On Tuesday, August 1 I’m teaching a brand new workshop: Yoga for Athletes. The workshop will:
- Explain and discuss different types of yoga poses so that athletes have a foundational understanding of safe alignment
- Examine and practice the meditative aspect of yoga so that athletes recognize the value of a quiet and introspective practice.
In this workshop, we’ll discuss how the physical practice of yoga will complement your sport. You’ll learn the difference between yin, restorative, power and flow classes. We’ll also go over some physical alignment cues so that you understand how common yoga poses are supposed to feel and so that you can safely practice yoga in any setting. By practicing yoga, you will develop awareness of your body, and start to notice how your muscles and joints move together to facilitate dynamic athletic movement. Your yoga practice is like self-induced physical therapy: you will learn how to take care of yourself so that you can prevent injury and develop strength and agility.
In addition to the physical part of the practice, we will examine and practice the meditative aspect of yoga. Many athletes ask me about yoga classes and a common misconception is that yoga is “just stretching,” and an activity that is done quickly after a vigorous workout. The second intention of this workshop is to illustrate how a regular yoga practice is a tool for the formidable mental challenges that athletes encounter. Athletes tend to be task-driven and motivated people. The physical part of training takes precedence because results and accomplishments are easy to gauge. But the mental commitment and determination to do what isn’t easy is half the battle.
I believe that the application of meditation and a quiet practice to a training schedule can help athletes focus on their goals and understand their reasons for sacrificing so much in the name of sport. Furthermore, the mental fortitude afforded by a yoga practice gives athletes the strength to continue with a gruelling training schedule. The practice of yoga provides an opportunity to check in with the self and see how the mind and body are coping with the daily demands of training. The clarity that emerges from the practice can reveal to the athlete what is needed to continue with the training to win the game, finish the race or push to a loftier goal.
My athletic background includes many individual sports. In 2015, I finished a half ironman and I’m currently training for a full ironman. I’ll be competing in Florida in November 2017. Yoga has always been part of my training regime, and the practice provides me with strength and agility in addition to the always-necessary mental fortitude to train daily for an athletic challenge.
I hope to see you at Taiga Yoga Studio for this Yoga for Athletes workshop.
Tuesday, August 1 at 630pm.
$55 + GST
