Seated cross leg twist

Inverted table pose:
This pose helps to open up the posterior spine of a golfer.  Their posture is very forward all the time, even time even when the amateur must carry a heavy awkward golf bag.  Doing this pose will help bring potency to the front of the spine creating a better more upright posture.  The more upright and extended the posture is the more powerful and deeper the coil of the spine can be on their swing.

Seated forward bend:
While this might seem contrary to the pervious pose it is not.  It is very important for golfers to work to open their hamstrings.  By having more open hamstrings they can avoid any pulling that might be done on the hips and pelvis, causing it to tuck, and inevitably changing the integrity of their posture.  To reiterate golfers need to extend and open the spine as much as possible in order to get the most powerful twisting action. 

The formula for power  is strength plus flexibility.

Side planks:
This pose with help strengthen a vulnerable shallow jointed shoulder that a golfer depends on for effortless wings.  Opening the side body ribs and shoulder joint clearly leaves athletes with greater range of motion which leads to and effortless swing.

Pigeon pose:
A favorite of all this deep glute stretch with open the hips.  Golfers tend to hold tension in the hips which as I mentioned before a tight rigid hip for an athlete will always result in more energy and stress released to the more vulnerable joint which is the knee.  Anytime we can open the glutes reduce tension in the stance and help protect the knee we are ahead of the game!  The reaching twisting variation you can do with this pose will also help to open the ribs increasing breath capacity and deepen the stretch in the opposite quadriceps.

Bonus:

Hero’s Pose – Toes Tucked and Untucked:
NOT the favorite to most is this two part stretch.  These stretches are designed to alleviate a multitude of foot and ankle problems for the golfer.  This sport puts a lot of stress on the bottom of the foot, with the strong push when finishing the swings.  Keep full range of motion in the Achilles tendon, the bottom of the foot (plantar fascia) bottom of the toes once again gives you more power in the ankles and feet, an often neglected spot.

These poses all together are designed to fully open the golfer up to the maximum for his/her sport.  Often athletes will eliminate stretching from their routine due to lack of time or misinformation, these poses will open up the golfer in the critical spots in the most efficient use of their time to increase their power on the course and take their game to the next level.

FOREARM PLANK
From my Moms to my pro athletes we do this exercise 3x one minute each time…on your forearms and knees, line your elbows perfectly under your shoulders and try to get forearms as parallel as possible, palms flat on the floor.  When you are ready pop on to your tucked toes and have your body in one line, no high butts, no sagging butts and hold for 1 minute.  Repeat at least 2 more times.

EAGLE ABS
Lay on your back and cross your right thigh over your left thigh.  If you are flexible your right foot will try to tuck behind your left calf, if you cannot do this, then focus on squeezing your inner thighs together.  Than place your hands behind your head, all ab crunch rules apply as far as NOT pulling on your neck.  Crunch for 1-2 minutes don’t count reps, time yourself.  Release and repeat on the other side.

TIBETAN RITE LEG RAISE
Part of The 5 Tibetan Rites lay on your back palms under your low back to support and ease strain, palms face down.  Legs straight up to the sky, glue one leg to the other and send energy out through your heels.  Lift your chin to your chest.  Slowly lower your legs and head at the same time just before they touch the ground exhale and lift the legs and head back up.  Repeat 1-2 minutes.  If you become stronger arms can press into the floor alongside you, palms down ad low back pressing into the floor, even stronger?  then extend your arms over head and connect them to either side of your head raising and lowering in sync with your head raise.

PLANK KNEE TO ELBOW
Start in plank pose, top of a push up.  Be careful to perfectly align your shoulders over your elbows, over your wrists’.  Equal energy back through your heels and out through the top of your head.  Bring your right knee to your right elbow, (don’t let your right foot touch the ground) hold bring right knee to forehead dropping your chin, allowing forehead to meet the knee, bring right knee to left elbow, back to forehead ,back to right knee and replace in plank pose.  Repeat on the other side.  Do these 1-3 minutes…

Be tough stay strong and watch your yoga belly emerge!!!

Setubandhasana

By Gwen Lawrence

Bridge pose is classified as a backbend, however it should be considered as an assessment pose, as well as a great therapeutic pose.  Bridge is a pose accessible to practitioners of all levels, and should not be overlooked by advanced yogis and athletes.

How to:  Bridge Pose

Start by lying on your back.  Knees bent, feet FLAT and hips width apart.  Feet should also be parallel and the ankles directly under the knees.  It is important to have the feet parallel to reduce pressure on your low back.  When feet are turned out they close the space in the sacroiliac joint and create more stress on the joint than necessary.  Begin to pelvic tilt and raise your hips off the floor, by pressing down through the feet and arms.  Once your hips are as high as they can get, snuggle your shoulders underneath your upper back and try to interlace your fingers under you.  In time and with practice your fingers will be interlaced and arms will be extended fully on the floor, palms connected.  If you have a tendency to hyperextend your elbows, be cautious here.

It is important that you get your shoulder blades under you as much as you can.  The further they go under the more they lift your spine off the floor creating a canal underneath you.  This canal lifts the spine from grinding into the floor.  Cervical spine number 6 sticks out a little further than the rest so if you are not properly set up in this pose it is easy to bruise it or feel too much weight.

It is a help to put a light, soft block between your knees to aid your engagement of the inner thighs.  It is also an amazing therapeutic pose if you put two blocks together, on their highest side directly under your sacrum, clasp your hands beyond the blocks and relax and release into the pose holding for minutes.  Consider sometimes interlacing your fingers the opposite way than you usually do.  This gets your shoulders slightly different and eliminates habit and stagnant practice.

In this pose you should feel a dynamic opposition of pressing down with your arms and feet and lifting the pelvis and chest.  Try to get your chest to meet your chin.  Press your shoulders down away from your ears.

Benefits of Bridge Pose

The role of bridge pose is vast.  Done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits include:

• Strengthening the back, glutes, legs and ankles
• Opening the chest, heart, hip flexors
• Stretches the chest, neck, shoulders and spine
• Calms the body, alleviates stress and mild depression
• Stimulates organs of the abdomen, lungs and thyroid
• Rejuvenates tired legs
• Improves digestion

For the lay person or yogi, bridge pose lengthens the front body as well as the back body, creating space between your vertebrae and relieving pressure on the disks.  For people who are concerned about thyroid function the bend in the neck and holding of the pose for lengths of time stimulates sluggish thyroid.  Thyroid is responsible for stoking your calorie burning fire.  In addition, bridge pose supplies the neck with an awesome stretch.  It also holds you (especially if you use blocks for support) in a gentle backbend.

For the athlete, this pose is a great tool for assessment.  You have a bird’s eye vie of your chest and sometimes abdominal area to observe any imbalances or asymmetry.  This will give you a clue as to what poses you will need to improve your game.  Bridge pose also gives the practitioner a great easy way to open the hip flexors and psoas, which is essential for keeping their back healthy and strong.  It gives them a pose to assist in opening the chest actively, which creates lung space and increases breathe capacity.  When you snuggle the shoulders under it gives an amazing stretch to the chest as well as anterior deltoid.  When practicing this pose be careful not to sink into it too much but remain very active in it at all times.  Finally, holding this pose, without block support will strengthen the hamstrings.

Although you should always consult your physician and research a properly trained teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:

• Neck injuries, unless supervised
• Those with low back pain or knee pain should use modifications

Have fun exploring this pose and learning about your body.

By Gwen Lawrence

By all appearances Bow pose looks like a very challenging advanced pose.  Bow is a great therapeutic pose for those with lives that are always on the move and putting us in positions of leaning forward or bending forward.  The best way to undo a slouchy posture or long day on the computer is by practicing Bow Pose.

How to: Bow

Begin by lying on the floor face down.  Take a second to extend and expand your body. Bend both legs and reach around with your hands and try to grab onto your ankles or lower legs, thumbs facing down.  For beginners it is best to grasp the outer ankle and in time you will externally rotate your shoulder and grab the leg on the inner ankle side, thumbs facing up.

Broaden your chest and slides your shoulder blades towards each other behind you and down your back.  Relax your shoulders down away from your ears.  You lift the chest up by the pure power of your legs.  Arms are straight and legs press back and feet press up.  Tune into your pelvis and tilt it until you feel less strain on your lower back.

Do not over lift your chin keep a gradual backbend finishing through the top of your head.  Remember your head is a natural extension of your spine.  Keep your gaze neutral and do not over lift your eyes.

On the inhale lift your upper body, on the exhale lift your lower body and get a gently rocking motion going.  Press the chest and legs away from each other,”stringing the bow”

Gently let go and release back into childs pose.

If it is not possible for you to grab your ankles you can wrap a strap around the front of then and hold a side of the strap in each hand.

Benefits of Bow Pose

The role of bow pose is vast.  Done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits include:

• Heats and strengthens the entire body , mostly legs, back, and buttocks
• Massages the abdominal organs
• Aids digestion
• Helps people with respiratory ailments
• Aids fatigue
• Aids anxiety
• Stretches opens whole anterior spine
• Improves posture

For the Yogi or lay person, bow pose should be considered when plagued by constipation.  The stretching of the anterior spine while in this gentle backbend, creates a massage for the abdominal organs.  It also eases tightness in the stomach, and helps bring additional blood and oxygen to the area to aid elimination.  Regular practice of this pose will relieve lower back pain and release tension and strain on the upper back and neck.  I do not know anybody that would not benefit from extra TLC of their back.

For the athlete, this pose is a tremendous additional to their stretching routine.  In addition to the above mentioned, bow pose increases the flexibility of the back.  Athletes that play soccer, hockey, tennis and wrestling all can appreciate the advantage having a supple spine can offer him/her.  Torqued goal saves, powerful serve returns and compromising

positions of a wrestler all require great strength in the back as well.  Most of these sports are also concentrated on being in a spinal flexion position (forward bending). A hockey

players constant forward lean, and a soccer goalies anticipatory ready position put continuous regular stress on the spine, being in this gentle back bend is a welcome opener for the lungs and vertebrae.

Bow pose also opens hip flexors and very often tight in athletes, psoas.  Leaving the athlete again with greater spinal flexibility, rotation and less strain.  With this winning combination you are sure to increase your agility.

Although you should always consult your physician and research a properly-trained teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:

• Avoid if you are pregnant
• Contraindicated for those with recent abdominal surgery
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Those with serious low back problems

Have fun exploring this pose and learning about your body.

A very basic pose used widely in the Yoga world as well as the sports world.  Although this pose looks to be an insignificant transition move, it is a critical pose to asses your body.  This pose like several in yoga tend to go untaught and teachers hold and assumption that the student is versed in the nuances of the pose.  That is a mistake, Plank is a great teaching tool for the student.

How to:  Plank Pose

The best way to get to this pose is to start in downward facing dog.  From there, press forward so that your shoulders are over your wrist joint, it is important to make sure wrists are directly under the shoulders and the wrist forms a 90 degree angle.  The body should be in one line from the top of your head to the heels.  You should not dip your hips or raise your hips.  This is the same positioning as top of a push up.  You need to push back through your heels and forward through a neutral neck out through the top of the head.  At the same time, press firmly down through your whole hand and do not let your chest sink.

While here, check that you have a hand that is totally engaged into the floor.  Make sure hands are flat and fingers spread, with even spacing between each finger.  It is important not to press so firmly in this pose that you end up with a hyperextend elbow.  From there gently slide your shoulder blades down your back so your shoulders are out of your ears and your neck elongated.  Your head should be a natural extension of the spine.  If you have slight pressure in the low back here then pelvic tilt until the feeling dissipates.  Legs are strong, straight and engaged.  You also need to take a quick peek at your heel and make sure they are pointing directly up to the sky, and foot is square.

Benefits of Plank Pose

Done properly and with consistency, the most noticeable benefits include:

• Strengthening of the arms, wrists, spine, quads, abdominals
• Toning of the core

For the lay person or the yogi, plank pose elongates the body and lengthens the neck.  It helps the determination of a neutral body position.  Building the strength in the back is a great opportunity to counteract all the wear and weakening the back undergoes on a daily basis.  Building a strong back and abs at the same time are great for spinal support and the development of better posture.

For the athlete, this pose is particularly important for developing wrist integrity.  Whether you play soccer and are in constant danger of falling on the wrists, play racket sports and power in the wrist is crucial, or you are an offensive lineman and strength in the wrist will determine how long and well you play your position.  Plank pose will help these and many more sports.  Every athlete should be able to open their wrist to the 90 degree angle to avoid future injury and wear.  Holding plank will accomplish that goal.  Having your body n the plank with knees off the floor give the athlete the body weight to build strength while they are increasing flexibility.

There are a few variations to enhance the athletes’ performance.  One variation is plank pose on the forearms.  Here, instead of the wrists being under the shoulders you would have the elbows under and elbows shoulders width apart.  This variation will open the shoulder joint for the athlete.  The full expression of the pose is having the forearms parallel, which will only happen if the shoulder joint is clean and open.  Holding forearm plank as you will quickly notice is a great abdominal, and shoulder strengthener.

The other variation in this pose to further the flexibility of wrists is wrist turns.  While holding plank you would turn one hand around at a time until you could turn each wrist 180 degrees someday.  Hold for several breaths returning the first hand to neutral position and turning the next.  It is important in wrist turns that you make sure the turning hands wrists are still under the shoulder and 90 degrees.  Watch how much heat you create in the body quickly by holding wrist turn variation.

Although you should always consult your physician and research a properly-trained teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:  If you have a history of carpal tunnel syndrome, and if you have a history of degenerative low back problems.

NOTE:  Even with history of carpal tunnel syndrome under the supervision of a highly qualified Yoga Teacher, plank pose can help the recovery of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Have fun exploring this pose and learning about your body.

By Gwen Lawrence

Aside from downward dog, upward facing dog is one of the most widely known and recognized yoga poses.  Usually upward dog is done during the Sun Salutation Series.’  Upward dog has several functions, benefits and therapeutic uses.  It is the cousin to the Cobra pose and is considered one of the easiest of the back bending poses.  It is also thought of as a pose of assessment.  It is often held in pain with a lot of pressure in the low back.

How to:  Upward Facing Dog

Start by laying face down on your mat, legs should be long with a feeling of extension through the length of the toes, and your legs should be hips width apart.  Bend your elbows and place your palms flat to the ground, fingers spread, hands completely plugged into the floor and have your finger tips along side your chest.  Your wrist joints should be parallel to the front edge of the mat.  You should look to see that your wrists are at a 90% angle and your elbows also create a 90% angle.  Check that your elbows stay tight to your sides.  From here, press down through the tops of the feet. The tops of all 10 toes should be pressing into the floor.   There is a slight internal rotation of the legs (rolling the legs weight towards the pinky toe).  Press the palms down and gently lift your body off the floor.  The ONLY parts of your body touching the ground in updog are the tops of the feet and the whole hand.  Keep energy through them and keep then strong.  Once your arms are fully extended double check that your wrist joint is still under your shoulder, stacking the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints in one line.  This positioning is critical and insures a safe less stressed lower back.  The most common mistake in updog is having your hands too far out in front of you, not stacking the joints of the arm creating tremendous low back pressure.

It is very important here to press down through your hands and lift through the top of your head.  Lengthening the neck and having the feeling of pushing down avoids the common mistake of “the turtle head” and the look of the head disappearing into the neck.  While adjusting this you must also roll your shoulders back, should blades toward each other.  Press your heart forward and up. Never over arch the back.  The action in the arms and legs collectively gives you this result.  Another point to remember is not to let your elbows bow or hyperextend.  The bends in the elbows should face each other.  At the same time keep opening your chest (external rotation), getting the feeling like you were opening a child proof medicine bottle.

To further relieve pressure on the low back, press your tailbone down with a tucking action.  Look straight ahead keeping a neutral neck to avoid compression on the neck and stiffening the throat.

Benefits of Upward Facing Dog

Consistent and determined practice of upward facing dog result in the following benefits:

*Strengthening of the spine, arms, and wrists

*Firms the buttocks

*Stimulates the organs of the abdomen

*Improves posture, by stretching anterior spine and strengthening posterior spine

*Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders and abdomen

*Helps to relieve depression, fatigue and pain of sciatica

*Opening chest space increases lung capacity therefore is therapeutic for asthma

For the lay person it is just what the doctor ordered.  Poses like this are critical for a healthy back.  Many of our daily postures and chores include the forward fold of the torso. When we are forward all day, at our desks, and driving for example for hours on end we over stretch our back muscles and weaken our abdominals.  This is a huge reason for  poor posture in epidemic proportion.  Back bending poses like updog counteract this growing problem.  Once we are in better more lifted postures it automatically puts our abdominal organs in a better functioning position.  It is also a great pose to tone our arms and legs and open our hearts.

For the athlete, this pose is great for a many reasons.  First, sports of agility and speed often call for a supple flexible spine.  A back that can be open in all directions is more efficient to make wide receiving plays on the football field, acrobatic plays in soccer and strong swings on the tennis court.  Second, upward dog stretches the quadriceps (front of the thigh) and the hip flexors (front of the hip).  Balance between the front and back leg will keep the leg in harmony and lessen the risk of pulled hamstring, or quad.  Third, updog keeps the wrists strong and flexible which is the equation for power, and a strong stick play in hockey to a finessed shoot in basketball.  Finally the ability the pose has to open the rib cage and increase the breathe capacity is very interesting to athletes who have to deal with aerobic sports of endurance.  It will also help athletes who suffer from exercise induced asthma.

Although you should always consult your physician and research a properly-trained teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:  If you have a history or are suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, late stages of pregnancy, have had serious back injury, or disk problems.

Have fun exploring this pose and learning about your body.

Sarvangasana

By Gwen Lawrence

Sometimes called the candle pose, or Queen pose.  Shoulder stand translated from the Sanskrit name is “all Limbed” or “whole body.”  It is named due to the benefits it provides to the entire body.   Shoulder stand has many roles among them—relaxation pose, inversion pose, and gentle stretching pose, revitalizing pose.

How to: Shoulder stand

Laying flat on the floor, with your arms along side your body.  Place your palms face down.  Exhaling, bend knees into your chest, keep pressing down through your hands and arms until your toes are as close to the ground behind your head.  You should look as though you are in a seated forward bend only upside down.  It is important to position your arms under you and keep them shoulders width apart.  Do this by interlacing your fingers together underneath you and squeak the shoulders under you.  You should be resting on the shoulder blades.  Doing this is important because the cervical vertebrae number 6 sticks out a little further than the rest—when your result is resting on the shoulder blades you avoid #6 grinding into the floor.  Now bend your elbows—keep your upper arm (shoulder to elbow) shoulders width apart—and place your hands flat on your back.  As you advance in the pose your hands will be closer and closer to your shoulder blades, and your legs will be straighter and straighter, stretching your hamstrings (back of the thigh).  This will create an eventual 90 degree angle in your neck.  While holding the pose concentrate on your breathing, pressing down through your upper arms and up through your legs and feet.  Also gently squeeze your inner thighs together.  While holding, check out your leg lengths and look for symmetry.  Check the rotation of your legs—looking to see the direction your knee and feet point.  Adjust them so they are even and equal.  Beginners should bend knees into their foreheads and eventually work to straighten the legs out.

Benefits of Shoulder Stand

The role of the Shoulder stand is important.  Done properly and consistently, the most noticeable benefits include:

• Helps with lymph drainage, as an inversion pose.
• Gets the Thyroid gland functioning better, and more efficiently.  Thyroid is the gland responsible for managing your metabolism.
• Promotes good circulation to brain.
• Great stretch for the neck and upper back.
• Is beneficial to people with constipation, indigestion, asthma.
• Great for woman suffering form painful menstruation.
• Increases blood flow to brain therefore helps headaches, congestion, and sore throats
• Stretches the spine keeping it long and strong.
• Tones the legs and abdominals.

For the lay person or yogi, shoulder stand opens and strengthens the upper shoulder girdle, and stretches the back of the neck.  Since it is an inversion pose and nourishes the brain, it offers a rich supply of blood therefore a flood of oxygen to the organs and glands of the upper body.  Pressure is taken off the lower extremities; this is like super charging sitting with your legs up.  You will relieve the pressure and swelling of the feet and legs that result from tough longs days at work and play.  Just getting extra blood flow to the brain and face and head will give a tired day the boost and glow you need to continue.  All this will give you the clearer head you may need to continue with long nights of studying, or intense business meetings.

For the athlete, besides the aforementioned benefits shoulder stand is a great pose of assessment.  As I mentioned before while you are holding the pose you are in a perfect position to check the leg length and look for imbalance that may need adjusting.  Being aware of your leg length difference will give the athlete the clues you will need to realize possible low back knots or tightness.  Should stand is a great stretch for the neck.  This is critical for high contact sports such as hockey and football.  These athletes often find themselves in twisted predicaments.  If the neck is supple enough to have the chin touch the chest, then the risk of injury in a game situation is greatly reduced.  The best part of shoulder stand for the athlete is the reverse lymph flow.  It heels the swelling of feet and legs and reduces the “heavy” post game leg.  I often have my athletes hold this pose for 10 or more minutes, to help them get their quickness back.  Beginners should always start with a 30 second to 1 minute hold and work up to a longer time.

Although you should always consult your Physician and research a properly trained teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:

*  If you have thyroid disease.

*  If you have High Blood pressure.

*  Any disorders or injuries to the neck or cervical spine.

*  If you have Glaucoma or Detached Retina. Shoulder stand could worsen the condition.

Have fun exploring this pose and learning about your body.

link directory

•In 15 to 20 minutes
•Anytime of day
•1-3 times per day
•6-7 times per week
•With a relaxed mind
•With focused breath
•By newcomers to the elderly
•By any body type, slowly working up to recommended amount of commitment
The expected life span of the Tibetan monks is proof enough of their secrets to life and their commitment to health and well being.
Expected benefits of a committed practice of the Rites are vast and include:
•More youthful appearance
•Sound sleep
•Enhanced bone mass
•Reduction in double chin
•Reduction of middle and improved abdominals and overall muscle tone
•Relief of spinal problems and tightness
•Oxygenation of the body, improved memory and vision
•Aides with arthritis and joint discomfort
•Increases lymph drainage
•Improves posture, therefore breathing
•Detoxifies the body

With a small investment of time the rewards are great.
The Five Tibetan Rites:
For Longevity, Vitality and Youth
www.yogawithgwen.com Page 2 of 2 www.poweryogaforsports.com
The Rites:
You should allow a minimum of 3 months to see full results. Start with 2-3 repetitions of each exercise and work up to the recommended 21 repetitions.

#1 – Spinning: Stand with feet shoulders width apart, arms extended out at shoulder level. Keep eyes looking directly forward if you can without getting dizzy and spin clockwise up to 21 times. Breathe in and out from your stomach. When you stop, focus on even breathing until the dizziness stops and balance returns. The speed of the spin is not important.
#2 – Lay on your back with arms to your sides, palms facing up (you can place your hands, palm side down, under your low buttocks to support lower spine until you are strong enough). Keep legs straight (if you are not strong enough, bend the knees). Inhale and lift your legs off the ground as high as you can. At the same time lift your head off the ground, bringing your chin as close to the chest as possible. Exhale and return to lying flat on the ground, up to 21 time
#3 – Stand on your knees, keep the legs together. Arms extend down your side, palms face the thighs. Drop chin to the chest begin the inhale, lift the shin and lean back deeply from the knee joint. Move hands to the back of the thighs if you need the support. Let your head and neck drop back from its own weight. Begin to exhale come forward, returning to the straight up kneeling position, up to 21 times.
#4 – Sit on the floor, legs extended and hips width apart. Arms to your side, hands flat on the ground, fingers pointing forward. Drop chin to chest and start to inhale. Raise your buttocks off the floor, while you bend the knees and slide the feet under the knee joint. Shift weight equally to the hands and feet. Raise hips until your body and thighs are parallel to the floor. Begin to exhale and return to the beginning position with chin to chest, up to 21 times.
#5 – Starting from a push-up position, hands under the shoulders and feet hips width apart. Drop your hips and lift the chest up and forward (upward dog pose in yoga; see my pose-of-the-month on active.com). Do not allow anything to touch the floor except the hands and the toes. Begin the exhale, push your hips to the sky until you create and inverted V pose (downward dog in yoga, see my pose-of-the-month on active.com) tuck chin tight to the chest. Inhale and return to the upward dog, beginning pose, up to 21 times.
It is recommended that you finish the series lying on the floor face down with your arms stretched out from your shoulders palms facing down. Keep the chin on the ground and the eyes closed. Hold until you feel your heart and breath return to normal. Turn you head to once side take a few deep breaths and feel free to continue your day as you normally would.
Enjoy exploring this series and feeling the benefits of a rejuvenated body mind and spirit.

TIGHT HIPS AND KNEE INJURIES

It makes sense to believe that if your hips are tight and never stretched that you are increasing the likelihood of injuring your knee on the field of play.  Running jumping pivots and acrobatic endzone catches or goal shots put a lot of pressure and abuse to the hips.   Let’s stop and think for a moment…if your are hit on the football field, for example, and tossed, the energy of the movement of your body and the body hitting you has to be absorbed somewhere.  If your hips are tight and do not give to this energy at all, they do not have any movement or suppleness then the energy will go to the point of least resistance, which is the very vulnerable and complex knee joint.  A flexible hip will not always avoid a devastating knee injury but will help A LOT!  I have witnessed an elite high school wrestler in a compromising position being twisted and torque against his will until, yup…POP, his knee ripped in every way possible before my eyes.

So let’s talk about keeping the hips open and a safe for long life for the knee.

The yoga poses I will recommend will:

• open the hip in external rotation, also involving the glutes
• work internal rotations to help avoid medial (MCL) strain
• stretch the groin inner thigh
• address the hamstrings
• elongate the quadriceps
• deepen the elasticity of the hip flexors

Tight thigh, hip and calf muscles are possible causes of overuse knee injuries.  We want to open the hips and release an essentially locked in pelvis to relive the knee.  Aside from protecting the knee having an open hip with simply free up your stride and improve your form for more efficient movement on the field court or mat.  Also, let’s remember the formula for power yoga for sports…strength + flexibility = power…so strengthen these muscles of the hips too.  Finally remember a mantra I always remind my players that sports create imbalances in the body because they are one side dominant, so it is your job as the athlete to tune in and realize your imbalances everyday!

Yoga Pose for Hip Flexibility

• pigeon
• frog
• hero’s
• reclining hand to toe/ with ITband stretch
• standing forward bend against the wall
• bow pose with addition heel to hip hold
• squat holds
• cobblers pose
• double pigeon
• standing forward bend

]]> http://www.gwenlawrence.com/2011/12/20/tight-hips-and-knee-injuries/feed/ 0 http://www.gwenlawrence.com/2011/12/20/tight-hamstrings-and-back-pain/ http://www.gwenlawrence.com/2011/12/20/tight-hamstrings-and-back-pain/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:54:26 +0000 admin http://www.gwenlawrence.com/?p=813  

TIGHT HAMSTRINGS AND BACK PAIN

Everybody is susceptible to tight hamstrings, from professional athletes to a soccer mom.  People who have long desk, sitting hours or rigorous training schedules all can benefit from a “hammie” stretch or two, or three or four…

In the simplest of terms hamstrings are a group of three muscles that run from the “sit” bones and extend down to the knee.  They dominate the back of the thigh and are responsible for flexing or bending the knee.  When they get tight or shorten they pull down on the originating point on the “sit” bone or part of the pelvis, changing the tight of the pelvis / hips.  When this happens it flattens the lumbar or low back curvature changing the whole structure of the back and your posture.  This scenario will give way to

• Increased risk of herniated disc
• Over use and strain of the lumbar (low) spine
• Low back pressure
• Weakened abdominals
• Unstable low back
• Increased risk of strain and tearing injuries to the hamstrings

Hamstrings can be stretched at your desk or on the mat but should not be ignored.  If you are at your desk simply:

• Sit up tall on your chair
• Extend your right leg long, gently flexing the right foot
• Bend your left leg left foot flat and secure into the floor for stability
• Elongate your back
• Gently reach for your right foot
• Think about reaching it with energy through your chest and a FLAT back
• Breath hold and switch sides

Some relevant yoga stretches to keep in your arsenal are:

1. Seated forward bend with hips on a prop/block
2. Standing forward bend
3. Standing forward bend wide leg
4. Standing forward bend against the wall
5. Plow pose straight leg
6. Pigeon pose
7. Lying leg extended big toe holding pose

Whatever stretch you chose to do, switch them up rotate, breathe while you are doing them, hold for 1-3 minutes, and be consistently as well as mentally tough.  Hamstrings are stubborn and take time and attention but the rewards are worth the work