. “I always travel a lot, I recently spent a few days in Japan. When I come back home to Morzine, I feel at peace, where I belong.”

When she is in Morzine, Emily likes to stroll at the Sattelite Coffee, and dine in the evening at the micro-brewery, Le Bec jaune.

When she is not on the mountain or a ski slope, Emily gives group or private yoga classes. If you wish to enjoy the comfort of your chalet, she also offers home sessions! Did we make you want to take a class with Emily?

Discover Emily Ruthyoga website

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