Yoga for Athletes

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Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Yoga For Athletes

 

http://www.yogitimes.com/pages/Currentfidyl/cOVER-sTORY.html

 

Yoga's explosion into mainstream America now spans the arena of

athletic competition, a concept once considered foreign in sports

training.

 

Today, coaches, trainers and athletes use the ancient science to

identify needs and address performance goals, noting assessments of

the function and quality of movement; the progression from muscle

isolation to integration; and the physical, mental and spiritual

connection through breath. As research documents yoga's ability to

increase strength and flexibility; minimize injury; correct

imbalances; and intensify concentration, world-class and recreational

athletes employ the practice for enhancing longevity in their

respective sports.

 

Yoga not only offers a common thread of physical variables, it ignites

patience and tolerance, both serving to enlighten highly competitive

individuals to understand and accept their body's limitations.

Described as a " common sense cross-training tool used to boost

athletic performance " by LA-based Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow teacher

and endurance athlete Ted McDonald, yoga's ability to dare offers

diversity and challenge, a vital component for competition.

 

 

" Yoga harmonizes and re-balances the body, mind and spirit as one,

bringing compassion into a competitive world, " says McDonald. " It's

challenge coupled with compassion, inspiring athletes to tap into

physical sensations to work their bodies without being attached to

the end result. "

 

McDonald teaches yoga for Athletes in LA and Malibu. He described his

work with professional athletes as practical, gearing the class flow

to undo imbalances caused by the repetitive nature of most

sports. " Class begins with a warm-up, followed by poses that work the

superficial muscles of the larger muscles group, including

hamstrings, thighs, calves, shoulders and back. I continue by working

connective tissue through the hips, knees, shoulders, arms and back.

The body loosens and muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints relax to

a healthier state for optimal performance. Ultimately yoga helps

athletes to hurt less. "

 

Mastering yoga can be a revelation to athletes accustomed to years of

sports specific training. Most regimens isolate muscle groups and

increase the intensity and frequency of a particular program. Yoga on

the other hand, integrates the body as a whole, emphasizing the

quality, not quantity of movement. Weaknesses and balances are

exposed, surprising even award-winning superstars.

 

" Yoga is the best biofeedback tool for assessing strength, weakness

and muscle imbalances, " continues McDonald. " It fills sports-specific

conditioning gaps by integrating the quality of movement with proper

breathing. "

 

Yogic breathing also enables athletes to overcome mental and emotional

boundaries associated with first-class competition. Documented as

yoga's single most important element for unlocking the body's

potential, breath successfully navigates and controls fluctuations of

the mind by demanding a focus on the task at hand. Breathing deeply

replaces anxiousness and frustration with the ease and clarity of

movement.

 

" Yogic breathing eliminates distractions and helps athletes to relax

and center their focus, " concludes McDonald. " An athlete who plays in

the here and now is an athlete who has mastered the art of

competition.

 

" As I tell my students, on many levels, yoga is the reason why I stay

healthy as an athlete. "

 

Regardless of titles, medals, awards and publicity, yoga is a lifelong

journey of power, commitment and resolve for guru's, athletes, and

weekend warriors, young and old alike. It's simply a matter of

showing up with presence, authenticity and magnificence to " Just Do

It! "