Yoga for sport?

By TITE TOGNI www.yogaxrunners.com

translated from Italian originally appeared on ‘Trail degli Eroi’ Blog July 3 2016 http://www.traildeglieroi.it/lo-yoga-come-x-training-per-lo-sport/

 

“Yoga is my way to meditate. I’m not very good at staying still and focused, then yoga is perfect for me, it helps me to relax your mind. It also helps me to be present and to be true to myself and stay down to earth “EMELIE FORSBERG

“Yoga builds the mental strength to withstand the failure, the clarity to identify the cause and solutions to return and reorganize the body and mind to overcome these shortcomings . IT also prevents you from being overwhelmed by success “

BKS Iyengar

A study conducted on a group of students who have practiced only eight weeks of yoga, revealed that” students’ muscle strength was increased by 31 percent, muscular endurance of 57 percent, the flexibility of 188 percent, and even the VO2max by 7 percent“(http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/739).  VO2MAX? Well yes, how? By training the breath flow and even holding it but before that by  preparing it with poses that open the chest and make it flexible and smooth.  Pranayama, the “branch” of yoga dedicated to the distribution of energy (Prana) through breath control, increases lung function, which means more overall efficiency in oxygen use. But you can not practice pranayama if your body is stuck in some areas, especially in the chest area, then you have the practical necessity of asana. Asana means posture and the entire physical practice is directed to the stabilization of the mind, which is always energy, Prana.

2. ACTION!  

“The world is full of movement ; we need more action, conscious movement “(BKS Iyengar) To cover more ground with fewer steps, you need loose hip flexors , lubricated joints, wide hip flexion and long rear muscles – all of which are common results of a regular yoga practice. Many asana, like standing poses, help develop a longer natural running movement that is  fluid and constant as well as adaptable to the continuous change of ground.

3. RESISTANCE

Endurance requires  physical and mental strength in equal parts, and yoga is a constant training for this balance. I used a phrase from an old Monaco Zen, Dogen’s “body as a mountain, the heart like ocean, the mind like the sky” at my first vertikal and I reached the podium.

4.Core is DHARMA, support

Abdominal strengthening it is one of the most important things to maintain a strong body. But try shift your view:  for yoga the core is the Dharma, the support to the centre , the spine. Asana practice is always a balanced work between the lower limbs and upper limbs because they are our only means to act on the spine, moving in harmony and keeping it stretched.

 

PRACTICE: DownDog-UpDog Alternate 10 times following the rhythm of nasal breath  inhaling updog; exhaling downdog

5. FORZA!

Try to maintain a pose like the “yogic chair” for 10 breaths:  not only it strengthen your muscles, but by keeping your breath calm you discover the solution is not in strength but in ‘receptivity’ and  that you are stronger than you think. The asanas ask you to overcome self-limiting thoughts and the fear of pain. “Yoga endures what can not be cured and cures what can not be endured” (BKS Iyengar)

Yoga also uses your own body weight as resistance to build strength. Yoga is hard work, it is a physical practice. The poses require strength and balance.  “The yogi become as sleek and powerful as an elephant” (Patanjali Yoga Sutra III.25). Even Lance Armstrong, in his first yoga class twitted: “just made ​​my first yoga class. WOW that was hard!”

7. FLEXIBILITY

‘Yoga helps immensely to release contracted muscles of the entire posterior chain and to restore full mobility to the joints. That’s how the practice of yoga realigns the body, which will then be able to restore the functional patterns of movement and prevent the most common injuries.

8. RECOVERY

The regenerating power of yoga and the increase of circulating oxygen means less pain and faster tissue repair.

9. PREVENTION is better than cure

Yoga promotes a constant awareness of what is going on in your body and mind. “Pain is my guru” (BKS Iyengar), means that at any moment we can read body signals and, honoring it according to the first principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) we will take the necessary decisions to protect it within a life  journey into our  limits, that is an adventure ‘from the self to the Self’ .

TITE TOGNI

www.yogaxrunners.com

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