The Athlete is about passion. Drive. The Zone. Whether you run, bike, swim, do gymnastics, play ball …. we are all the same. We work hard. We play hard. As good as our sports are for us, there are drawbacks. A lot of our activities are repetitive and tend to exercise one muscle group more than another, creating imbalances in the body. Another drawback is when you do have less than optimal bio-mechanics leading to bad form, the repetitive nature of our activities can lead to lower performance or even injury.
In walks Yoga. Yoga is about balance. Balance within a movement. Balance within the joints. Balance within the mind.
Yoga is a fun compliment to any activity that can improve performance and prevent or address injuries. In simple terms, yoga is a bucketful of poses done in different sequences that exercise the entire body, cultivating balance within the skeleton structure.
Through the consistent practice of yoga, the joints become SUPPORTED and ALIGNED as a result of appropriate strength and length within muscle groups. A runner’s knee pain may be the result of imbalances within the quads and hamstrings or as a result of weak hip stabilizers. Get on your yoga mat often enough, working towards a nice balanced Warrior III and you find that the hips get stronger, the quads and hamstrings reach equilibrium. The knee becomes quiet.
As you practice triangle pose you’ll learn to respect the limitations of your inner thighs and hamstrings, while using your quads to help the hamstrings loosen. You’ll find the back stretch coupled with the upper body strength to create a wonderful expression of strength and space. Each yoga pose has its challenges.
The fun comes in with the challenge of each pose, the music, the others in class with you. It’s an awesome way to do the work needed to keep the body working well and in balance. This happier body then plays ball better, runs faster, swims more efficiently, sleeps better, recovers faster and experiences less injury.
Play Hard. Do Yoga.
