Yoga and Breathing for the Athlete

Breathing is the most natural activity, yet improper breathing can hinder athletic performance. Many athletic competitions bring with them great pressure to perform and achieve, and people who feel that stress tend to breathe shallow, rapid breaths. However, this is not the best form of breathing. Yoga places special emphasis on breathing, with fuller, slower, more relaxed breathing. Not only does yogic breathing result in better oxygenation of the blood and improved circulation, it also encourages inner peace and relief from stress. An athlete under tremendous stress may not perform as well as an athlete who has learned to use breathing techniques to remain calm in a competitive environment. Yogic breathing is a valuable technique regardless of circumstance. By allowing the diaphragm to move properly and relaxing the abdominal muscles, a person instantly feels a calming sensation that is paradoxically energizing. By contrast, shallow, rapid breathing does not oxygenate the blood as well, and can lead to a feeling of tension and anxiety – two emotional states that are not conducive to good athletic performance. Yogic breathing can easily be incorporated into any sport, from football to swimming. Any top athlete will say that great performance is as much a product of the right mental attitude as physical prowess. Even the best athlete will not perform up to their personal best if they are in a state of duress. Breathing the way it is taught in yoga is one of the best ways to promote a healthy mental attitude in athletic competition.

Yoga for Core Strength and Flexibility

Yoga emphasizes the strength of the core muscle groups: the abdominal and back muscles as well as the pelvic muscles and gluteus muscles. A strong core results in better posture and confident body carriage in everyday life, whether behind a desk or on the playing field. There is no athletic performance that can’t be improved by having a strong body core, and this makes yoga the perfect choice as a cross training activity. Yoga, however, is not only about core strength. It is about flexibility too. Certain sports engage the same muscle groups repeatedly, strengthening some muscles while neglecting other muscles. Yoga is the perfect way to bring balance to all the body’s muscle groups. By improving whole-body flexibility, yoga prevents excessive muscle tightness and improves the range of motion of joints and muscles. Muscles that are both strong and flexible perform better. Improved flexibility is also a great method for reducing athletic injury. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are used to stretching are less likely to experience tears, which can sideline an athlete for long periods. When yoga is added to an athlete’s training rotation, their performance improves, and their likelihood of injury decreases.

Yoga for Recovery and Off-Season Training

Athletic injury happens even to athletes who are very careful and safety-oriented. Unfortunately, when an injury sidelines an athlete, their fitness level and skill can drop off quickly. Yoga, however, can be adapted so that it can be done even by people who have injuries. As the injured body part heals, the athlete can continue to work on strength and flexibility of the rest of the body without causing further injury. Once the injury heals, the athlete will not have to start over training from the beginning, because the rest of the body is still in good condition. A similar situation is training during a sport’s off-season. Perhaps the worst thing a seasonal athlete can do is stop training until the following season. Yoga makes for a terrific off-season exercise program. People usually think of yoga as mild and gentle, and it is, but there are forms of yoga that are quite demanding and that are excellent for improving or maintaining physical fitness. Power yoga, Ashtang yoga, Vinyasa yoga and Bikram yoga are demanding forms of yoga that are perfect for the person who wants an intense, comprehensive workout that minimizes injury risk. Yogic breathing, improved core strength, better whole-body flexibility, and reduction in injury risk are all great reasons why yoga makes the perfect activity to incorporate into a cross training regimen.

Visit HolisticYoga.Info to find out how to improve your life whether you would like to know how to get started with yoga or have been doing for years.

Photo Credit

How Iyengar Yoga Benefits the Body

Iyengar yoga is based on principles of Ashtanga yoga, with an emphasis on improving stamina, flexibility, concentration, and balance. Meditation is closely intertwined with the asanas (poses). Yama, the first principle, emphasizes abstinence from violence, which helps the body resist cravings and materialistic desires. The second principle, Niyama, emphasizes cleansing the body and mind of stress caused by unfulfilled desires. The third principle is based on the asanas, which help the body improve strength and flexibility and combat physical malaise. The fourth principle, Pranayama, emphasizes deep, slow breathing. Pratyahara and Dhyana, the other principles incorporated into Iyenga yoga, emphasize quieting the mind and achieving unity with the divine. Proper alignment of the asanas is extremely important for Iyengar yoga, and many of the poses used are found in other types of yoga. There is, however, no regular progression of the asanas. Each pose is followed by the “child’s pose,” a very relaxing, calming pose. Iyengar yoga makes use of various props so that everyone can perform the poses as competently as possible. Since the child’s pose is used between other poses, Iyengar yoga does not provide as strong a cardiovascular workout as other yoga forms. Nonetheless, it provides an excellent strength and flexibility workout while teaching very effective breathing and meditation techniques.

Importance of Asanas in Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar yoga is a particularly good form of yoga for beginners, because so much emphasis is placed on the best possible alignment of the body for all the asanas. Body alignment and symmetry are very important, as is intensity of execution of the asanas. The poses in Iyengar yoga are done with great attention to detail, and each yoga student tries to achieve the poses to the best of their ability. For those just learning the poses, Iyengar yoga makes use of props, like cushions, cylindrical pillows, blankets, belts, and soft blocks. That way, if a student has not yet achieved the strength or flexibility necessary for an asana, the props can be used as learning aids. Props also allow the yoga student to hold positions for longer periods than might be possible without them. Shri Iyengar’s system of more than 200 classic asanas includes poses that are simple even for beginners, as well as very advanced poses, and everything in between. The asanas are categorized so that beginners can adapt them to their ability level while progressing to increasing levels of difficulty as their ability increases. Emphasis on correct body alignment allows the body to develop symmetrically while minimizing risk of pain or injury. Each student is encouraged to use props and work the asanas in whatever range of motion is safest and most effective for them.

Breathing and Meditation in Iyengar Yoga

Pranayama, or yogic breathing, is part of the foundation of all types of yoga. With Iyengar yoga, breathing is used to maximize the physical benefits of the various asanas. In addition, Pranayama itself helps tone the circulatory and respiratory systems, while aiding proper function of the nervous and digestive systems. The result is a pervasive feeling of calm as well as increased energy. Pranayama brings the senses and the mind under control so that the student is ready to experience the meditative aspects of Iyengar yoga. The use of the child’s pose between other asanas is not only relaxing and refreshing for the body, but is conducive to meditation. No matter which sequence the yoga teacher uses for the asanas, the progression brings the student to a mental and physical level where the body and mind are open to meditation. Practiced regularly, Iyengar yoga is a wonderful, natural way to cope with physical, mental, and emotional stress without the use of drugs. Iyengar yoga appeals to a huge range of people, of all fitness levels. It is particularly well-suited to yoga students who have a meticulous approach to yoga and an interest in the body’s anatomy. Beginners who do not feel ready to participate in a “flow” practice of yoga (where each pose flows into the next) find Iyengar yoga to be educational and beneficial. Finally, advanced yogis who want to work on their bodily alignment find Iyengar to be very helpful in reaching their goals

Visit HolisticYoga.Info to find out how to improve your life whether you would like to know how to get started with yoga or have been doing for years.

Many researchers claim that not getting enough sleep has many negative health consequences, such as raising your risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes and even obesity. In addition to those, it also has an effect on energy levels and alertness. Yoga can help bring some balance to the mind, body and spirit. The gentle stretches and deep breathing help to relax the mind, clear the body of toxins, increase oxygen and blood flow to the brain,  and relax the muscles and nervous system. Here are a few great yoga poses to practice right before you head off to bed.

Seated heart opener – Vajrasana

Sit in a kneeling position. If this bothers your knees, extend your legs straight out in front of you. Place your hands behind you, as you inhale lengthen your spine, as you exhale lean back lowering your head between your shoulder blades. If your neck feels tight keep your chin parallel to the floor. Relax close your eyes and take five deep breaths.

Balasana – Childs Pose

Sitting on your knees, open them about as wide as your hips or keep the knees and feet together. Try and feel which variation feels good in your body. Take a deep inhale to lengthen your spine, exhale as you lower your chest to your knees. You can extend your arms forward or rest them beside your body. If you can, rest your forehead on the floor, or stack your forearms and relax your forehead on your forearms. Relax and stay for five to ten breaths. Balasana is a resting pose. It helps to open the hips, shoulders and lengthen the spine. Relaxing the head below the heart brings fresh blood flow to the brain.

Folded Butterfly – Supta Baddha Konasana

Sit with your knees bent and the soles of your feet touching. Inhale to lengthen the spine as you exhale place your hands on your feet and fold forward. Stay and breathe deeply for 30 seconds to a few minutes. This pose helps to soothe and release the lower back and hips.

Ardha Matsyendrasana – Seated Spinal Twist

Sit on the floor with your right knee bent and the sole of your foot in front of your right knee. If both hips do not touch the floor extend your right leg out straight. Place your right hand on the floor behind you to lengthen your spine. Cross your left elbow over your right knee. Look over your right shoulder twisting and rinsing your spine. Take five deep slow breaths; repeat this pose on the other side. Gentle twists help ease digestion before bed, open the hips, shoulders and stimulate the nervous system.

Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Bend the right leg and bring the right knee to the floor outside the right hand while releasing the left leg to the floor directly behind your left hip. The right shin may angle back towards the left hip or be more parallel to the front of your mat, depending on your flexibility. Flex your right foot protecting your right knee. Square the hips towards the front of your mat. Slowly walk your hands forward. Gently release your belly, chest and forehead towards the floor. Relax and take deep breaths into the hips for a few minutes. Repeat this pose on the other side. At the end of the day this pose helps to open the hips, stretches the thighs, groins, and psoas.

Bhujangasana – Cobra pose

Lay on your belly place your hands under your shoulders. Keep your hips and legs resting on the floor and your shoulders relaxed away from your ears. Inhale and lift your chest off the floor using your lower spine and back muscles. If it feels comfortable, lower your head back between your shoulder blades to stretch the front of your neck. Close your eyes and take five deep breaths. This is a beautiful backbend to strengthen and release the lower back. Stretches the shoulders, neck and abdomen.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – Bridge Pose

Lay on your back, bend your knees, reach and touch your heels. Place your feet hip width and parallel.   Press into your feet, lifting your hips off the floor. Relax your glutes and reach for your ankles, or place your hands under your lower back.  Relax your neck by pressing your head into the floor. Close your eyes and take five deep breaths. This pose will increase flexibility in your spine while stretching your shoulders and neck.

Ananda Balasana – Happy Baby Pose

Lay on your back, bend your knees, and hold onto your feet, ankles, or backs of the thighs. Gently pull your legs toward the floor. Lengthen the spine and tailbone onto the floor. Relax and close your eyes. Stay and breathe into the hips and spine. Hold as long as it feels good. This pose will relieve tightness in your lower back and hips. Prepares the body for sleep or savasana. This pose is an amazing hip opener.

After completing the poses you can make your way to bed. As you lie in bed you can practice the final pose Savasana. Lie on your back close your eyes, open your arms by your side palms facing up. Open your legs and allow your feet to relax. Let the whole body relax with awareness of the breath. Consciously scan the body for any tension and then use the breath to relax that area. Stay in Savasana until you naturally fall asleep. You should wake up re-energized, revitalized and relaxed!

That “mini vacation” is what life would feel like all of the time if we mastered the art of staying present. There’s no need to worry when you stay in the present because there’s nothing to worry about. You can plan and act, but worry only arises when one is considering a poor future outcome. But poor future outcomes are mitigated when you spend your time planning and acting.

Until we master the art of totally experiencing every moment in its entirety, however, it’s helpful to utilize some exercises which will serve that endeavour. One trick that will zoom you right into the here and now is ridiculously simple, but extremely effective… just close your eyes.

You can start with a simple task like brushing your teeth. You will instantly become aware of how your hand feels, and how the toothbrush feels in your hand. Then you’ll notice that the movement feels exaggerated. Simply by taking away one of your senses that are typically a part of your routine experience, you totally change the experience!

Next, try closing your eyes during your yoga practice. You can keep your eyes open to transition between postures to start, just closing your eyes when you’re in position, and then you can experiment with more movement. Balancing postures in yoga will be extremely challenging, but even rather stable postures like Warrior 2 will feel unsteady with the new element.

Closing your eyes forces you to think about what you’re doing because it interrupts your mechanical ways of moving through the world. Interrupting regular patterns is an effective way to train oneself to live in the present moment. Come up with new ways to use this tool… flow through a yoga sequence with eyes closed, taste your food with your eyes closed, sign a cheque with your eyes closed, talk on the phone with your eyes closed. Be creative – live in the Here and Now!

Photo Credit

After almost a year of endless tears, sleepless nights and an inability to eat much of substance, almost as an act of desperation, I dragged myself into the neighborhood yoga studio. I had actually been looking for a pilates studio since yoga had always aggravated my rotator cuff in the past, but in a twist of magical synchronicity, the only studio I could find that was walking distance from my apartment was City Yoga, an Anusara yoga studio. “What on earth is Anusara?”, I thought to myself. I’d never heard of it, but decided to give it a try anyway.

That step was the beginning of what would metaphorically save my life. For most of 2008, the only thing that got me out of bed in the morning, was the yoga. The people in the studio were so at peace, so Zen, so warm and loving…but I was not. I was drowning in pain and anguish, and as I went through the motions of the different yoga poses, often on the verge of bursting into tears, I found myself wondering if my teachers could sense my sadness. Every day that I went to the yoga studio was an effort. I had to drag myself out of my apartment and force myself into class, despite my incessant feelings of hopelessness.

Then one day, something inside of me started to shift. While I still felt intense grief on the surface, deep inside of me a profound feeling of love was starting to stir. So I kept on going to the yoga. With each class, the powerful feelings that surged within me began to rise further up to the surface, beginning to slowly, but surely push the suffering away. And I began to notice that when we’d chant Om and the Anusara invocation, that my body and spirit would hum. I immediately recognized the value and power of sound mixed with silence and so I began my own meditation practice to supplement the yoga. Further emboldened by the warm and loving energy of the Anusara Kula, I began to soak up the vibrations during our group chanting, letting it wash over me.

I continued to go to yoga, and as many of my fellow Anusara yogis can attest themselves, magic began to unfold. I began to feel strong, full of light, and I began to have a more powerful and profound capacity for love than I’d ever felt before; a type of universal love that I find myself at a loss to explain to people outside of the yoga community. I would leave the studio feeling complete Bliss and as light as air. And as I continued to do the difficult personal work that is both necessary and ultimately enlightening, when one walks through a “dark night of the soul”, I began to feel that I embodied the energy of the Phoenix rising from the ashes. It was palpable. And as is one of the main intentions of Anusara, I knew that I was stepping into the flow of Grace.

Magical things began to happen. I began receiving psychic messages and I received a very powerful epiphany which revealed to me a major insight as to my life’s purpose on this earth. And so I continued to go to yoga. Grace continued to flow and the different aspects of my life all began to align in synchronistic perfection, culminating into the move to my new life in San Francisco. Since that time I have expanded my circle to become part of the wonderful San Francisco Anusara Kula, and with the help and guidance of my wonderful teachers, I continue to expand my awareness and my heart.

In the Anusara I have discovered a “magic bullet”. I now know that no matter what life throws at me, no matter how difficult are the challenges that present themselves, no matter how tragic or debilitating, that I can find peace, strength, harmony and ultimately bliss, through Anusara. Armed with that knowledge, I have risen from the ashes and fly boldly into 2011.

This article was written by guest contributor Jeannie Page and previously featured on Bay Shakti. With her practice of Anusara yoga in San Francisco, CA,  Jeannie is also an inspirational writer, healer and yogi, getting into alignment to be a force for good in the world. If you have a story you would like to share, please send it to info@fitnessgoop.com and we will review it and reply back to you.

Strength, flexibility, endurance, mental focus and structured breathing exercises are key components to help bring balance to any athlete’s game. The breath and meditation that you practice in yoga will also help to calm the body’s nervous system and mind. Lessons learned from yoga can translate into a training session, helping to relax when you are feeling challenged.

Here are three poses that will help open your body in areas that are overworked from training. These poses will also help to improve digestion and relieve stress. It is important to bring a conscious awareness to your breath – both inhaling and exhaling – while you move into, are holding or exiting these poses.

1. Warrior Two pose: With your feet together, step your right foot to the right.  Next, extend your arms parallel to the floor. Measure your feet below your wrists. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left foot in slightly and align the right heel with your left arch. Exhale and bend your right knee over the right ankle, so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor. If possible, bring the right thigh parallel to the floor. Anchor this movement of the right knee by strengthening the left leg and pressing the outer left heel firmly to the floor. Keep the sides of the torso equally long and the shoulders directly over the pelvis. Lengthen the tailbone and draw the lower belly towards the spine. Turn your head to the right and relax your facial muscles.

Stay for 8-10 breaths. Inhale to come up.

2. Triangle pose: From warrior two pose, straighten your right leg and engage both thigh muscles. Exhale and extend your torso to the right directly over the right leg, bending from the hip joint, not the waist. Anchor this movement by strengthening the left leg and pressing the outer heel firmly to the floor. Keep the side body long and lengthen the tailbone toward the back heel.

Float your right hand over your shin, ankle, or the floor outside your right foot. Keep your head, shoulders and hips as if you are leaning against a wall. Follow this by stretching your left arm up and right arm down. Make sure to keep your neck in a neutral position or gaze up, keeping the sides of the throat long.

Stay in this pose for 8-10 breaths. Inhale to come up, strongly pressing the back heel into the floor. Reverse the feet and repeat both poses for the same length of time to the left.

3. Cow Face pose: Place your right knee on the floor and slide your left knee in behind the right. Slowly sit your hips down and back towards the floor. Practice getting both sitting bones evenly on the floor. If  you are unable to do so, place a towel or block underneath your sit bones to level out the hips. Flex your feet. Take 8-10 breaths while stretching, then switch legs and repeat.

Namaste~

Click here to view the embedded video.

As a class, we were big into making others feel successful and supported regardless of where they were in their practice. I won’t say we all wore hemp and dreadlocks 24/7; but there was a lot of chanting – and we might have made a web out of a piece of string to signify our unity as a group. But just once.

Competitiveness definitely wasn’t encouraged in that forum. In fact, much time was concentrated on studying anatomy so we could recognize why one pose could be expressed so differently amongst students. It’s true, our bodies are so unique and bone on bone compression will stop some people from going deeply into a posture while another might not even feel challenged by it. And you can’t change your bones. You also can’t change your proportions, and limb to trunk ratios play a big role in one’s expression of a pose.

Of course, a lot of personal restrictions can be overcome. As one practices regularly, range of motion will be gained through flexibility and strength, and it is here where I do see room for competition in yoga.

I’m a very competitive individual, and even during my lovey-dovey yoga teacher training I still pushed myself to do the things I saw others do around me. Sure, I wanted to be as good as everyone else, but more so I wanted to achieve my own personal bests. And still do.

I still don’t agree that one can judge the effectiveness of a yoga pose from what it looks like on the outside. One individual could have their chest on their knees while not feeling the least bit challenged, while another could be actively pushing themselves past their edge with the slightest tilt forward.

But watching the competitors aim for perfection in their routines motivated me to take my practice up a notch, and it’s amazing what you can accomplish when your standards are raised. In addition to going deeper into my poses, the new found determination and drive I absorbed from being around those competitors made me feel like I was paying more respect to the practice of yoga in general.

So, while I still won’t encourage making your yoga practice be about competing and winning against other practitioners, I will encourage you to try approaching the mat with some game. You have to push past where you are now if you want to be anywhere else in the future.

Three o’clock rolls around so you resort to a shot of caffeine to get you through the last couple hours at work. A few hours later, you’re on the couch and coming up with excuses why you should just stay there for the rest of the evening instead of hitting the gym.

Energy spikes and plummets throughout the day are very common with the “normal” high-caffeine, high-refined carbohydrate diet to which we’ve grown accustomed in North America. To counter this cycle, it’s very important that you adjust your diet to include nutritious meals and snacks that are high in fibre and, thus, will digest slower – feeding your body a continuous source of energy instead of overloading your body and then depriving it.

But in addition to healthy and balanced caloric consumption, one can also turn to their mat for that mid-afternoon boost, or that kick start that will get you off the couch.

Oxygenating the blood is a sure-fire way to give oneself a mental and physical boost of energy. Do this by practicing Pranayama, or controlled yogic breathing techniques. Taking deep inhales, retaining the breath, and then slowly releasing it will enrich your blood with oxygen – clearing your mind and invigorating your body.

Another way to send oxygen to your brain and enliven your body is by performing handstands. Pull your mat up against a wall in your home (free of artwork) and, planting your hands about a foot away from a wall, gently kick up in to a handstand position. This movement is going to do a few things… it’s going to raise your heart rate, send blood to your head and muscles, and cause you to bring your energy and focus into the present.

So next time you feel like you need a boost, turn to your mat instead of the extra-large double double and see how much better you feel throughout the rest of your day!

Sanskrit is the first language of yoga. Asana in Sanskrit means “to sit” and simply preparing to sit was the original purpose of yoga postures. All postures developed as exercises that would help one prepare to sit and meditate for long periods of time. So postures are named for their shape followed by asana. Triangle pose, for instance, is trikonasana – triko, meaning triangle, followed by asana.

Sanskrit is a beautiful classical language of India and it definitely adds a fluidity and grace to a yoga instructor’s dialogue. Using Sanskrit in a contemporary yoga class sets a certain traditional mood – some believe through the vibrations of the words themselves. It also pays respect to those who have evolved yoga asanas over the years through both the shared language of movement and Sanskrit.

But it would be a shame if the very language that the yoga postures were built upon ended up being the road block that gets in one’s way to begin a practice. For as many classes you’ll find with the postures cued solely in Sanskrit, you’ll find as many teachers who use English names, and as many, still, who provide both. It is more likely that a teacher leading an advanced class will expect students to be familiar with the Sanskrit names than students taking a beginner’s class, but it is still possible to study yoga for years and greatly advance your practice without deciphering one “asana.”

Seek out Sanskrit if hearing the language brings you joy, but don’t let less-than-a-love for the language come between you and your practice – new, intermediate or advanced. Namaste.

Photo Credit

Practicing back bends also involves an element of courage; it is not always easy at first. A few beginner backbending yoga poses to start with are Ustrasana (camel pose) and Bhujangasana (cobra pose) it is important to be cautious when practicing these poses and follow a few guidelines.

Tips for practicing safe and compassionate backbends:

• When practicing these back bends make sure you are warmed up, move very slowly.

• Listen closely to your breath. If the breath becomes labored ease out of the pose think about lengthening and extending the spine before back bending.

• To protect your back when you are performing backbending postures you should ensure that you keep your lower back long. If you are not careful, you could damage your neck or your lower back when you are practicing these poses. These are the most flexible parts of your spine and need to be protected.

Back bends help to strengthen your back muscles, which will help protect the spine from everyday activities, sports and sitting. These poses not only stretch and strengthen the back and spine, they also open the muscles of the hips, chest, and shoulders. Expanding the chest and shoulders can help improve your breathing and relax the nervous system. To gain physical, energetic, and therapeutic effects of backbends, you don’t have to create the deepest arch. Think of creating an even arc in your spine. Stay calm and focused on the breath. You know you have found your back bend when your lower, middle, and upper back all have the same degree of sensation.

Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

Lie on your belly and place your hands under your shoulders spread open your fingers. Place the tops of your feet on the floor and reach back through your toes until your leg muscles engage. Slide your chest forward and up keeping your hands where they are and using your legs and lower spine to slowly lift your chest. Roll your shoulders back and lift the chest higher, while keeping the low ribs on the floor. Keep your neck neutral, don’t crank it back.

Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Stand on your knees and place your hands on your lower back for support to start opening your chest and shoulders. Lift your sternum and heart forward and up to the sky. Keep hands on the lower back until you are comfortable with the back bend. Reach back keeping your heart and chest lifted, one hand at a time catch heels. Bring your hips forward so they are over your knees. Let the head go back if it is comfortable in the neck, opening the throat.

Enjoy the journey of transformation through back bending. Remember your yoga practice is a life time practice. Take your time, be patient, and listen to your breath.