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 posturehow-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!
Most of us in the West practice yoga to get long and lean, in addition to all of the mental and emotional benefits. This style of yoga–the kind that focuses on our muscles–is Yang Yoga. Yang Yoga is an important part of yoga and helps us get strong and healthy. There is, however, an important counterpart to Yang which has been dropped from most of our practices: Yin Yoga. Yin Yoga works the deeper tissues including our ligaments, joints, and fascia. In order to keep a balanced practice of strength and length, it’s important that we “cross-train” with Yin and Yang Yoga.
Yin Yoga is all about fewer postures with longer holds (think 5-7 solid minutes in pigeon). In a one hour flow, you might only get through 6 asanas with an opening meditation and closing shavasana. These long static holds combined with Ujjayi breathing (oceanic breath) allow you to slowly work into the deeper tissues of the body that get so tight from our day to day activities. At first the poses can be really intense, and you should listen closely to any messages your body might be sending to ease off, but you’ll be amazed where a steady, Ujjayi breathing pattern can take you. As the Yoga Sutra says, all asanas should be sthira and sukham, or practiced with steadiness and ease. This is certainly the case with Yin yoga. My personal mantras while practicing Yin are “Slow and Steady” or “Easy Goes It.” They help me find that sweet spot many of us yoga teachers refer to as your ‘edge’.
The best part about Yin Yoga is that it is incredibly portable and pragmatic. All you need is space to roll out your mat. No handstand kicks or side crows here. Many Yin asanas can be done while you’re chilling, reading a book or watching TV. Here’s a sample one-hour total body flow that you can do at home or (if you’re a jetsetter) in a hotel room:
(3 min) Meditation: Sit in a comfortable seated position, long spine. Close your eyes and bring your palms to rest lightly on the knees. Breathe deeply in and out through the nose, beginning to cultivate your Ujjayi breath. Try counting to 4 on the inhale, holding for 1 count, breathing out for 4 counts, and holding for 1 on empty before restarting the cycle.
Source: realbeauty.com/health/fitness/sphinx-pose
(5 min) Sphinx: Lie on your stomach. Bring hands beside shoulders. Press into your palms, forearms parallel, lifting your chest up off the mat. Look down to make sure your elbows are directly under your shoulders. If this is too intense on the lower back walk your hands slightly forward. Keep your legs firmly planted and neck long.
(1 min) Full Swan (right knee forward): Also known as Pigeon in Yang Yoga. From Down Dog or Tabletop bring your right knee to your right wrist. Flex the right foot and move it as close to the left wrist as possible without discomfort. Distribute your weight equally between your hips and sit upright. Your hands can either press lightly into your right knee and ankle, fingertips to floor slightly in front of your hips, or on two blocks.
(3 min) Sleeping Swan: From Full Swan, walk your hands forward letting the torso and neck hang heavy. As gravity pulls you toward the floor try coming onto your forearms and eventually resting the chest on your right leg, forehead to mat.
(5 min) Shoelace (left knee on top): From Swan, walk your hands back to your hips and sit up tall. Swing your left leg around, bend the leg, and place it on top of your right leg, knees stacked toes pointing back. Slowly let your torso fold forward with every breath, draping over your legs.
Counter-pose: Lie on your back and windshield wiper your legs (30 sec-1 min), releasing the lower back.
(1 min) Full Swan (left knee forward): Also known as Pigeon in Yang Yoga. From Down Dog or Tabletop bring your left knee to your right wrist. Flex the left foot and move it as close to the right wrist as possible without discomfort. Distribute your weight equally between your hips and sit upright. Your hands can either press lightly into your right knee and ankle, fingertips to floor slightly in front of your hips, or on two blocks.
(3 min) Sleeping Swan: From Full Swan, walk your hands forward letting the torso and neck hang heavy. As gravity pulls you toward the floor try coming onto your forearms and eventually resting the chest on your left leg, forehead to mat.
(5 min) Shoelace (right knee on top): From Swan, walk your hands back to your hips and sit up tall. Swing your right leg around, bend the leg, and place it on top of your left leg, knees stacked toes pointing back. Slowly let your torso fold forward with every breath, draping over your legs.
Counter-pose: Lie on your back and windshield wiper your legs (30 sec-1 min), releasing the lower back.
(3 min) Straddle (folding forward, centered): Sit facing the long edge of your mat and spread your legs as wide as they’ll go. Flex your feet strongly and hinge forward from the hips, maintaining a flat back. If you can’t keep a long spine while folding forward keep your torso upright and breath into your hips, tilting them forward inch by inch with every breath. If you can fold forward no problem, work to bring the forearms and eventually chest to the floor.
(3 min) Straddle (folding over right leg):Sit up tall, legs spread wide. Inhale to lengthen the spine then exhale, twisting toward the right leg. Inhale, lengthen. Exhale fold over the right leg, reaching chin to shin and working to center the sternum over the knee cap. Reach for the toes, foot or ankle and use your arm strength to fold deeper.
(3 min) Straddle (folding over left leg): Sit up tall, legs spread wide. Inhale to lengthen the spine then exhale, twisting toward the left leg. Inhale, lengthen. Exhale fold over the left leg, reaching chin to shin and working to center the sternum over the knee cap. Reach for the toes, foot or ankle and use your arm strength to fold deeper.
(3 min) Bananasana (to the right): Lay flat on your back with legs together. Reach arms overhead and clasp hands or elbows. Ground into the mat with your booty and pull belly button to spine. Inch your feet and upper body to the right, arching like a banana. You should feel a nice side body stretch on the left side. If not, move your feet and clasped arms further to the right until you do.
(3 min) Bananasana (to the left): Lay flat on your back with legs together. Reach arms overhead and clasp hands or elbows. Ground into the mat with your booty and pull belly button to spine. Inch your feet and upper body to the left, arching like a banana. You should feel a nice side body stretch on the right side. If not, move your feet and clasped arms further to the left until you do.
(2 min) Reclining Twist w/ Eagle Legs (right side): Lay flat on your back and draw your knees in toward your chest. Wrap right leg over left, hooking your right foot inside the left ankle if possible. Open your your arms wide and keeping your shoulders grounded, let your legs sink to the left. Breathe into the right side body, middle back, and right hip. Come back to center and unwind the legs to switch sides.
(2 min) Reclining Twist w/ Eagle Legs (left side): Lay flat on your back and draw your knees in toward your chest. Wrap left leg over right, hooking your left foot inside the right ankle if possible. Open your your arms wide and keeping your shoulders grounded, let your legs sink to the right. Breathe into the left side body, middle back, and left hip. Come back to center and unwind the legs to switch sides.
(5-10 min) Shavasana: Lay flat on your back, legs straight and slightly apart or in reclining butterfly. Arms are by your side, a few inches separating them from the body. Close your eyes and melt into the floor. Let everything go, including your Ujjayi breath.
(Flow adapted from “The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga” by Bernie Clark)
Yin will change your practice for the better when practiced consistently. I highly recommend doing 30 min to an hour of Yin before you go to bed. It can be tough in the morning because we all wake up pretty stiff and need some time for the “fuzz” to loosen up.
VIDEO HOW-TO: Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana) to Tripod Headstand (Sirsasana II)
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A note of caution: before attempting this, make sure you are practicing with an experienced teacher that you trust. This is an advanced move, involving lots of core strength and proper alignment to avoid injuring the neck. Don’t let the ego cloud your judgement here yogis.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Stand facing the long edge of your mat. Step or hop your feet 3 to 4 1/2 feet apart (play around to see what feels comfortable in your body). Look down and make sure your inner arches are parallel with feet ever-so-slightly pigeon-toed. Lift through the inner arches by drawing up from the inner ankles to the groin, and press the outer edges of your feet firmly into the mat. Engage your quads by lifting the knee caps. Place your hands on your hips, inhale deeply and lift your chest, spreading your collarbone wide.
Exhale and fold forward from the hip crease, keeping your back flat and spine long. With your chest about parallel to the floor, bring your hands to the mat, fingertips in line with your toes.
Breath deeply and with each exhalation, bend your elbows and lower your torso and head until you come into your full forward bend. Make sure don’t lose that flat back and long spine. If it’s in your practice, rest the crown of your head on the floor.
Press your palms firmly into the floor. If you have the flexibility to get your head to the mat, walk your hands back until your forearms are perpendicular to the floor and your upper arms parallel – creating a shelf with your arms. Make sure your arms are parallel to each other and widen the shoulder blades across the back.
Now for some levitation! Again, moving from Prasarita Padottanasana to Tripod Headstand is a very advanced move. Do not just flail and fly into this.
Draw in through your core, pulling belly button to spine and knitting your ribs together to engage the transverse abdominals. Shift your weight forward into the balls of your feet, until your hips come over and slightly past your ankles. You will begin to take some of your weight into the arms and crown of your head.
Engage your legs, pulling up through your groin and firing up the quads and inner and outer thighs. Using the power of your legs and strength of your core slowly pull legs up and over head, moving from an inverted wide-legged straddle to full tripod headstand. Spark your toes and keep your legs and abs engaged – this will help you find lightness and draw up and away from the neck and head. Hold for a few deeps breaths.
To come out, reverse your ascent and slowly lower legs into a wide-legged straddle then gently set them down on the mat (I like to focus on keeping my hips shifted forward on the descent because it keeps my core engaged and gives me the control I need to move slowly).
Now you’re back in prasarita padottanasana. Finish the move by lifting your head off the floor and coming into a flat-back position with your torso parallel to the mat – your arms will straighten but keep your palms and/or fingertips on the mat. With an inhalation, lift your hands to your hips, pull your tail bone down toward the floor, and raise the torso up.
You did it! That was some serious core work and involves a somewhat-scary weight shift. Playing around with the first five steps until you can comfortably get into a full forward fold. Once you’ve got that down, then go for it – but make sure that for your first few attempts you have an experienced yoga teacher or yogi friend nearby to make sure you got in and out of the asana properly.
We’ve all read the articles and listened to the NPR story about how sitting at a desk all day is bad for your health. Studies show that sitting for extended stretches can disrupt metabolic function leading to a variety of ailments. One study in particular found that sitting for 11 or more hours per day increased the risk of death by 40%, regardless of other activity levels.
When I started to hear these grim predictions–in my mind akin to those for the end of the world as we know it–I saw a big, glitzy Vegas billboard flashing “Welcome to the rest of your life. You are S.O.L. suckers. ” So, are we truly shit out of luck?
Fear not my fellow office drones, you are not doomed to this fate. How come? There are a lot of things you can do to counterbalance your sedentary occupation. From sitting on an exercise ball instead of a desk chair (all the cool kids are doing it) to breaking up your day with a couple 15-minute walks, it may be easier than you think to transform your daily routine for better health. While it is the small things like those I just mentioned that will make a difference in the long-term, if you want more immediate results–more energy, burning off those omnipresent holiday cookies, etc–the bottom line is you need to get up and move. To help you with this try my work-week, Power Lunch Plan (PLP). And yes, I did just create my own acronym…this is D.C. after all.
The Urban Dictionary defines ‘Power Lunch’ as the following:
A gathering of co-workers or of mostly young male corporate douches (see yuppies) for a 3-hour lunch on the clock that includes such things as a motorcade of Lexus and BMW automobiles, motivational speakers, cheers, steak, and talk about something like the “bottom line” or bonuses or something. Supposedly a motivational event, but usually turns out to be a feast of gluttony and ruined neckties. Newly motivated and encouraged participants are expected to go back to the office and make phone calls and fire off emails and achieve results, but most usually end up at a local boozer and get tanked before happy hour even starts.
My version of the power lunch is quite different. It’s all about using your precious lunch break a few times a week to get up and get moving.
MoYoga PLP*:
30 min interval training on a treadmill, 5 min cool down, 5 min stretching, 3 days a week:
Begin at 4 mph, incline level 10 for 2 min. Increase to incline level 12 for 2 min. Increase to incline level 15 for 2 min.
Reduce incline to 0 and increase speed to 7.5 mph (or a comfortable running–not jogging–pace for your body) for 2 min. Increase speed to 8.5 mph (or a challenging running pace for your body) for 1 min. Reduce speed to 6.5 mph (or an easy running pace for your body) for 1 min.
Reduce speed to 4.1 mph, incline level 13 for 2 min. Increase to incline level 15 for 2 min. Decrease to incline level 13 for 2 min.
Reduce incline to 0 and increase speed to 7.5 mph (or a comfortable running–not jogging–pace for your body) for 2 min. Increase speed to 8.5 mph (or a challenging running pace for your body) for 1 min. Reduce speed to 6.5 mph (or an easy running pace for your body) for 1 min.
Reduce speed to 4.2 mph, incline level 15 for 2 min. Decrease to incline level 12 for 2 min. Decrease to incline level 10 for 2 min.
Reduce incline to 0 and increase speed to 7.5 mph (or a comfortable running–not jogging–pace for your body) for 2 min. Increase speed to 8.5 mph (or a challenging running pace for your body) for 1 min. Reduce speed to 6.5 mph (or an easy running pace for your body) for 1 min.
Do 5 min cool down followed by at least 5 minutes of stretching.
Do this workout on three lunch breaks a week for a month and I guarantee you’ll look better and feel much more motivated for the second half of your workday. Your boss will be amazed at how breaking a sweat will boost your afternoon productivity.
Use the impending doom that is the predicted end of days as motivation to start making healthy, lifestyle-changing decisions for your lunch breaks today. No time like the present, right? And when the world doesn’t magically implode tomorrow (knock on wood), use your renewed sense of gratitude for the ground beneath your feet to take out your own personal insurance policy for a happier, healthier more energetic future.
* Unfortunately your ability to try my PLP is contingent upon access to a gym in or nearby your office. Luckily, for many folks in D.C. employers are wising up to the importance of providing employees access to fitness facilities.
Salamba Sirsasana, or supported headstand, like all yoga inversion postures is a great way to find both energy and calm. By flipping your world upside-down, you’re allowing for increased blood drainage from your lower extremities, as well as your lymph nodes. When you come out of the posture and into child’s pose, you’re flushing your entire body with fresh, oxygenated blood. This is an incredibly active pose and works everything from the forearms and shoulders to the abs and back muscles to your thighs and even feet.
The key to this asana is to approach it without ego and with a sense of adventure. Inversions are often scary for people, but the only way you’ll get injured is if you don’t listen to your body. In the beginning, take it slow and use a wall. Having both the support and peace-of-mind that something is there to catch you if you fall is a great way to get comfortable and kickstart this element of your practice.
Now, let’s break it down step by step…
STEP 1: Set up your yoga mat, kneeling somewhere in the bottom half. In order to find the proper spot to place your head, take your wrist joint and place it on the tip of your nose, fingertips reaching up to the sky. Wherever your middle finger lands–somewhere between your hairline and the crown of your head–is where you’ll want to set your head down. Keep in mind that from an anatomical standpoint the closer to the crown of your head you base this asana, the more neutral your spine will remain.
All Photos by Leo Matsuo
STEP 2: Place your head down on the mat in front of you, using the spot you found in step 1. Lace your fingers together and cup your head. Your forearms will frame your head and neck on the floor, elbows at shoulder width. Press your inner wrists firmly into the floor.
STEP 3: Send your booty up and back, coming into down dog legs. From the side you should look like an inverted “V.” Fire up your thighs, actively lifting your kneecaps to engage your quadriceps. Walk your feet in towards your elbows, keeping your heels elevated. The closer your feet come to your elbows, the more your hips come over your shoulders; this will bring you into better alignment from the get-go, making it easier to stay solid once your legs rise up and overhead. Draw your shoulder blades in and down, flattening them against your upper back to keep your front torso lengthened.
STEP 4: Root down through your forearms, exhale and lift your feet away from the ground. There are two ways to do this: (1) by lifting one straightened leg to the sky, then powering your other leg up to meet with the first using core and glute strength, or (2) taking both feet up at the same time by bending your knees and hopping lightly off the floor (see above). I am demonstrating the second option because I find it to be a slightly easier place to start. If you chose the second option, engage your abs–drawing belly button into spine–and lift your legs straight up and overhead with control.
Either way you choose to go, avoid using momentum. If you aren’t quite ready to rise up using muscle strength (core power!), you can use a wall and add a little more kick into the process. Please heed my warning above and check your ego at the door before trying this asana.
STEP 5: Finally with your legs perpendicular to the floor, tuck your tailbone in and down. Lift up and out of your shoulders and neck by rotating your upper thighs inward, engaging your adductors and abductors. Your feet should be directly over your hips, which should be aligned over the crown of your head. Try to keep your weight evenly balanced on both forearms by continually tucking your tailbone, engaging your abs, and firing up every single muscle in your legs. It helps me to demi/Barbie-point my feet, sending energy through the balls of my big toes.
If you’re just getting started, aim to stay inverted for 10 seconds (2-3 deep breaths). You can gradually tack time onto this until you can comfortably hold the pose for 5 min. To come out of it, slowly bring your legs down the same way they went up with an exhalation. Be sure not to lose the lift in your shoulder blades.
When both feet touch the floor, sit back onto your knees, bring your chest forward onto your thighs, and rest in child’s pose. You deserve it!
Wheel is one of my absolute favorite yoga postures. It’s at the same time playful and powerful. It also transports me back to when I used to take gymnastics–ah, the good old days of effortless flexibility! Wheel is both a back bend and chest opener, great for relieving tension in the upper back, shoulders, and hip flexors. It also strengthens all of the body’s major muscles groups, firing up you quads, hamstrings, glutes, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and the list goes on!
To get into wheel, lay flat on your back, feet planted on your mat hip-width apart. You should be able to graze your heels with your fingertips. This is the same set up you would use if you were pushing up into bridge.
Photo Credit: Leo Matsuo
Reach your hands up and overhead, planting palms flat next to your ears, fingertips facing toward your shoulders. Pull your elbows in toward your center line, tuck your tailbone, and on an inhalation press up through your hands and feet. If you’re just starting out, you can come to an intermediary position by resting on the crown of your head before pressing all the way up into full wheel. When taking this variation, be sure to support your weight with your palms and arms rather than your head and neck.
Photo Credit: Leo Matsuo
In full wheel, your arms will be straight, head heavy, and legs fully engaged. Keep your knees drawing together, thighs spiraling inwards, no splaying of the knees. As your shoulders, chest, and hip flexors open up, work to press your chest through your arms. You can also begin to play with coming up on the balls of your feet and lifting one leg at a time for some added intensity.
Photo Credit: Leo Matsuo
Once you’ve taken 5 to 8 deep breaths, tuck your chin and gently come down, one vertebrae at a time. Once down, resist the temptation to draw your knees into your chest. Repeat this another 2 or 3 times, then lay on the mat in reclining butterfly.
Enjoy this asana, letting yourself be free, open and strong!
For those of you who have been known to wake up in cold sweats because your life feels dangerously akin to George Clooney’s in “Up in the Air,” this post is for you.
One of my favorite things about my current job is how much I get to travel. It is also the greatest challenge to my personal commitment to leading a healthy and active lifestyle. No matter how good my intentions are to maintain a workout routine and nutritious diet while on the road, I have a hard time sticking to it. Honestly, it’s hard to find time between meetings and emails to fit in your fitness. And when your job involves networking events and client dinners as mine does, it’s not always so easy to resist temptation when the friendly waiter offers you another yummy cocktail or the dessert menu.
So how do you avoid blowing all your hard work in a week or two on the road? Find balance.
First of all, do what you can, when you can. Over the course of the last two weeks on the West Coast I managed to go for two runs, attend one yoga class, do a 30-minute yoga podcast, fire-up my Jillian Michael’s “Butt & Thighs” DVD twice, and get my ass kicked in my first TRX circuit training workout (so much fun!). Not bad, but not my normal regime. Each of these activities took 30 minutes to an hour–i.e. long enough to maintain my fitness level but not so time-consuming that they threw off my tight meeting schedule.
Second of all, be compassionate with yourself. It’s easy to start feeling guilty for a few days without a workout or splurging on that delicious huevos rancheros with a side of bacon at breakfast, but cut yourself some slack. Always keep in mind that life is to be enjoyed–remember moderation–and stressing won’t do you any good. In fact, it activates Cortisol, a hormone found in your body which makes you store fat, in particular around that muffin top/love handle area–fun fun! So relax because we all fall off the horse at times. The important thing is that you don’t throw in the towel just because you let yourself indulge a little in that bomb brunch or red velvet cupcake. Rather than wallowing in self-judgment after an indulgence, get up and go for a long walk or skip the elevator and take the stairs. Balance.
Finally, be creative. While it is important to work physical activity into your busy days and be forgiving of occasional gluttony when you’re on the road, it’s also important to take advantage of opportunities to be good to your body. Case in point, San Francisco International Airport’s “Yoga Room.” Not every airport or city will have a tranquil space devoted exclusively to yogis just after getting through security, but when it’s there, you best use it! Since I always travel with my yoga mat as carry-on–and tend to be in Lululemon pants and slouchy tops on my travel days–I was prepared to capture this golden opportunity and get in 45 minutes of playful flow before heading to my gate. My 5+ hour flight back to DC was so much more manageable having had the opportunity to move and stretch beforehand.
Whatever you do, wherever your busy life takes you, be kind to yourself—both in body and mind. You’ll come home feeling much happier, relaxed and prepared to take flight again.
