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Apr
13

Not Just for New Age Hippies… Yoga Training for Athletes

I’m sure this would come as no surprise to Swami Vivekananda, but yoga is finding its place among the popular training methodologies for elite athletes in their quest for a competitive edge.

When you consider the mental, emotional and physical benefits of yoga, it’s really no surprise!

Athletic pursuits such as running and jumping, not to mention getting thrown off your feet at a full run by a 350 pound gorilla, tend to tighten and shorten the muscles, inhibiting flexibility and increasing the likelihood of injury.  Health and longevity in any sport are enhanced when the muscles are limber and loose and those of us who practice regularly know that there is nothing like that blissful feeling of length that comes from a session of yoga.

NBA star Blake Griffin attests to the benefits, ”For me, flexibility is huge,” Griffin said. “Staying loose and healthy and staying limber–you can tell a difference when your muscles are tight or when you’re stretched out and completely relaxed. I’ve heard from a lot of guys that flexibility is the key to longevity in this league,” Griffin said. “For those guys who want to play a long time, I think it’s important.”

Along with the physical and medical benefits are the mental and emotional effects as well.  According to a German study published in 2005, 24 women who described themselves as “emotionally distressed” took two 90-minute yoga classes a week for three months. Women in a control group maintained their normal activities and were asked not to begin an exercise or stress-reduction program during the study period. At the end of three months, women in the yoga group reported vast improvements in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, energy, fatigue, and well-being.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/662388#ixzz1rw3PC4xQ

Category: Articles, Blog, health, people, Practice, running, Spirit, strength, Trends, Tri training, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
09

The Balancing Series… Love on One Foot. Part 4: Dekasana… Airplane!

bal-split-bLovely, lovely… and, despite the exertion involved a nice relief from the previous posture, Dekasana- airplane.

The support of one, or two hands if you wish, certainly helps.  The support of the arms provides leverage, allowing for greater extension through the lifted leg, with that foot active and energized.

With a last inhale in airplane, getting a little bit more from the slight backbend, heart reaching forward and up, maintain straight back and exhale, hinging at the hip, draw the torso forward down the long line of the thigh.

Be conscious of the line, making sure to keep the trunk turned to lay against the supporting leg.  With the forward bending motion, the extended leg reaches, long and upwards, the toes eager and active towards the ceiling or up the wall to the rear.

This is an energetic posture and the torso extends long down the leg, pulling in the opposite direction of the reaching toes.  Long, long… oh so long!  The arms are engaged, with hands either on the floor, on the ankle or one of each, pulling offering assistance to the extension happening through both the torso andhttp://www.mommyom.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=761 leg.  A block is absolutely encouraged to offer assistance in support with the hands, to keep the torso properly aligned, if the floor isn’t going to happen without it.  That leverage is important in maximizing the benefit of this posture.

Regardless the height of the leg, the idea is length and energy… down into the floor through the supporting leg and foot and the hands and up through that long, extended leg into and beyond the toes.

Breathe, breathe… BREATHE!!

Feels good, don’t it?!

Category: Postures, strength, yoga  Leave a Comment
Dec
08

If I’d Known Bikram Was Coming….

I’d have cranked the heat… but it is Canada, after all!

bikramIn our neck o’ the woods we’ve seen celebrities of all stripes, most notably the whole Twi-hard phenomenon as they make their homes locally (roughly) to film the monster vampire franchise.

Anywho… a celebrity nearly as big, at least in his own mind, and certainly more interesting, recently graced our northern shores.  With mouth, cocked and loaded, attitude and cash in abundance, the ‘bad boy’ founder of Bikram, Bikram Choudhury, did Vancouver.

“It takes six hours,” the Los Angeles-based yoga mogul said, before laughing: “And I buy all the junk. I love it, you know?”

Here to conduct a lecture as well as judge the Western Canadian Hatha Yoga Championships- who knew?!- Master Bikram, whose efforts and commitment have manifested in a veritable empire founded on heat, sweat and just plain balls(!), boasts more than 350 affiliated studios around the world and the devotion of millions.  Without doubt, were it available to me and given my penchant for celebrity yogis, I’d probably be sitting sweaty and happy on the Bikram train as well.

The roots of Bikram’s methodology lie in a childhood devoted to hours of practice, where he became more and more aware of the positive effects of heat on his body and it’s response to yoga.

“When room is more hot, then I can sweat more, I can stretch more, I can push more, I can go more deeper and deeper and inside the body, it hurts less and you never get injury,” he said, recalling early days in India when he’d shut doors to keep in the heat.

“So I developed this with my own practice,” he said. “Years and years and years and years.”

Guru to any number of celebrities, Shirley McLain chief among them… oh, and Tiger Woods as well, along with the likes of Madonna, Elle Macpherson and the lovely George Clooney.  Despite his roster of notable clientele, when it comes to giving them the celebrity treatment, Bikram states emphatically,

“This is the way I run my kingdom: my way or the highway,” he said in a tone that leaves little room for dispute. “I don’t listen to anybody. You need my help: Come to me, shut up, forget who you are. I will take care of you. And I do my job.”

For anyone perhaps considering taking Bikram to a more competetive level, take a peek… Here’s Mari Dickey, number one woman at the competition.  A little inspiration:

Category: news, people, strength, Trends  2 Comments
Oct
28

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or Half-Pigeon… or, Blissful Agony

pigeon_01

Historically throughout my years of oscillating practice, the pleasure of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana- or One-Legged King Pigeon OR just plain ol’ Half Pigeon- has, quite frankly, eluded me.  In fact, more often than not, when given the opportunity to avoid it, I’ve been more than happy to do so.

Frog Pose: Mandukasana

I tend to be tight, tight, tight through the hips.  Hamstrings?  No problem… there’s nothing like the sweet surrender into a deep and delicious forward bend.  Shoulders?  Mmmmm… Eagle me, baby!  Hips?  Well… another story.  At a Boot Camp a few years back part of the evening practice required we remain in Frog Pose for a seemingly endless amount of time.  By the end of the week I had discovered any number of ways to support myself in the posture: blankets, blocks, complete and utter denial… let’s say, I really came to understand “going to my happy place.”

But, I digress… be these hips as they may, lately, and perhaps it’s a function of now being in an actual class where I am bound, gagged and manhandled more consistently encouraged into Pigeon, I’ve found a little more joy in this wonderful hip-opener.

OK… perhaps ‘joy’ is overstating it a tad, but I am definitely better able to embrace the discomfort a little more, breathe into the tension of the tendon and muscle, and allow some much needed open-ness through this tight area of the hips and groin.  Honestly, after squeezing out three over-sized babies I wouldn’t have thought it ever to be an issue.

more »

Category: Postures, Practice  One Comment
Feb
16

Yoga… Playful and Fun!

yoga kidsIf you thought yoga had to be silent and solemn, you and your kids haven’t tried a new brand of “om.”

Whether your child needs something extra to help manage stress or simply wants an avenue of expression outside of competitive sports, yoga for kids is a top alternative, says Marsha Wenig, founder of the internationally acclaimed YogaKids. “There are about 1,000 poses in traditional, physical yoga,” she says. “We use about 200 of them.”

Continue reading….

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Feb
09

I’ve Found Shiva

I have made no bones about the fact that I am a Baron-o-phile. No doubt about it, when I was searching for a practice that worked for me- meaning I felt was accessible and that my body responded to, stumbling upon Baron Baptiste was a blessing.  OK… so it’s hard to stumble upon Baron, he’s pretty much everywhere.

For some reason, however, Baron hasn’t been speaking to me lately.  I live in the sticks and rely on books, CD’s and DVD’s for my yogic guidance… in addition to what I know and practice independently.  Rather than trying to fit in a class and the drive it requires to get to, I am more inclined to pop in a disc.

Recently, I climbed out of the shoe in which I must live and experienced for the first time the magic that is Shiva Rea.  shiva rea fluid powerI had heard of her before certainly… open Yoga Journal and her name is nothing less than a fixture, from columns to advertisements to conferences.  But blinded as I was with all things Baron, I never really considered another teacher in my living room.  But after the need for something different, I took a leap of faith.

And a wonderful leap it was.  I am utterly entranced with her Fluid Power and the flexibility of the matrix approach to customizing my practice.

It’s been a wonderful, graceful addition to my existing practice. I’ll enjoy giving dear Baron a bit of a break.

Category: Blog, Products  One Comment
Jan
27

New! All New!

A new site design… to represent our renewed vision and spirit!

Mommy Om is shaping up to be the formost presence of yoga for families on the web.  In addition to first hand accounts of parent’s practice, with or without their children, Mommy Om will provide a wealth of resources for introducing and involving your children in the remarkable world of yoga.

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