For years top Sports Men and Women have kept it a secret that they
do Yoga.
From Ryan Giggs to LeBron James,
Maria Sharapova,
Paula Radcliffe and the New Zealand All Blacks,
For Giggs’s part, mixing navasanas and chaturangas into his
fitness routine added “another 10 years” onto his career.
After a hamstring injury sustained in training in 2001, he tried lots of different treatmenets, but the only one that kept injury at bay was Yoga.
“Yoga was first about injury prevention, but later it became
about recovery,”
Said Giggs.
“The day after a match, the adrenalin would still be in my body.
But the following day, when I got out of bed, everything would hurt, so I would
do yoga then.”
This weekend Dale from Bulletproofbodies will be starting his Teacher Training with Sarah Ramsden, the Yoga teacher that helped Giggs stay in the Premiership at Manchester United.
It's not just reserved for yummy mummies with a chai latte addiction.
There is no typical yoga person anymore.
As for those who have been discouraged by feeling they are not ‘the yoga type’,
or don’t possess the required dexterity and flexibility.
“saying you are not
flexible enough for yoga is like being too dirty for a bath”
Over the years the Bulletproofbodies Boys have watched many, blokes (including ourselves)
struggle, unintentionally competing with implausibly bendy ladies and not doing
themselves any favours at all.
Backs out of alignment, necks crunched, hamstrings screaming out
for mercy as the woman on the mat next to him effortlessly (or so it seems),
does the splits or seems to put her toes in her ears! This is exactly why we are doing "injury prevention" Yoga training, that we can all add to enhance our training.
The idea is to make Yoga a daily practice, all that is required is 10 minutes a day.
Apart from Yoga's role in sports recovery, the mental health benefits Yoga
affords are making it increasingly popular with everyone. So get on the Mat and show me your downwards facing dog!
But, the best thing is, at the end of it all and all part of the session, you have a well-deserved lie down.
It was on September 27,
2014 while addressing the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly
our Honorable Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi proposed the world community to
adopt an International Day for Yoga. In his words, "Yoga is an invaluable
gift from our ancient tradition. It embodies unity of mind and body. It is not
just an exercise but a holistic approach towards our health and well being".
This resolution was endorsed by 175 member states and 21 June was declared as
the International Yoga Day.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is a mental,
physical and spiritual practice that originated in India. It is an ancient
practice. The word Yoga means Unity which symbolizes the unity of mind and
body. It works on all the levels of the body including mind, body, energy and
emotion. It is an easy and safe way to stay fit and healthy forever. It just
need to be practiced regularly with right body movement and breathing. It
regularizes the functioning of all the organs in the body and prevents our body
to get disturbed due to some unhealthy situation. This is the message that the
International Yoga Day wants to spread between people.
Ideally practicing yoga
regularly in the morning provides outer and inner relief. It keeps away the
countless ailments at both physical and mental level. Practicing the various
Asanas strengthens the body and mind creating a feeling of well being. It
sharpens the mind, improves brainpower and help in high level of concentration.
The feeling of well being enhances the social well being. Improved
concentration level creates inner peace to the mind. Yoga is a philosophy which
develops self-discipline and self awareness within regular practice.
5 basic Yoga poses for
beginners to do on this International Yoga Day:
Balasana (The Child's
Pose)
Kneel and bring your
chest down onto your thighs and your forehead to the floor. Your arms should
stretch by your side with your hands next to your feet. Slowly breathe in
through your nose and notice the back of the chest expanding and the ribs
widening. As you exhale try to sink the buttocks back down toward the heels
feeling the spine gently bend over the thighs. Stay here for 5-10 breaths, or
however long feels good for you.
Benefits:
Releases tension in the
back, shoulders and chest
Helps ease stress and
anxiety
Flexes the internal
organs and keeps them flexible
Regulates circulation
in the body
Cools the mind and body
Bidalasana (The Cat
Pose)
Move into a tabletop
pose with the wrists directly below the shoulders and knees below the hips.
Push the palms into the mat to make sure your shoulder blades are broad.
While inhaling, look
forward and reach the tailbone toward the sky. While exhaling tuck the chin to
the chest and reach the tailbone to the floor. Continue through this movement.
Allow the breath to lead and feel the entire spine being massaged. Try to keep
the creases of the elbows facing each other to protect the joint from
hyperextension.
Breathe through 5
rounds.
Benefits:
Develops posture and
balance
Strengthens the spine
Stretches the hips,
abdomen and back
Increases body
synchronization
Massages organs like
stomach, kidneys and adrenal glands
Adho Mukha Svanasana
(Downward Dog Pose)
Take the palms a little
wider than shoulder width, tuck the toes and lift the hips into the air. The
chest moves back toward the thighs. Relax the head and keep the arms straight.
Roll the shoulders away from the ears. Bend the knees and start to walk with
one heel down at a time. It is important to keep the hips high than to get the
soles of the feet to the ground.
Benefits:
Builds strong bones.
Fights slumpy-posture
syndrome
provide a great ankle
and calf stretch
Increases blood flow to
face and brain
It opens up sinuses and
clears nasal congestion.
Uttanasana (Standing
Forward Bent Pose)
Walk your feet toward
the hands and let the upper body hang. The neck and head should be relaxed and
the knees should be bent to start with. As you inhale find stretch through the
spine and while exhaling move the head slowly towards the feet.
Breathe 10 rounds here.
Benefits:
Stretches hips,
hamstrings, and calves.
Keeps the spine strong.
Releases stress,
anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
Calms the mind and the
nerves.
Activates the abs
muscles.
Trikonasana (Triangle
Pose)
From the standing
position, widen your to about a leg-length. Turn the right foot out to the
side, so that the heel is aligned with the centre arch of the left foot. Keeping
the arms parallel to the ground reach out to the right side. Keep both legs
straight with the thighs engaged. When you can't reach any further, align the
arms so that they are in one line. The chest remains open and the torso
stretches. Breathe 5 rounds here and then repeat on the other side.
Benefits:
Improves the function
of blood through body.
Strengthens the hips,
back, arms, thighs and leg.
Reduces blood pressure
and stress.
heal indigestion.
Calms the mind and
reduces anxiety.
Approximately 200
million people around the world practice yoga, majority of them in India, and
over 20 million in the United States. With the motion for an International Yoga
Day, more people will become aware of the system of yoga and will be encouraged
to follow a spiritual life style, a life that is healthy. Let this be a grand
opening for the world community to realize the worth of oneness.
Let's take this oath to
stay healthy with peace and make this International Yoga Day a day of harmony.
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Yoga for beginners may
be a bit challenging at first, but once you've gotten used to the different
yoga poses and techniques, it will be a fun, continuous learning process.
If you've decided to
practice yoga, here are 5 important things you should understand before you
start:
1. It is vital that you
consult with your health care provide first
Even if you only plan
on practicing less aggressive styles of yoga, it is still recommended that you
check with your doctor first if you have any underlying chronic conditions as
well as bone or muscle injuries. Yoga for beginners is still a new physical
fitness program that needs your doctor's approval no matter how relaxing you
think it may be. Remember, safety should always be your top priority to avoid
injury.
2. Yoga is for everyone
Contrary to popular
belief, yoga isn't just for fit and flexible individuals. In fact, anyone can
practice the art - young or old, slim or heavy and even flexible or not. As
mentioned above, yoga is a continuous learning process. You don't have to feel
discouraged every time you can't perform a pose right. The practice is all
about exploring your inner self through different styles of yoga so don't hold
back and just keep on practicing.
3. Start slow
With all the wonderful
things you might have heard or read about the practice, it's easy to get
excited and dive right in. Doing so may just burn out your body faster or
result to injuries so it's important to take things slow and follow your
natural learning pace. Learn and master all the basics first before trying out
more complicated poses or techniques. More importantly, if you're attending a
yoga for beginners class, let your instructor guide you through the learning
process - follow his instructions and don't try to get ahead.
4. Keeping a journal to
track your progress is important
Keeping a record of
everything you learn about yoga will do nothing but good to your progress.
After a month or so, reading your journal will show you how much you've improved
as a yogi. Yoga also has LOTS of terminologies so it doesn't hurt to write them
down.
5. Yoga is a lifestyle,
not a "diet" that ends
Many people treat yoga
like a weight loss diet, stopping once the desired weight is achieved then
resuming when the weight is gained back. Yoga shouldn't be approached as all or
nothing. When you decide to practice yoga, it is important to understand that
it is more than a physical fitness program - it is a lifestyle that will
improve your general well-being.
So whether you're
seeing results or not, keep practicing until yoga has become part of your
everyday routine - it is only then you'll discover what yoga has to offer.
Michelle Nicole is an
avid fan of the healthy lifestyle. Yoga is her passion and she shared her love
for the discipline through her book Yoga for Beginners. If you'd like to learn
more yoga beginner's tips and other helpful info from Michelle Nicole, her book
is also available in kindle edition.
It would be a very
difficult task to find one group of people who would not benefit from yoga
practice. Nearly everyone, regardless of age, shape, gender, background, or
skill level can find a style of yoga that enhances their physical body as well
as their minds. Yoga for athletes is especially beneficial regardless of the
sport or the intensity. Most athletic specialists agree that yoga can help in a
variety of ways.
The Physical Benefits
of Yoga for Athletes
Most sports require
some form of conditioning or training. While this training may be specialized
and the conditioning intense, yoga can help make athletes better, regardless of
the sport they play. Yoga builds strength for the entire body. The arms and
legs become more toned when you do yoga regularly. There are also distinct
poses which serve to strengthen particular areas.
Physical attributes
such as balance and flexibility can greatly improve through the right style of
yoga for athletes. As you enhance flexibility, you are able to guard yourself
against injury better. For larger athletes, such as football players, their
size may feel like an inhibitor of flexibility. When they do yoga, they acquire
a greater sense of themselves and can move more efficiently. Greater
flexibility equals greater performance and control on a field.
The level of endurance
and stamina increase that comes with yoga for athletes is invaluable. For
runners, a power yoga routine can serve as a cardio workout. Yoga can easily be
added to any coaching regimen. It can be done anywhere and any level of
intensity will provide benefits for those wishing to be in top shape. This
keeps an athlete in training continuously ready for the next match, meet or
game.
The Mental Benefits of
Yoga for Athletes
Yoga is synonymous with
enhanced mental clarity. For athletes, being in the right state of mind is just
as important as being in the best physical shape you can be. Athletes have
always relied on relaxation and visualization techniques to prepare for competition.
Yoga helps enhance those capabilities. For many, negative thoughts, fear, or
anxiety can truly be crippling. Yoga can help you learn to not only push these
negative thoughts and feelings aside, but also replace them with calm, focus
and balance.
The ability to focus
keeps athletes in control and centered. This is vital for competitive sports.
The controlled breathing that coincides with yoga practice helps athletes
breathe better during performance also. The vital mental assets like
coordination are even enhanced through the regular practice of yoga.
Yoga for Athletes to
Prevent and Treat Injury
For an athlete, whether
they are professional or casual competitors, injury prevention and treatment is
essential. Any severe injury can not only end a career or keep you from ever
enjoying a certain sport; but they can lead to lifelong pain or discomfort.
When you do yoga for athletes, you keep yourself very limber and flexible. This
can prevent ligament and tendon stress. Your body will be more capable of
adjusting to impact or stress. As far as sports injuries are concerned, many
doctors recommend yoga as a way to regain strength in certain parts. For knee,
back, and hip injuries, specialized yoga routines can ease pain and help an
athlete prepare to play again.
Yoga for athletes, such
as power yoga, is a low impact and non-strenuous way of staying in shape and
bettering your athletic ability. With the many styles and levels of difficulty,
the physical and mental benefits of yoga can really transcend athletics and
take athletes to a higher level in their daily lives also.
Click here for related
topic: Yoga for Flexibility
[http://www.aplusyoga.com/general/yoga-for-flexibility/].
Ashtanga Yoga (also
known as Power Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga) is a modern day form of classical Indian
Yoga. It was popularized by Sri K.Pattabhi Jois who began his Yoga studies when
he was just 12 years old. In 1948 he established an institute for teaching this
specific Yoga practice.
Ashtanga Yoga literally
means "eight limbed Yoga", (Ashtanga is Sanskrit for 'eight-limbed'),
and refers to the eight spiritual practices (as outlined by the sage Patanjali
in the Yoga Sutras) on the path of internal purification which lead to
revealing the Universal Self. They are Yama (moral codes), Niyama
(self-purification and study), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control),
Pratyahara (sense control), Dharana (Concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and
Samadhi (absorption into the Universal). According to Sri K.Pattabhi Jois -
While the first four limbs are considered external cleansing practices (with
correctable defects), the last four (Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi)
are considered internal cleansing practices (with defects potentially dangerous
to the mind unless following the correct Ashtanga method).
Ashtanga Yoga makes use
of a sequence of Asanas which are linked with the breath, generating heat,
facilitating flexibility and giving a healthy sense of wellbeing. Synchronizing
the breath with a progressive series of postures produces intense internal heat
with a profuse purifying sweat detoxifying muscles and organs. Improved
circulation, calm mind and a strong body are among many benefits gained from
this modern practice.
Techniques include deep
resonant Ujjayi breathing, activation of the Bandhas (internal points of
engagement and focus which direct energy upward) and the use of Dristhi
(directing the eye to focus on specific points). These techniques eliminate
external distractions and direct the energy inwards. The Vinyasa (or link through
flowing movement), done between Asanas produces an uninterrupted continuity, in
effect a 'moving meditation'.
To perform Asana
correctly in Ashtanga Yoga, one needs to incorporate both the use of Vinyasa
and Tristhana. Vinyasa synchronizes breathing and movement in the Asanas,
heating the blood, relieving joint pain and removing toxins from the internal
organs. Trishana refers to the union of the 'three places of attention'
(posture, breathing and looking) and covers three levels of purification (body,
nervous system and mind). They are always performed in conjunction with one
another.
The breathing technique
performed with Vinyasa is called Ujjayi (victorious breath) and consists of
puraka (inhalation) and rechaka (exhalation). Both should be steady and even
with the length of the inhale being the same as the length of the exhale. Over a
period of time, the lengths and intensities should increase, with increased
stretching of the breath initiating increased stretching of the body.
Bandhas are important
components of the Ujjayi breathing technique. Bandha means 'lock' or 'seal' and
its purpose is to unlock Pranic energy, directing it into the 72 000 energy
channels of the subtle body.
Dristhi is the point at
which one gazes when performing Ashtanga Yoga. There are nine Dristhis
(Forehead, nose, navel, thumb, hands, feet, up, right and left).
The four internal
cleansing practices (Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Sanadhi) bring the
wandering mind under control. When purification is complete, and mind control
occurs, the Six Poisons (desire, anger, delusion, greed, sloth and envy)
surrounding the spiritual heart will disappear, revealing your true Universal
Self, eventually leading to the full realization of Patanjali's Eight-Limbed
Yoga.
Famous actor Willem
Dafoe, who played the Green Goblin in the movie Spider-Man, is a dedicated
Ashtanga Yoga Practitioner.
This article was
originally published on The Yoga Plane. Explore more - read "Meditation on
The Yoga Plane" at
[http://www.theyogaplane.co.za/what-is-yoga/meditation-on-the-yoga-plane/]
