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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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 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!

June 9, 2013

Life is a Beautiful Balancing Act

Ruminate on this quote, then read on.

“You cannot run away from a weakness;

you must sometimes fight it out or perish;

and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand.”

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Half Moon — Styling by Ashley Ann Bennett, Endless Summer Design

In yoga, balancing poses present a great challenge for many students. If you aren’t present in your body because your mind is racing all over the course of your day, week or year, you will find it nearly impossible to be grounded and find stability. Balancing poses have a tendency to bring feelings of weakness and frustration to the surface. I just can’t do this. What is wrong with me today? The truth is that if we stop fighting ourselves, if we let ourselves fall out, we then have the empowering choice to come right back into it. We always have the option to try again and ultimately find balance right where we stand.

If it seems I’m being a little abstract, don’t get me wrong: it’s no easy task to be present. Despite my best efforts I’m often getting way ahead of myself, pre-stressing about things that are out of my hands. And like many people, I’m not immune to letting something or someone from my past tangle and trip me. Hard as it may be, life is best lived somewhere between the reach toward our future and the pull from our past. When we find that balance where these opposing forces neutralize, we begin to feel truly grounded.

Suffice to say, if we were always in this neutral place our lives would be incredibly boring. And sometimes it can be terrifying to face the present–let’s be honest, we all have bad days. Whatever you do, don’t run away. Sit with the struggle. Get uncomfortable. Because letting yourself be thrown off balance can be your greatest teacher. A completely graceless fall or even the slightest wobble reminds us to come back to where we are at that very moment, cultivating our awareness. That is balance. It takes work. And if you begin to think of that effort as a beautiful struggle, you might be amazed at how long you can stay in that space, keeping push and pull in equilibrium.

Next time you’re in a yoga class and you–or perhaps more metaphorically, your life–send one foot off the ground, you will be faced with a practically imperceptible split decision of fight or flight. Breathe. Root down through the other foot (you know, the one that’s still standing its ground) and embrace the challenge of being whole-heartedly present.

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!

May 9, 2013

Taking My Seat as a Yoga Teacher

I recently taught my first beginner’s yoga class and had the honor of being two students’ very first teacher. When I surveyed the class for first-timers and their two hands meekly rose into the air, I felt an immense simultaneous reaction of joy and responsibility. Throughout my certification journey, my mentor would come back time and again to the importance of “taking your seat” as a teacher and “holding the space” for your students. As a yoga teacher, I owe it to everyone who comes to one of my classes to show up and be present. This is never more important than when you are teaching those that are new to the practice.

It is such a rush to guide someone through their first Sun As and Bs, or watch them as they begin to understand how the power of their breath is all they need to go deeper into a posture. As I watched these two students throughout the class, I was elated and inspired to see the movement begin to make sense in their bodies. With my subtle hands-on adjustments and carefully chosen words, they quickly made the practice their own. The true reward was when one of my first-timers came up and gave me a huge hug at the end of class, thanking me for her introduction to the practice. I’m a complete sap so I nearly cried, but kept it together (holding the space) and simply radiated gratitude for her kind words.

While teaching new students definitely evokes an uplifting, I-love-what-I-do feeling, it can also be very intimidating. Yoga has been such a huge part of my life for the past decade that I want to ensure I do everything in my power to make it approachable for people. The last thing I would want is for someone to walk out of my class saying, “yoga was not for me.” I truly believe that yoga – in its many forms – is good for everybody and I want people to keep coming back and see how it can help them.

It is this simultaneous joy and responsibility that drives me to be better every day for my students. After all, they are trusting me with their bodies and, to a certain degree, overall well-being. I take this trust very seriously and feel oh-so lucky that I get to share something that incomparably nourishes me physically, mentally and emotionally with others.

Below are a few of the beautiful photos that my dear friend Leo Matsuo recently snapped of me on the National Mall, featuring hand-painted clothes by the lovely and talented Ashley Ann Bennett. At the time, I was so focused on my Fallen Angel that I didn’t notice the little girl watching me. I love these images because they serve as a reminder that being a teacher means…

…it is my job to challenge and inspire people to find their edge…

…it is my job to encourage people to find opening in places where walls are holding them back from their full potential, both as a yogi and a human being…

…and it is my job to remember that students are trusting in you as their teacher to serve as an example and leader for how to practice yoga with personal integrity, self-kindness (aka listening to your body) and a sense of adventure!

April 25, 2013

MOARyoga Moves: Tripod Headstand

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.