Yoga: it might save you from being mauled by a bear

The attacking bear was not practicing yoga

Yes, seriously.

The Ashville Citizen-Times’ awesomely titled “Woman credits yoga with saving her from bear mauling” reports that Ruth McNair, a longtime runner, survived a bear mauling by climbing a tree and wrapping her arms and legs around the trunk, similar to an eagle pose. The frustrated bear eventually abandoned the attack, slinking into the woods with her cubs.

“I’m doing more yoga and less running,” says Ruth. “There aren’t bears in the (yoga) room.”

Though the pose itself  was definitely a factor in surviving the attack, we think Ruth’s decidedly yogic perspective also had something to do with it: “I got away from a bear,” she says. “If I can do that, I can do anything. Like everything in life, you have what you need when you need it. For me, it was that little tree.” Indeed.