Yoga

Athlete, Running, Triathlon, Yoga

Athlete Yoga Education Video – Triangle Pose

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triangleThe yoga pose “triangle” is an excellent way for athletes to bring a synergistic balance of stretch and strength to the whole body.

Also called Trikonasana.  Athletes/runners, this is one of your “go-to” poses.

Here is a video for Triangle. Enjoy. It’s a short one. 8min.  😉

What Athletes and runners need to know about Triangle Pose:

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  • Benefit: Stretches the hamstrings.
    This is a wonderful pose to 1) find out if one hamstring is tighter than the other. Which causes a whole lot of issues and 2) gives you a way to address it. Also, you can spend some time with this pose to might small adjustments to find the different parts of the ham, which might have one tight part vs another.
  • Benefit: Strengthens the glutes.
    When done “correctly” or in the idea of alignment, you can learn to fire your hip rotators in a healthier way. As well as learn if one glute is weaker than the other. Which will probably be the case, especially if the first bullet about the hams is true.
  • Benefit: Stretches the back.
    There are parts of the back that are hard to stretch. This pose gets to some of that. Especially if you ratchet it down a bit and practice on a wall. This is really a lovely way to study this pose. Getting your hand to the floor is not the goal. Balance of the body, in relation to itself is the goal. So if you aren’t touching the floor, your spine isn’t parallel to the floor (which it probably won’t be and thats a-ok”, your hand reaches up in relation to alignment with your heart. Not the ceiling. Develop this idea and your shoulders will thank you.
  • Benefit: A really DARN GOOD POSE.
    This pose does a ton of stuff. More later on it. Just take my word for it. You can look forward to practicing this one for a long time because there are a lot of this to learn from this pose. And of course, the running, biking and swimming…this is a therapeutic pose. So when you jack something up, this is one you pull out of your bag.

    TRIANGLE – a pose that can be studied by the yoga student for years and has benefits that last a lifetime.

  • Benefit: Can help to strengthen the “flat foot”.
    This is a great pose, once again on the wall, to help with strengthening feet that like to collapse in the arches. Most of the time this is just de-conditioning of the feet. Maybe a lifetime of it. Generally you can strengthen the foot to have a stronger arch. This can be a long process but well worth it considering the function of the arch, as a shock absorber as well as help you have better running form, more natural and flowing.

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Athlete, Education, Triathlon, Yoga

Yoga Athlete Runner Education Video – Warrior 2 and Strong Legs

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warrior-2-bhanda-2The yoga pose “warrior 2” is an excellent way for athletes to bring a synergistic balance of stretch and strength to the whole body.

Also called Virabhadrasana II in your more “refined” yoga classes. hahaha. Just joking, sort. of. Thanks for the picture: Daily Bandha

Here is a video for Warrior 2. Enjoy. It’s a short one. 6min.  😉

What Athletes and runners need to know about WARRIOR 2:

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  • Benefit: Strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles.
    This pose done well takes a lot of effort in the legs. If you find yourself bored with this pose, you’re not working hard enough.
  • Benefit: stretches the groins, chest and lungs, shoulders.
    When you build this pose from the feet up and engage all muscles, keeping the pelvic bowl upright, neutral (which requires a lot of length in the back leg groin area) you find a nice organic stretch. Then to add a tall spine with the chest, shoulders and arms lifting up, from the action of the lower part of the body and back…this is where the elusive opening comes from. This is exceptional work for the athlete, who most of the time, is very tight and tense in this area.
  • Benefit: Increases stamina, builds mental toughness.
    If you doubt me, attempt to stay in this pose for awhile. Like minutes. Get back with me if you have more doubts. 😉 No, seriously, this pose, once you can stay in it for minutes, you develop this equilibrium in the body, where your muscles are holding your body as a whole, a well balance whole, in equilibrium and you discover that once your mind gets out of the way, your bones are holding you up. It’s almost becomes effortless. Though I will throw out the disclaimer that this might take years of dedicated yoga practice.
  • Benefit: Stimulates internal organs.
    If this sounds weird to you, think about Grey’s Anatomy when they say do cardiac massage. When you stretch, twist and strength muscles, the organs get a squeeze and other stimuli, which increases blood flow, etc etc. Not silly talk, just science.

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Warrior 2 – a pose that can be studied by the yoga student for years and has benefits that last a lifetime.

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  • Benefit: Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis, and sciatica.
    This might sound too good to be true. But if you think about all that this pose does, these are the outward benefits of your body being healthier, stronger, and more in balance. The stretch of the hands, kinetic awareness and stretch of the arms/wrists/hands as a whole helps with the openness of carpal tunnel. Watch the video, I talk A LOT about the feet. Flat feet is something that can be fixed in most cases. With awareness and patience. Weight bearing exercises are proven to help with osteoporosis. And then add on happy hips. BOOM! Addressing sciatica, getting it to be a thing of the past is just a matter of a well balanced hip. Strength and length in balance, which this pose can help you to develop.

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Athlete, Running, Triathlon, Yoga

Yoga for running – stretching tight hamstrings

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hamstring-forward-bend

The yoga pose “forward bend” is an excellent way for athletes to stretch their hamstrings

This is an excellent visual on the goings-on of the standing forward bend.  This pose is awesome for becoming friends with your hamstring.  Most athletes probably HATE this pose.  Those that practice yoga laugh, when we say we “hate” a pose, that’s usually the pose that we need to practice more than anything.

Doing this pose with some thoughts in mind, listed below, will help you to gain big benefits that will have a great impact on your running, as well as feeling better before and after running.  I’m mean really, who would love to have a back that doesn’t hurt?

Thanks for the picture, Daily Bandha.

What Athletes and runners need to know about forward bending:

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  • Hinging at the hips is important.
    What this means for the runners; most likely the runner has either one or two tight hamstrings is that you MUST be patient at this stretch. If you are only bent at the hips a little bit, that’s ok. Practicing forward bending with a flat back. This helps you to focus on stretching the hamstrings and not involving the back too much.
  • Understand that the hamstrings are connected to the back.
    You have two hamstrings that are separate and can be different in length. So what are we talking about here? Tight hamstrings can cause the pelvis to tilt backward, which causes the lumbar spine to flatten out. And it really doesn’t like to be flattened out. The lumbar spine is designed to be curved (lordosis). To compensate, the back muscles and maybe the psoasis (etc) work (excessively) to correct the imbalance. You get this tug of war with the athlete ending up with a very sore and cranky back. Then add that one hamstring might be more tight than the other, which causes a side lilt in the pelvis as well. This results in the athlete having one side of the back more angry than the other. This imbalance continues up through the back and can cause shoulder and neck issues as well.
  • Do not get aggressive with forward bending.
    The hamstrings need to be treated like babies. They work alot. They probably have been neglected and expected to work a lot for little pay. If you stand a lot, they are constantly engaged. If you sit a lot, they get short and angry. So when you are working with the hamstrings and back in forward bending, always go slower, be more mindful. Ensure that when you are stretching the hamstrings, that you feel the stretch in the belly of the muscle, NOT in the back of the knee or at the sit bones.
  • Use a block.
    If you are working on lengthening the hamstrings and you are doing a standing forward bend, use the block. Some athletes are resistant to using the block because they feel like it’s an indication that they can’t do it “right”. Using the block can be necessary to get a good connection with whats going on in the hamstring and the back. If you do this, you will stretch better. If you stretch better, you will have a greater chance of the hamstrings becoming longer and staying that way. If you do that, you will have a greater chance of getting to not needing a block faster. So…use the block! Also, there is this interesting thing that happens if you use the block: Having your hand on the block, mildly engaging the upper body, feeling a bit of push off from the block helps you to engage the entire back fascia chain. This means that kinetically you get smarter, experience a more whole body response. And that feels AWESOME.

    Let’s be clear. In yoga, “not right” is whatever hurts your body. For the runners, you want your yoga practice to help you race, be strong and stay in the game.

  • Forward bending engages the parasympathetic nervous system.
    This calls you down. Turns off your body’s stress response. Most of us, the runners, are very driven and perhaps prone to “running at high speed” all the time. In the gym or at the office. Forward bending can be very nurturing for the body. If you allow yourself to slow down for a bit, and during your yoga practice don’t skip the boring and slow stuff, you allow your body to recharge, rest and recovery.

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Here is a video for hamstrings. Enjoy.

Athlete, Personal Growth, Yoga

Yoga helps the Athlete deal with stress by increasing vagal tone

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yoga-nugget-vagal-tone-2HA! I know athletes (and the rest of the world) what you are thinking…vagal tone…what’s that!?!?!

Here is the 101 on it

So crazy important. Because while we all know that exercise is important, exercise is still stress on the body. And if you aren’t exercising right now, keep reading…unless you have no stress in your life.

The vagus nerve, the largest cranial nerve in the body, starts at the base of the skull and wanders throughout the whole body, influencing the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems. It’s the “air traffic controller”. It helps to regulate all body functions. Breathing, heart rate, digestion…as well as our ability to take in, process, and make sense of our experiences.

This vagal “tone”, as it increases, we feel better. Digestion improves, our heart functions more optimally, etc etc. This means for the athlete specifically that if our digestion is better (for example), we are absorbing nutrients better and getting of waste better so the SYSTEM (aka the exercising body) is working more optimally. So the athlete recovers faster, better. You get sick less often.

We have an easier time moving from the more active and often stressful states of being to the more relaxes ones.  As we get better at doing that, we can manage life’s challenges with the right blend of energy, engagement and ease.

Low vagal tone bring on a feeling of depletion, digestion gets sluggish, our heart rate increases and our moods become more unpredictable and difficult to manage. Studies are showing that low vagal tone is correlated with health conditions such as depression, PTSD, chronic pain and epilepsy.

Ok, so what does this mean? DO YOUR YOGA. Get to class, do the practice. Don’t go to the class thinking about toning the vagal nerve. (hahahaha) Just know what when your yoga teacher is asking you to do that breathing practice that seems odd, it’s gonna benefit you in a really BIG FAT WAY!

If you really want to know, the practice of the ocean breathe, aka Darth Vader breathing, aka breathing as if you are fogging up a mirror, (ujjayi pranayama) is a great way to increase vagal tone, as well as repetitious speaking of single symbol words such as “om” (aka chanting or prayer). To take the mystery out of it, its the vibration quality or frequency that results of the word “om”, when chanted, that works to increase vagal tone (It’s science, not voodoo).

Yoga helps to manage the crazy, or increase vagal tone. However you want to think about it. And that’s the rest of the story!

Athlete, Triathlon, Yoga

Yoga for Athletes – Side Plank

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side-plankSide Plank is an excellent way for athletes to build strength

This is an excellent visual on the goings-on of side plank. For those that are interested, the yoga name is Vasisthasana.

I’ve recorded a video for you on the in’s and out’s of this wonderful pose.

Athletes check out the plethora of benefits:

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  • Great for developing/maintaining shoulder strength for the athletes. Or rehabbing an athletes injured shoulder. When done with proper instruction, the athletes can learn to activate and stabilize the shoulder girdle in a very strong and positive way. Working to external rotate as well as internally rotating the forearm which is on the mat, helps to “co-activates” the infraspinatus and teres minor (external rotation) and the subscapularis (internal rotation) muscles of your rotator cuff.
  • Good place to work to develop core strength, and to learn how to put the entire kinetic chain together. Foot to trap. By pressing the edge of your lower foot/side of the foot into the mat, and then gently draw it upwards towards the shin to “evert” the foot activates a series of muscles-including the “lateral subsystem”, which connects yours shoulders and legs to your core. When you press the side of your foot into the mat, you activate the peroneus muscles as well as the abductor muscles up at your hip (the TFL and gluteus medius). These muscles have a fascial connection to your abs, specifically the external oblique (which attaches to the rim of the pelvis). The external oblique connects to your shoulders via the serratus anterior muscle. The serratus anterior is a scapular stabilizer that works in concert with the rotator cuff. So the whole operation helps to integrate your feet, legs, pelvis and lumbar–all the way up to the shoulders.
  • Will slim down the athletes waist. 🙂
  • Can give the wrists a much needed rest if you are an athlete new to yoga.
  • Can help athletes to identify imbalances in the core/shoulders one side to the next. And also provides you with the pose to work on to even things out. This will benefit the athlete in a really big way in the pool especially, but in general as well.

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Thanks for the picture, Daily Bandha.

Personal Growth, Self Care, Yoga

What we need is more L O V E

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It’s been said many time. Countless times.

All we need is more love.

To heal our nation.
To heal the Earth.
To raise healthy children.
To stop war.
To stop gun violence.
To stop bullying.
To treat each other equally.

It sounds really easy. SIMPLE. And it is. Unless…

We find ourselves lacking in love for ourselves. As the saying goes…”You are what you eat.” Or “You are what you think.” Well, there are a ton of us with hurts and wounds that have painted our lives, colored our ability to honestly, truthfully and completely love ourselves. We instead think…

I’m not good enough.

I’m not worthy of love.

I don’t deserve more.

Maybe we lived with years of criticism. Maybe we were not encouraged to be ourselves. Maybe the colored lives of our parents affected our own. Maybe awful stuff happened and you’re doing the best that you can. Maybe the mistakes you’ve made have talked you into believing lies. Maybe the relationships you’ve had haven’t been all that healthy and have colored your beliefs.

Well, guess what? It can be different. Today. Tomorrow. Right now.

NEWS FLASH: YOU ARE FREAKING AWESOME.

You know how I know?! Because I said so. Because that’s what I believe in. Everyone is created in beauty. For beauty. For love. To make life crazy awesome. To do something meaningful.

There exists a strong, whole and vibrant part of ourselves, deep down, that has never been marred, hurt or torn.

A complete part that is aching to sing and shine.

If you’re needing to reset and just find more of your own MOJO, try these three simple things.

  • Stop trying to be perfect.
    Stop criticizing yourself for being less than perfect.  Hey what I see in you is perfectness.   Always do your best, but not reaching perfection is not failure.  Don’t let anyone’s expectations of you put any pressure on you. Remember that no matter what, you will always be perfect just the way you are, flaws and all.
  • Stop comparing yourself to others.
    Everyone on this earth is unique. We all have different gifts. When you compare yourself to others, it makes you feel bad about yourself. When you compare yourself to others for what they have, whether it is a car, a house, a mate, children, money, good height, a good physique or intelligence, or a job, it makes you feel low self esteem, lose your confidence, and perhaps depressed, envious or jealous.

    A way to stop comparing yourself to others is by focusing on your own strength. Get to know yourself, and discover what your greatest gift is that you are meant to share with the world.

    Another great way is by practicing gratitude. Be happy for what you have. Really be grateful about everything that you have; people in your life, job, relationships, material, etc. Gratitude keeps your heart open to love.

  • Be who you really are.
    In order to love yourself, you have to stop loving the person you wish you were and love the person you actually are instead. We can try and pretend to be someone that we’re not, but in the end that only hurts us and the facade can’t stay up forever. Just be the person that you are and learn to love yourself just like that.
Personal Growth, Yoga

I paused before I freaked out

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I want to start out with an admission. I’m high strung. And busy. And driven. So one of my biggest triggers is when my to-do gets affected without my permission. Hahaha. Let’s all take a good laugh at that one!

I’ve been working for years, meditating and cleaning up my less that optimal lifestyle habits to help myself be more “even keel”. I want to be the best mom ever. This “even keel” thing is part of let. Cause let’s face it, I didn’t hatch June Cleaver.

I want to be super patient and chill as a parent (person).

So one this particular day, I had a lot on my plate. A lot of it was extra tasks not of my choosing. I was getting a lot done. Then BAM. I open the dryer to see what was left of a 10 Pack of Hubba Bubba. You all know what I’m talking about! Holy Mother of Destruction I had never seen anything so … O M G.

I did get every irritated. But instead of blowing a gasket and yelling, I paused. Then I giggled to myself “figures”. Ever find yourself at that fork in the road?

Meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, mantra, journaling …. all examples of practices that strengthen our mind.

Mantra, the repeated saying (or chanting) of something really helps. In fact mantra means “mind protector”. There are more and more studies that are showing that these types of activities are greatly helping people. The-wire their brains, change behaviors, positively impact heart rate and blood pressure, you name it! How? Well, because you thoughts really matter. Your thoughts influence your brain hardwiring which in turn impacts your body.

Awesome. Mind boggling. Overwhelming. Lost?

Let me make it simple for you. Because it is.

Practicing mantra can greatly influence your life in a positive way. And it can be easy peasy.

For instance:

  1. Sitting, and breathing. With the inhale say out loud or in your head “I inhale greatness/love/awesomeness”. And as you exhale say “I release tension” or “I am love” or “I give myself to you (God, universe…)”. Over and over for 5 minutes.
  2. For swimmers. With your stroke chant “I’m long and I’m strong”. For runners “I am strong, I do not quit.”
  3. As you take a walk outside, feel your feet as you walk. The bottoms of your feet. With each foot impact say “Today is awesome. Today I am just fine”.
  4. Sit for 5 and repeat your favorite hymn or scripture.

The power comes in the reverence that you do it. Say it with feeling. Even if you are saying it in your head. With much feeling. When you get distracted, and you will, just refocus and begin again. With practice you get better at it. Stronger in mind and emotion.

So when you don’t blow up at the small person. You pause, you don’t destroy the space created to allow said little person to learn as well. To display his acknowledge of the situation and practice being a super great person.

He gave me the best sticky ever. And that candy tastes real good. I would have missed out had I not paused.

LiveOutLoud

Personal Growth, Yoga

Seasons of change

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Winding down after a demanding day often means turning on the TV, pouring a drink or eating some junky food.  A more productive, healthy way to chase away tension, anxiety, and the daily blahs is meditation.  Here’s a meditation designed to help you quiet mind chatter, focus inward, and explore the limitless realm of your heart and soul.

You’re outside for a walk, going nowhere in particular, just walking for exercise and enjoyment and to get your thoughts clear on changes you’re making in your life. Perhaps you feel a bit disconnected, as if you’ve outgrown something and you’re searching for a new sense of direction, a new way to grow. It’s a beautiful autumn day, and the changing leaves on the trees are colorful and vibrant.

You notice a little leaf that has fallen to the ground. It calls to you, asking to be noticed, wanting to share it’s essence with you. It’s beautifully unusual, and has hues of orange, red, and yellow.

Picking it up–perhaps feeling a bit sad at first that it has lost its connection to the tree–you soon begin to realize that it is following its course of direction and purpose, beginning a new journey that ultimately leads to renewal and growth.  You compare this leaf to yourself and to the changing seasons–to the changes in life.  Perhaps you are going through changes in your life, perhaps feeling a little sad and lost yourself as you make changes, let go of connections, and prepare for new directions.  Perhaps you’ve outgrown something; now it is time to move on and explore new options.

Perhaps you’re unsure of your direction.  You look at the leaf and notice it is ready to move forward in its life cycle–saying goodbye, letting go with love   You admire its courage, knowing you must find that same courage within yourself to move on.

You relate to this leaf and feel a deep inner sense of kinship and familiarity with it.  Like you, the leaf has out-grown this particular connection.  You look at the tree it has fallen from and feel a sincere gratefulness and appreciation for the growth this leaf has experienced, for the growth you’ve experienced, for the connection that enabled you to grow and flourish and now to move on to a new direction in your life–a new course of exploration and growth.

You begin to explore your inner essence, going within yourself to see the changes you’re contemplating in your life.  You’re ready to revitalize yourself, allowing the budding and blossoming of your soul as it renews itself from deep within.

~ G. Chadwick from Inner Journeys

Personal Growth, Yoga

Movement and Meditation – Dance of Energy

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Light streams through the window. In that ray of light, the dust in the air, ordinarily invisible, dances. There is a dance going on around us constantly–a dance of energy. The leaves on the trees dance in the wind. Our thoughts in our mind.

Imagine for a moment that nothing in this world is solid. It is all a big field of dancing golden particles of light, like the dust in the sunlight. You are surrounded by energy in motion even as you think you walk on solid ground.

Close your eyes and imagine this dance of energy. The more you think this way, the lighter you become and the more energy you feel. You begin to discover you can dance with things, events, and relationships. The dance is a perfect metaphor for human relationships and for life.

In different situations, ask yourself, “How can I dance with this?” This difficult person, your car breaking down, waking up tired in the morning. Hold out your arms to your partner of the moment, whatever or whomever it may be. Follow the rhythm of the moment, the music of the day.

It’s a great practice to sit and meditate, feeling the energy pulse within you, being with it until that very energy lifts you up. You may find yourself dancing, spontaneously moving into a yoga posture you have been doing for years, or dropping the ball into the basket with unexpected precision, but now it’s coming from deep inside. Also try the reverse: dance your heart out, and then sit down and feel the silence reverberate around you. Notice how you settle into meditation more easily: feel the tingle and rush of energy throughout the body. Movement and meditation go together; they enhance and support each other.

Sometimes people ask, “what can I do with my anger? My fear? My grief?” Dance with it. Truly, literally, dance with it. It’s what people have always done. Put on some music and move, by yourself, in your room, in your garden. Dance your anger, your fear, your love, your longing. As you dance, you become one with primal energy.

~ The Vibrant Life

Education, Personal Growth, Yoga

My Girl Boxer has EMOTIONAL TOURETTES

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I rescued this boxer from the pound about a year or two ago.  I’ve always had a girl dog.  Makes my soul smile.

She was terribly flawed.  Abused.  Anxious. Crazy hyper.  Tongue way too long.  Crocked jaw.

I knew she was a soul mate though the moment I saw her.  You know how those things go sometimes.

It got worse.  Boy oh boy does she have some issues.  She ate a couch.  Mild, compared to some of the behavior issues.

Today though, as I struggle to get my hands around some of the dog issues …. I can’t help but see myself in her.

….  like a carbon copy.  My thoughts travel to how we sometimes deal with things (the misbehaving dog for example)  Maybe this is how we do a great disservice to ourselves (and  human beings in general) …. give up, give ourselves away, pass the issue to someone else …. (ignore, drink too much, go on meds to numb ourselves, etc)

EMOTIONAL TOURETTES

This thought has been stuck in my head for quite awhile.  Behaviors that pop up seemingly out of no where.  There are lots of fancy words in all different systems to define this.  I like the term “emotional tourettes” myself.  Not to excuse the behavior but to provide understanding and hopefully INSPIRATION and EMPOWERMENT to do something about it.

In my dog’s case. She has abused.  Who really knows what happened that caused her to be wired up in some undesirable ways.   We see the resulting behaviors now though.   She gets unsure of herself.  Scared.  Feels as if she needs to protect herself.  Becomes aggressive, etc.

Can anyone else relate?

EMOTIONAL TOURETTES

Sometimes we don’t clearly understand what triggers us to act like this or that.  And maybe we get real attached to the results of the behaviors.  Lose sight of that INSPIRATION and EMPOWERMENT to do something about it.  Get confused on whats to do.

What I’ve learned from dog training.

1.  Focus on positive.  Make it DESIRABLE for the dog to pay attention to you.  LOVE LOVE LOVE them  (so love yourself).  Play games with them.  Positively re-enforce the good.  Do your best to not focus on the bad behavior, which does not help.  Set up your dog for success.  SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS.  (get help if you need it)

2.  Consistency and Practice.  Give your dog successful opportunities to learn.  Make sure they are getting enough exercise.  For the humans.  Exercise.  Meditate.  Practice calm mind activities. Sometimes focusing on positive mind practices can help our (hearts, minds, soul) heal organically, in the background.  Without really needed to attack the issue head on.

3.  Boundaries.  If the dog needs a time out, give one.  Humans too.  For the dog, establish who’s boss.  For humans, figure out for you “Who’s boss”.  😉

BELIEVE THAT ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.  (though might not be easy)

ALSO BELIEVE inside of that dog is a wonderful and valuable piece of the earth.  Worth the effort.

IN YOU TOO!

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