Yoga for Athletes: Class Summary 2-12-13

As athletes, it’s important to have a sequence that brings balance to our sport through both strength and flexibility. Injuries usually result because of a structural imbalance or an imbalance of strength. It could be top to bottom (legs stronger than arms), front to back (strong in front and weak in back—common for runners, cyclists) or right to left (over use on one side—baseball players, lacrosse players).

This week we continued to focus on building our strength by balancing commonly weak areas—core, lower back and chest—while also opening our hips, chest, quads, side body and rinsing it all out with twists.

Homework: After your workout, take a moment for yourself to breathe and relax. You can position yourself into hero pose as we did in class or lay on your back. It’s important that after we extert our energy that we cool down and let our body slow down into a state of rest so we can become stronger.

Next Week: We will focus on hip opening and balancing.

Sequence from class—45 minutes:

Opening:
Supportive fish (with blocks under wings of shoulder blades and neck)
Happy baby
Table top—cat/cow tilts
Childs pose

Intregration:
Downward dog
Runner’s lunge
Open twist
Crescent lunge—dips with breath, cactus arms
Warrior 2
Reverse warrior
Side angle
Goddess
Straddle forward fold
Runners lunge
Plank—lower to ground on 5
Chalbasana (airplane)
Other side/repeat 
Bow x 2

Letting go:
Hero on block (stretch out quads)
Side bending
Easy twist
Turn on back
Figure 4
Supine twist

Savasana