MOAR’s Daily Dozen: DAY 5 – Low Lunge with a Twist

Step-by-Step:

1. Come into downward facing dog.

2. Come into a low lunge, bring your right foot forward just inside your right hand. Knee stacked over ankle. Keep a microbend in the left leg to protect the knee but firm up your quads and hammies, pressing strongly back through the heel.

3. Keep your hands or fingertips to the mat and lift the torso off the thighs, creating a long, flat back. If you are rounding through the spine, bring a block under each hand.

4. Plant the left hand as you lift your right up to the sky, twisting to the right. Gaze up at your right hand.

5. Take 10 deep breaths, lengthening out the crown of the head on the inhale and twisting deeper on the exhale

6. Slowly unwind, coming back to center, right had to mat. Press the floor away, coming back into down dog.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 on the other side.

8. Come back to downward facing dog and pedal your feet from side to side.

This contralateral twist is so good for your middle back digestive. It will also help eliminate rigidity in the upper back, chest and shoulders–aka more ROM (range of motion)!

How it will heal you:

Hip Pain – The best way to prevent and treat hip pain is to increase your ROM (range of motion) in all directions. If you play a sport like soccer, which involves a lot of explosive movement and running, you are particularly susceptible to hip pain. As you work into this hip-helping posture, chances are high that you’ll notice that one hip will be tighter than the other. To bring balance to the body, be sure to hold postures for 10 extra deep breaths on the side that’s talking to you. Use your breath to calm your nervous system and let the body open.

Knee Injuries – We all know someone that has torn their meniscus, had a knee replacement, or had some sort of debilitating knee injury. Our knees take a serious beating from all of the physical stuff we do day in and day out—not to mention the high heels some of us ladies rock to look lovely but brutalize our bodies from the tippy toes on up. The best way to prevent pain and avoid trouble is to keep the hips, IT band and hamstrings strong and flexible. Hips, IT band and hamstring mobility keeps the work in your bigger muscle groups (hamstrings and quadriceps) rather than the body’s default of looking to the place of least resistance–which is almost always the knee joint–for speed, power and agility. If you give the body freedom to move using your large muscle groups and stabilizers it will learn not to rely upon vulnerable and complex joints.

Shoulder Pain – Football, lacrosse, and baseball players know shoulder pain. As a yogi, I can also vouch for the frequency of shoulder injuries in yoga–a misaligned jump-back to chaturunga is one of the fastest ways to wreck your rotator cuffs. Shoulders, like hips, are a ball-in-socket joint and thus are designed to have a broad ROM (range of motion). Athletes and office bees alike experience a lot of shoulder pain because not enough attention gets paid to maintaining the flexibility of this critical joint. Increase the openness of your wrists, chest and upper back to prevent and treat discomfort. Additionally, focusing on contralateral movement (i.e. twists) will help to eliminate rigidity from the upper body.

Wrist Problems – Football, lacrosse, baseball, tennis and basketball players are incredibly susceptible to wrist injuries. Amongst others, yogis should be added to that list–just ask two of my fellow yoga teachers who went through training with me and are still modifying their Down Dog months later. In order to avoid wrist issues, it’s critical that you build strong forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders and upper back. Like all other joints, it’s also important to maintain ROM (range of motion) and flexibility in the joint itself as well as the elbows and shoulders so that the body can maintain proper form and alignment when generating power and movement from the upper body and arms.

Foot and Ankle Issues – I can’t tell you have many times I wrenched my ankle playing soccer and field hockey as a kid, or more recently while hiking and running. Ankle sprains, Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis are three very common foot and ankle injuries. These injuries are no fun because let’s face it, when our foundation is out of whack everything else is thrown off and dysfunctional. The answer to avoiding these frustrating beasts of burden is to strengthen the ankle, increase the flexibility of the ankle and toes and work on your balance. Not only does this require concerted effort to increase the openness in these areas but it also means more core work. Core is your key to stability, meaning you’ll be less likely to get thrown off balance and tweak something if your abdominal and back muscles are strong.

July 5, 2013

MOAR’s Daily Dozen: DAY 4 – Wide-Legged Forward Bend

Step-by-Step:

1. Come to standing, facing the long edge of your mat.

2. Separate the feet at least 3 ½ to 4 feet apart, feet parallel or slightly pigeon toed. Ground firmly into the outside edges of your feet and engage the quads.

3. Bring hands to waist, inhale deeply and puff up your chest. Exhale as you fold forward, hinging from the hips.

4. Keeping a flat back bring your hands to the mat (or a block), fingertips in line with toes. Make sure your weight is centered in the middle or your foot.

5. Hold for 10 deeps breaths (count to 4 on the inhale and 4 on the exhale), letting the hamstrings slowly release.

6. Bring your hands back to your waist and rise up, keeping a flat back. Return to standing.

Note: you can also do this posture with a shoulder rinse by interlacing the hands behind your back and bringing them up and overhead as you fold forward.

How it will heal you:

Hamstring Pulls – The vast majority of the time, hamstring pulls are a direct result of inflexible hamstrings. This big muscle group requires patience and daily attention to open up and can be really frustrating in their resistance to change. You are not going to go from barely touching your toes to Jordan Wieber overnight. Commit to working on this posture every day and slowly but surely you’ll get the results you want and your body needs.

Lower Back Pain – How many of you have experienced lower back pain? I’d venture to say that anyone who sits in a chair all day has suffered through their fair share. This is also a big one for athletes. Why is that? Most often, lower back pain in athletes stems from tight hamstrings. For my fellow anatomy nerds out there, the hamstrings originate on the sitz bone–aka those little nobs deep in the flesh of your booty that us yogis balance on when doing boat core work (my favorite!). , If your hamstrings are tight they will pull down on the pelvis from the insertion point (the sitz bone) tilting it out of proper alignment and forcing your body to compensate using your lower back to remain upright. Another common reason for low back pain is underdeveloped abdominal muscles. I’m not talking just the six-pack abs (rectus abdominis) but also the deeper corset abs (transverse abdominis) that are critical for balance and stability. The simply solution to preventing and treating lower back pain is to stretch out your hammies and workout your core every day.

July 4, 2013

MOAR’s Daily Dozen: DAY 3 – Dolphin Pose

Step-by-Step:

1. Come to tabletop position, shoulders stacked over wrists, hips over knees.

2. Leave your knees where they are but come down onto your forearms, elbows directly under shoulders.

3. Spread the fingers wide and press hands and forearms firmly into the mat. Curl your toes under and press into the balls of your feet as you straighten your legs out, hips reaching high to the sky.

4. Keep a nice long spine and walk your feet closer to your elbows by a couple of inches.

5. Keep your gaze between your hands and let the chest melt back towards your thighs as your shoulders soften and hamstrings slowly open with breath.

6. Take 10 deeps breaths (count to 4 on the inhale and 4 on the exhale) then slowly release, coming back to tabletop.

How it will heal you:

Hamstring Pulls – The vast majority of the time, hamstring pulls are a direct result of inflexible hamstrings. This big muscle group requires patience and daily attention to open up and can be really frustrating in their resistance to change. You are not going to go from barely touching your toes to Jordyn Wieber overnight. Commit to working on this posture every day and slowly but surely you’ll get the results you want and your body needs.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

July 3, 2013

MOAR’s Daily Dozen: DAY 2 – High Plank w/ Flipped Hands

Step-by-Step:

1. Come to tabletop position, shoulders stacked over wrists, hips over knees.

2. Flip your hands (palms down) so that your fingers are pointing toward your knees.

3. Press into plank, maintaining flipped hands.

4. Pull belly button to spine to engage the core. Keep legs strong, lifting on the kneecaps to engage the quads and pressing strongly back through the heel. Make sure your booty isn’t popping up in the air or sagging toward the ground.

5. Listen to your body. If this stretch is too intense on the wrists come back to tabletop and sit back until your wrists start talking to you.

6. Hold for 30 seconds then slowly release back to tabletop.

How it will heal you:

Lower Back Pain – How many of you have experienced lower back pain? I’d venture to say that anyone who sits in a chair all day has suffered through their fair share. This is also a big one for athletes. Why is that? Most often, lower back pain in athletes stems from tight hamstrings. For my fellow anatomy nerds out there, the hamstrings originate on the sitz bone–aka those little nobs deep in the flesh of your booty that us yogis balance on when doing boat core work (my favorite!). If your hamstrings are tight they will pull down on the pelvis from the insertion point (the sitz bone) tilting it out of proper alignment and forcing your body to compensate using your lower back to remain upright. Another common reason for low back pain is underdeveloped abdominal muscles. I’m not talking just the six-pack abs (rectus abdominis) but also the deeper corset abs (transverse abdominis) that are critical for balance and stability. The simply solution to preventing and treating lower back pain is to stretch out your hammies and workout your core every day.

July 2, 2013

MOAR’s Daily Dozen: DAY 1 – Hero’s Pose

Step-by-Step:

1. Come to a kneeling position. Rock your weight forward, bringing hands to floor and tuck your toes under so that your heels pop up. Sit back onto your heels, hands resting on your lap. (If this is too much on your knees, place a block or pillow underneath your booty.)

2. Keep your knees and thighs zipped together and sit up tall.

3. This is an intense stretch in the toes and arch of the foot but try to stay with it and not to back off. Focus on your breath to help you stay in the posture. If it’s really too much on the underside of the foot, ease up some of the pressure by bringing your hands to the floor or a block in front of you.

4. Take 10 deeps breaths (count to 4 on the inhale and 4 on the exhale) with toes tucked under.

5. Rock your weight forward again and untuck your toes. Let the heels splay open. Sit back in between your feet, heels hugging hips. (Again, if this is too much on the knees, place a block or pillow underneath your booty.)

6. Keep your knees as close together as possible and zip up between the thighs. Make sure you’re keeping a nice long spine, crown of head reaching toward the ceiling.

7. Take 10 deeps breaths (count to 4 on the inhale and 4 on the exhale) then slowly release.

8. Bring your legs out long in front of you in a seated position. Give them a good wiggle and shake to release the knees, ankles and feet.

How it will heal you:

July 1, 2013

MOAR’s Daily Dozen: 12 Yoga Poses for Post-Athletic Recovery to Do Every Day

Over the next 12 days, I am going to walk you through my Daily Dozen Yoga Poses for Post-Athletic Recovery. Work on each pose for a few minutes each day and at the end of the 12 days try stringing them together, holding 10 breaths per side (if applicable). The whole sequence should take you between 20-25 minutes. My suggestion? Do it while watching an episode of Modern Family or Arrested Development and make it a happy ritual rather than a chore.

MOAR’s Daily Dozen:

Hero’s Pose
High Plank w/ Flipped Hands
Dolphin
Wide-Legged Forward Fold
Low Lunge w/ Twist
Half Split
Prone Shoulder Opener
Plow
Half Pigeon
Seated Spinal Twist
Reclining Figure-4
Reclining Shoelace

These postures were specifically selected to help fortify your body against the top ten sports-related injuries, which are in no particular order…

Achilles tendonitis
Plantar fasciitis
Ankle sprains
Wrist problems
Shoulder pain
Hamstring pulls
Hip pain
Knee injuries
Lower back strain
Neck strain

If you lead an active lifestyle, chances are you have dealt with at least half of that list. The best way to prevent these common sports-related injuries is to work on increasing your flexibility and ROM (range of motion) on a daily basis. We are constantly stressing our muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons and most of us barely do two minutes of stretching post-physical activity, let alone a solid 20 minutes.

Check back every day for a new posture how-to and learn about the different injuries it will help you prevent and treat. At the end of the 12 days, I encourage you to come back to this post and try the entire sequence in succession. If you can work these stretches into your routine three to five days a week, you’ll be well on your way to a flexible, strong and injury-free body.

As always, I welcome your feedback and would love to hear what you think!

June 28, 2013

MOARfit Clinic: Nutrition for Athletes

Last week, I put on my first MOARfit Nutrition for Athletes clinic at Earth Treks Climbing Center in Columbia, MD in partnership with Relay Foods (more on this awesome company later in the post). With my attentive audience of 35 rock climbers, I discussed healthy, non-processed options for optimal energy fueling pre-, during- and post- workout. I also covered topics ranging from proper nutrition for specific goals for weight loss, muscle gain, and healthy tendons/ligaments to information on a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Keep reading and you’ll get a nice snapshot of my most important takeaways for proper sports nutrition. Finally, the best part, I demoed two of my MOARfit recipes (below): one for pre-workout fuel and one for post-workout recovery.

Rules to Live By for Pre-, During- and Post-Workout Fueling:

PRE-WORKOUT	DURING WORKOUT	POST-WORKOUT
Lots of water (and avoid diuretics) High carb, low fat and low protein Solid meals 3-4 hours ahead of event Liquid or light meals 1-3 hours before Consume complex, nutrient-dense carbs (e.g. oatmeal and dried fruit) but avoid too much fiber (GI upset) Eat foods you can easily digest Stomach should be relatively empty prior to physical activity For early starts, eat your heaviest meal the night before Don’t skip meals for late-day events	Fluid replacement for athletic events lasting longer than 30 min Carb replacement for athletic events lasting longer than 1 hour (to replenish glycogen) Additional sodium (an important electrolyte) may be necessary for physical activities lasting more than 4 hours (tournaments, ultramarathons, etc)	10-20 g of protein within 1 hour after physical activity to improve muscle repair Carb-rich meal within 2 hours following event Fluid and electrolyte replacement (sodium, potassium, calcium) Ideal recovery meal is 3:1 carb to protein (e.g. Ezekiel bread w/ raw honey and almond butter, a banana, and 8 oz unsweetened soy milk)

My Key Takeaways:

Ideal caloric intake breakdown for athletes: 25-35% fat: 15-20% protein: 55-60% carbs
Post-workout you only need 10g protein for muscle repair and no more than 20g (unless you are in a weight training program); most American diets already surpass the RDA
Turmeric, basil and cinnamon have powerful anti-inflammatory properties to help muscles and joints. Ginger has been shown to relieve muscle pain and calm an upset stomach.
Our body needs fats for peak physical performance because they help us absorb vitamins A, D, K and E which are important for bone density, repairing muscle cells and promoting blood clotting. Some good fats are avocados, olive oil, walnuts, and raw almond butter.
You do not need supplements but if you take them, do your research: supplementwatch.org
Eat whole, healthy, real foods. Avoid hype and health claims, and ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, number more than 5, or that contain high-fructose corn syrup.

The Recipes: Pre- and Post-Workout Fuel

(1) MOAR’S PRE-WORKOUT HIPPIE FUEL (AKA GRANOLA):

(makes six ½-cup servings)

What You’ll Need:

1 Tbs coconut oil
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup walnuts pieces
2 Tbs whole chia seeds
¼ cup dried cherries, unsweetened
¼ cup dark chocolate bits (dairy-free)
2 Tbs raw honey
¼ cup raw almond butter, unsalted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne (or more to taste)

How to Make It:

Preheat oven to 325F. Heat coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, coconut and walnuts to pan, cooking for 5-8 min until toasty but not burnt. Remove from heat. Add chia seeds, cherries, chocolate, honey and almond butter to the warm dry ingredients. Give everything a good stir until it all comes together. Spread mixture in an even layer across a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 min until crunchy (stirring once halfway through). Dust with cinnamon and cayenne, toss and let cool.

Nutrition Facts: 330 kcal; 20 g fat; 37 g carbs (7.6 g dietary fiber); 7 g protein

(2) MOAR’S POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY GREENIE:

(makes two 16-oz servings)

What You’ll Need:

10-oz rice milk
½ small avocado
1 medium banana (ripe)
2 Tbs basil (~10 leaves)
½ lime, juiced
1” fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbs whole chia seeds
5 Tbs hemp protein powder
2 ½ cups kale, chopped (2 handfuls)
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
½ cup ice (1 cup of fresh pineapple)

How to Make It:

Add all ingredients in the order listed to your blender. Blend at high speed until smooth.

Nutrition Facts: 338 kcal; 15.3 g fat; 42.8 g carbs (20.5 g dietary fiber); 19 g protein

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SHOUT OUTS:

The workshop was a success, in no small part thanks to my amazing partner Relay Foods. Relay is a super convenient online grocery store where you’ll find all the stuff you need from the best local stores, restaurants, and farms in and around your own neighborhood. I got almost all of my recipe ingredients from these guys and was very much pleased/impressed by the quality. If you’re going to try out my recipes, I’d encourage you to also try out Relay Foods. I’ve saved my shopping list called “Nutrition for Athletes” to make it even easier for you to get things going.

I also want to add that this event could not have happened were it not for the great staff at Earth Treks Columbia who share my belief that athletic performance and nutrition go hand-in-hand. Big thanks to everyone out there in Maryland!

If you’re interested in having me do a Nutrition for Athletes clinic at your gym, yoga studio, school or other venue, please contact me directly via email: [email protected].

June 26, 2013

Monkey Around with this Acroyoga Assist

As someone who thoroughly enjoys a good Ashtanga class, I am not averse to structure. Those who know me personally might consider that an understatement. I admit it: I’m a major planner and organization freak. That said, I love yoga for the freedom, creativity and playfulness it invites. As a teacher, there is nothing that energizes me more than putting together a sequence with unexpected twists and turns (literally) to keep people engaged and challenged. I think it is this spirit of play that makes Acroyoga so appealing to me and many others who have jumped on this evolution of circus/monkey yoga.

Per Wikipedia, Acroyoga is “a physical practice which blends elements of yoga, acrobatics, performance and healing arts.” I love it because it encourages practitioners to think outside of the box in yoga poses and find a way to make postures not only functional but fun. One of my all-time favorite Acro assists, and one that I have brought out a couple times during my private client sessions, is Down Dog on Down Dog. Ok, so that doesn’t exactly sound appropriate for all audiences but there’s no better way to sum it up.

To start, you’ll need at least two adventurous souls. Have one person come into their downward facing dog. The second person then comes to a standing forward fold in front of the first person’s hands (your heels should be a couple inches in front of their fingertips). Person two then presses their palms into the mat and lifts their right leg placing the foot on the top right side of their partner’s pelvic bone (your heal should be close to their sacrum, your toes pointing out and gripping their love handles – for lack of a better term). Next, person two presses into their hands and right foot strongly so that they can steadily float the left leg up, placing the foot on the top left side of their partner’s pelvic bone – your toes should essentially be gripping the sides of their lower back.

Once in position, make sure your feet are centered on their back, distributing your weight evenly. The more you press into their lower back with your feet, the more lightness they will feel in their arms and the deeper you’ll help them take the stretch into their hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon. If you push hard enough, you can even make their hands float off the ground (levitation!). The top dog will also get a good stretch in the back of their legs, as well as some serious core and shoulder work – a.k.a. handstand prep.

Go outside, find a soft surface (just in case you tumble a time or two) and give it a try. Good times guaranteed!

May 28, 2013

Prepare to Fly with Crane Pose

Crane pose, or Bakasana, is one of the most challenging positions the yoga asana practice has to offer. Often confounded with crow pose, or Kakasana, crane is a much more advanced posture. Both are excellent core prep for handstand, but crane will really take your inversion and arm balancing skills to a new level. Crane will increase the power of your upper back, shoulders, arms, wrists and, my favorite, the core (both the rectus abdominis, or six-pack abs, and the transverse abdominis, or “corset” muscles).

To get into Bakasana come down into a squat, heels and toes together, knees splayed to hip-width or slightly wider. Extend your arms forward, taking your palms flat to the mat, shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows, lift your hips, tilt the torso forward and snuggle your knees into your armpits (you’ll have to rise onto the balls of your feet). Pull belly button to spine, engaging the abdominals and lean forward, squeezing knees to upper arms until your toes take flight. Gaze forward and down, keeping a long neck, draw in and up on your pelvic floor (think Kegels or holding in your pee) and actively hug heels to booty to keep your weight stacked over your wrists. Beginners can keep arms slightly bent while they develop the core and shoulder girdle strength required to straighten out.

To be in the full expression of crane involves engaging your Mula Bandha (root lock) and Uddiyana Bandha (upward flying lock). Bandhas are a complex topic that I would be more than happy to elaborate on for anyone that is interested. MindBodyGreen had a great overview of the topic a couple of years ago as well: “Bandhas for Beginners.” It is the control and connection of the Mula and Uddiyana Bandhas that empowers advanced yogis to press from crane into handstand. I’m not there yet, but a girl can aspire!

Enjoy playing with this challenge pose and please contact me with any questions. Now go play!

May 19, 2013

Unleash Your Beast with Budokon® Yoga

I was first introduced to Budokon® Yoga back in the fall while in the early stages of my yoga teacher training program. One of my favorite teachers infused our normal sun salutations with a technique called the “rolling wave” and I was absolutely entranced by the graceful movement. I can be a complete klutz (some might say spaz) in my everyday life but when I practice Budokon® Yoga I feel like a prima ballerina. Long and lean, soft and strong.

Budokon® is all about circular transitions. You never stop as you progress from one posture to another. This constant movement means you have to be connected to your core and shoulder girdle (the muscles across your upper back and in between your shoulder blades) at all times. To practice the primary series is to be fully engaged in the muscular body, completely focused mentally and emotionally, and wholly committed to your breath work. For all you skeptics out there, believe me when I tell you I have never been stronger in my entire life.

Captivated by this movement art, I decided several months ago to pursue a Budokon® Yoga teaching certification immediately following my Vinyasa Power Yoga teacher training. Last weekend I traveled to the Utopian community of Doylestown in Bucks County, PA for a weekend of intensive training with an incredible family of yogis and martial artists. During our training I learned that in Japanese Bu means warrior, Do means way, and Kon means spirit. Thus, Budokon® literally means “the way of the warrior spirit.” This style of yoga does make you feel like an Amazon and/or ninja. Fierce and sneaky. It is also the most meditative yoga style I have experienced to date. The spinal rolling and circular transitions require complete presence. It is easy to get lost in the movement and walk out of a class feeling like you’ve just participated in a long meditation–except that your abs, glutes and shoulders will be screaming.

All classes begin with the “rolling wave”, which fires up your core and shoulder girdle and teaches your body how to smoothly transition from downward facing dog into countless other asanas without dragging your feet across the mat. It then progresses through several twisting, rolling, and balancing sections until reaching its climax: the animals. Above you can see me in preparation for a “leaping leopard,” where you spring from a deep squat turning 180 degrees around mid-air and landing back in your squat. This powerful plyometric move is just the beginning of a string of dynamic jumping feats of strength and agility. Believe you me, the animal section in no joke. If you don’t think yoga is aerobic or cardiovascular, think again. You will be panting like a panther after you make it through this section for the first few times, no exceptions no matter how fit you think you are.

I am proud to say that I survived the 10-hour training days in one piece minus a severely bruised toe, and that was from nailing my foot on the metal leg of a locker room bench–like I said before, I’m a klutz. I can’t wait to begin sharing this beautiful, strength-building practice with my students in DC. Speaking of (shameless plug!), I will be teaching a Budokon® Flow class at STROGA every Sunday at noon beginning June 2nd. Come ride the rolling wave with me this summer and get stronger than you’ve ever been before!