Yoga for Swimmers

As the summer approaches I start to consider all of the wonderful more accessible outdoor activities available to us in Wisconsin.  Tennis, golf, biking , riding,....all are great activities that pair well with a healthy and happy spine (via yoga).  Specifically I was thrilled to write my latest post for The Athleta Chi blog Yoga For Swimmers.

While the article focuses specifically on poses that open and soothe shoulders, its important to realize the value in the technical aspects of each pose for every person, not just the swimmer.  Crescent pose or high lunge in particular is a fav of mine and always woven through the sequences I teach. Consider the benefits of lengthening the spine, strengthening the quads, opening the heart and breathing for every human from someone who sits at the computer desk all day long to the performance athlete.

Crescent Pose

Begin in Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog).  In this pose, consider that you need to ground your feet and maintain your base, power up your quads and hip muscles, lengthen your side body, and expand and shine your heart upwards.  All of that, plus breathing! I love this pose and the openness and expansion it creates in the entire upper body.  Start in low lunge with your fingertips at the floor.  Inhale and lift the upper body stabilizing with equal strength in both legs.  Raise your hands over your head. You can also modify this pose by creating cactus arms out to the side or lift the arms over your head palms facing in.

I Heart Heart Openers

When I first started to teach and practice yoga the idea of heart openers meant a nice backbendy stretch.  I didn't understand the physiological benefits nor the emotional connection when incorporating breath into this practice my body now craves. Looking back I realize now that it was a directive from my ego, that desire to be gumbiesque and push through a pose. 

Over time, with the combination of a breast cancer battle and an immersion into yoga training, I began to feel how the heart openers left my entire heart expanded with so much more room to breathe. When the radiation doctors told me I would lose lung capacity with radiation, I would go home and lengthen my spine in heart openers hoping to re-capture some space lost.  When the plastic surgeon suggested I use my latissumus muscles to re-create breast tissue; I declined, wondering how that would impact my ability to crack open my heart with Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel) pose.

Lately, through the practice of just focusing singularly on the breath as I move into backbend, I've noticed a bit more expansion.  Without admitting that this initially fed my ego (OK, I admit it), I had to mentally retreat and focus on the idea of not pushing....just breathing; knowing that this gentle method of opening was the right way to both practice and teach.

Ustrasana or Camel pose

Pictured are the full version of camel and a modified version which is where everyone should begin.  If you are a beginner to yoga or you have a tendency towards lower back problems, I strongly recommend the modified version of camel. The full backbend version is an advanced posture meant for the individual who has developed his/her practice. 

You can leave the tops of the feet flat, or tuck the toes under to move into half camel. Take the hands behind you, palms flat and fingers reaching towards your feet. Push off the hands to lift the hips (knees stay on the floor). Hold for 5-10 breaths. Come back to hero pose and repeat 2-3 times.

Modified Ustrasana

Advanced: take your hands to your ankles and push down to lift your chest. Pelvis comes forward slightly as each breath works to continue lifting your heart upward. Emphasize the breath.  Lengthen your side body.  As you exhale imagine your breath exits through your side body. You can allow your chin to drop slowly but be mindful of your neck and do not take it back if this bothers your neck.  Hold for 5-7 breaths. Move slowly to exit this pose beginning with the life of your head.  Take one hand at a time to your low back to support yourself as you come out of the pose.

Don't expect an emotional response or release the first few times you practice.  But do take moments to breathe following a backbend and quietly observe how you feel and what you notice.  Each practice, notice any differences.  It took years for me to fully recognize the value of these poses; making them all that more valuable to me now.

Your Yoga Practice during the Holidays

As a teacher it is inevitable to see the numbers in the yoga studio dwindle with the onslaught of holiday rush and festivities. I get it. Your busy pace is upgraded to a frantic one and it is very hard to even consider rolling out the mat.  However, even a small amount  of mat time offers even the most stressed out yogini a chance to maintain her health and more importantly her sanity.  Studies prove again and again that nurturing your own health through a yoga practice thwarts stress and even illness. 

So, if the idea of decking another hall makes you feel like you may want to deck the next person who walks through it, you are not alone.  Stress is a common denominator throughout the holiday season.  Financial concerns, not enough time, and uncomfortable family situations are three of the woes that seem to plague many of us during this hectic period.

Women in general can make life very hard on themselves during this time.  As a yoga teacher I can see in in their physical body.  Their shoulders tense up around their ears, jaws clench, and breath is uneven.  Sometimes they carry it in other parts of their body like the abdominal area or their lower back.  This continuation of bottled up stress often becomes   a clenching mechanism and spaces are confined.  The result is a minimum of body discomfort but anxiety can also cause headaches, panic attacks, and other serious illnesses.

All of the experts tell us that an overabundance of stress manifests as a health attack on the body.  There is no debate here.  So why each year when the Christmas lists are emailed out and the mall’s next newest and impossible to afford gadget appears on your child’s Christmas list do we unwittingly allow it to creep into our bodies and prevent us from experiencing the real joy of the Christmas season? 

Yoga is more than an exercise.  It brings our body back into balance through a series of postures that aid the body’s natural detox process, boosts circulation and the movement of lymphatic fluids through the body, and regulates our nervous system through the use of breath.

So instead of thinking you don’t have time to do yoga (especially during the holidays), understand that by nurturing yourself in your practice you will benefit your health and mind giving you clarity when you need it most for the month ahead. 

Here are a few simple poses to incorporate into your home practice:

Balasana - Child's pose

In yoga the Child’s Pose is a great opportunity to let go of tension.  Child's pose is a restorative pose designed to help you regroup and bring awareness back into your breath. It is great on its own or taken during a rigorous yoga practice when you need a break to tap back into your breathing pattern.  Begin by kneeling onto the floor.  Widen your knees to the edges of your mat and take a deep inhale.  As you exhale lower your torso back between your thighs.  Consciously take 5-7 deep breaths as you release and relax your body weight back. You can release your arms to your sides or rest them on your lower back.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana - Pigeon Pose

 

Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Bring your right knee into your center accessing your core muscles and then thread it through so that your right heel and leg are perpendicular to the mat. Stretch your left leg back with careful attention to the line of your back leg. Your ankle behind you should look like an extension of the length of your leg, the top of your foot gently pressed into the mat.

If you are new to this pose draw the heel of the bent leg closer to the hip flexor of the opposite leg flexing your front foot to protect the joints around your knee. It is ok if your right knee angles towards the right edge of the mat.

Don’t worry if your hips are lifted in this pose. Use a blanket to prop underneath or rest your arms on a block in front of you. Make sure you are carefully considering your hips by centering them forward.

Square your shoulders forward. Puff your chest out (like a pigeon) and feel your collarbone expand. Direct your breath into any tension and be mindful to lift your chest as you breathe lengthening out of your lumbar spine. Again, Take the time to allow the hips to release and hold for a minimum (very minimum) of one minute.y

To come out of this pose, using your hands on the mat, lift yourself and carefully draw your right leg back matching up your feet at hips width distance and gently lift your hips into downward facing dog again. Often you will notice an imbalance in your hips before repeating the pigeon on the other side; another testament to the power of this pose.

Throughout this season, remember your breath.  When lines are long, kids are cranky, and things don't feel like a Irving Berlin song, take a few yogic breaths before reacting.  It may be just the few moments you needed to remember what is really important.







Partner Poses - Double Tree and Partner Pincha Mayurasana

Sometimes while teaching a class I try to incorporate an element of joy and fun.  Partner poses seem to be a great way to do that  and I've had a blast watching some of my clients work together in a trusting relationship as they support each other in partner poses. Awwwww.

So I add them in here or there and almost always hear laughter and delight as the two create a beautiful shape and reap the benefits of a partner pose.

One that is accessible to most is double tree:

Amy and Christy in Double Tree on Madeline Island

For best results work with someone close to your height. Stand beside your partner with your hips together.

Lift the outside leg, bend that knee and use your hands to pull your foot up so it's pressing against your other inner thigh. You should never press into a knee joint so make sure your foot is above or below the knee. Draw your knee back to open your hips.

Wrap your arm around your partner's waist

Reach your outside arms up and stabilize yourself by rooting down on your standing foot and lengthening the spine upwards with strength in the core. 

 Do the other side.

Another pose that I do not recommend unless you have an advanced practice is Partner Pincha Mayurasana:

Jen and Heidi in Pincha Mayurasana at Clean Spirit Yoga Studio

In addition they did have a spotter nearby (me) prepared to assist if things get a little hairy.  But these two strong yoginis Jen and Heidi made such a beautiful shape with their partner pose that this proud teacher had to share.

Namaste.





Dolphin Pose

Dolphin Pose

This is a pose that I incorporate a lot into my classes.  A LOT....... There are quite a few poses that I have  faith in and this is one of them.  Pair it with dolphin plank for some great core conditioning and reap the benefits; strong arms and shoulder girdle, strengthening of upper back area, and stretching throughout the calves, arches, and hamstrings.

Begin on all fours (hands and knees) on the mat and interlace your fingers together or have palms touching.  Lift your hips as you exhale (much like a down dog movement) and lengthen your spine.  Pull your lower belly upwards.  If you have tight hamstrings you can keep your knees bent slightly. Your feet should be hip-width distance apart.

Continue to actively press forearms into the floor as you lift up and broaden through your shoulder girdle.  Hold for 7 breaths.

Yoga for Runners

Yoga is for everyone.  But specifically my experience working with runners is that once they see the benefits of incorporating yoga into their training program they are passionately hooked.  I have a runner's dozen of yoga poses and will incorporate those into my blog this spring but in the meantime my absolute essentials for yoga are featured in Athleta's Chi blog. 

I am thrilled to be able to write for such a great community of athletes and hope that if you are lacing up your running shoes this spring, you remember these great poses.

Namaste and happy trails!

Tree Pose - Vrksasana

A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human. -Georges Rouault

I think the tree pose is one of the most beautiful yoga poses.  It is an accessible pose, therefore confidence building, and the first pose I really connected with when I began to fall in love with yoga.  The foot, the foundation of the pose, represents the roots grounding into the earth,  he torso maintains strength and stability much like a solid trunk, and the arms, the graceful branches.

 I often refer to this pose as the smart yogi's pose as it requires a mental focus.  In all of our balance poses we challenge our brain contributing to the greater understanding of yoga's mind and body connection. 

To practice the pose stand tall enjoying a moment to breathe and become centered.  Bend your right knee and shift your weight to the left leg.  Drawing your right knee to the right while squaring your hips forward, place your right foot on your calf or inner thigh but never against the knee. There should never be a lateral push against the knee. If possible the foot rests on the inner left thigh beneath the groin.  Toes are pointed down. Draw your tailbone down towards the earth.

Root into the ground, access your core strength, and on an inhale take your hands to prayer with your thumb at your sternum or draw them above your head.  Moving your branches around will challenge your balance. 

Take notice of your shoulders and make sure they are not rising up towards your ears.  Invoke the sense of calmness and strength that comes from a tree.  Continue to breathe for 5-7 breaths and then switch sides.



Tree pose prep:  raise knee and
shift weight

 This summer consider joining me for an all-inclusive Madeline Island Yoga Retreat combining kayaking adventure and yoga on beautiful Madeline Island.  The yoga is designed to assist with the technical aspects of kayaking as well as build strength in the body and rejuvenate the spirit.  Your Yoga Adventure includes,  two afternoons with an experienced kayaking guide and one afternoon hiking the beautiful shores of Madeline's State Park. Rest assured you will plenty of magnificent trees.

Retreaters will enjoy the great beauty of the island, fabulous cuisine, yoga on the beach, and the opportunity to become centered.   I look forward to teaching you. 

                                        Email amy@cleanspirityoga.com with questions.



Modified tree: bent knee above
ankle



My Favorite Yoga Pose - Vasisthsana (side plank)

I have many favorites yoga poses and admittedly some that I do not like at all. But lately I have loved the feeling that I get when I practice and teach Vasisthsana or side plank.  I'm all over heart openers and there is an expansion of the side body, lung capacity, and yes, the heart as you lift the hips and stretch into your top obliques. Love it. It is also considered a Rx for the scattered mind, something this yoga mama needs a little help with at times.

As I teach I build in it into a lot of my sequences. This pose is accessible to many.  But please, do not practice if you have wrist complications or recent shoulder injuries.

Other benefits include: strengthening the shoulder girdle, arms, abdominal muscles, and legs.  Also strengthens and stretches the wrists.

• Begin in Adho Muka Svanasana or Downward Facing Dog
• Lengthen your body forward into plank.  As you begin to feel your knuckles activate, drop your left knee to the floor. Turn your right foot to the right.
• Your hand is the staff.  Check to make sure there is a very slight angle from the hand to the shoulder. Alignment is key to this pose. Firm up your tricep muscles and  press your index fingers into the mat. Float your right arm up and open your heart.
• At this point you can stay here in modified plank pose (or gate) and just appreciate the heart opening benefits.  Or,
• lengthen through your  left leg and engage your lower oblique muscles.  Stack your right leg on top of your left, heels together.  Keep your heels active; they are the foundation of this pose. Lift your lower hips and breath in as you expand and create space throughout your chest.
• Hold for 5-7 breaths and then return to Downward Facing Dog. 
• Repeat for your left side.

Finish by practicing Balasana or child's pose. Draw your arms back towards your hips and allow your shoulders to melt as you focus on your breath. 

I would love to hear from you.  What is your favorite pose?

If You Give a Momma the Month of December

Last night my six year old brought down one of Laura Numeroff's books,  If You Take a Mouse to the Movies.  I love the whole series of her books and as I was reading it to Tess I had to laugh at the parallel in my life right now.  I know I'm not the only mother who feels this way.  We should really have one of her books dedicated to the mommas.  If so, perhaps  it would go something like this:
If you give a momma the month of December, she will begin by making a meticulous list of all of the things that need to be done.  After writing the list she will realize that she needs to purchase a new mixer to help her with her holiday baking. On Amazon.com, as she researches the mixer, she will decide she should purchase the super saver shipping option because she has to ship a lot of gifts. She will select some gifts to be shipped, enter her credit card number, and then realize her credit card has expired.  She will then search for her new credit card only to realize that it is buried in a very messy wallet full of Christmas receipts that needs to be organized and set aside. Upon cleaning out her receipts she will find a coupon for trim the tree items at Target and remember that she needs to pick up some lights.  It will occur to her that she should work on untangling the big red bin full of last year's lights first.  As she pulls out the bin and begins to untangle the mountain of  cords before her,  she becomes hungry and wishes she had begun her holiday baking.

This happens to me.  I have found my best defense is a reality check (in my world it is reminding myself of what is really important) and  a good restorative yoga pose such as Balasana or Child's pose  with some deep centering breaths.  It helps me to refocus and almost always I end up crossing off a few things on that list that really weren't that important to begin with.  At the end of the day it always amazes me at how much I can accomplish.

For all of you mommas out there,  you may have a few of these December days too. It's OK. At this point in the month I have resigned myself to idea that holiday baking probably won't happen.  But the lights are untangled and I really love my nice new mixer tucked away on my kitchen counter. Stay sane and holiday blessings to all of the mamas.