Sport Specific Poses (Asana) for Before, During and After Running

Sport specific yoga poses are a creative way to make the most of your yoga time. Hold poses when either taking a break during an interval run or after speed and endurance work which help rest, stretch and strengthen the feet, legs, hips and back. Malasana (squat pose), it's great for stretching the calves (gastrocnemius and soleus) and strengthening the tibialis; therefore, preventing shin splints. Standing pigeon stretches the hips and glutes while strengthening the quads and increasing proprioception, awareness of the body in space, helping to protect the knees. Dancer pose (Natarajasana) does the same while stretching the quads and hip flexors (runners lunge also stretches the ilio psoas); especially needed after running up hills, or mountains as the case may be.


Standing twists are a great way to release and relax the torso helping prevent side aches. Standing hand to foot (Utthita Jathra Padanghustasana) or the less intense forward hinge (Uttanasana) stretches the hamstrings group. These are a handful of great running poses to help the body feel prime. Choose a few or do them all adding in your favorites. Of course downward facing dog (adho-mukha-svanasana) stretches the entire back of the legs. So lift those tailbones high and sink heels down while lifting toes to strengthen the tibialis (shins). If down dog is easy for you try dolphin by coming down onto elbows – kudos for heels to the ground in this pose!


For more sport specific poses to do with cycling and swimming check out Yoga Journals article, Triple Play, in the August 2014 issue. Oh, and don't skip legs up pose (supta-dandasana). Simply lay on your back and lengthen your legs up holding your legs or feet; using a strap can help. The reverse flow of blood is an excellent way for the feet and legs to feel well rested after activities. Move into shoulder stand for even greater benefits, also helping the hips. My own, personal favorite is Pinca-Hamsasana (Swan Feather Pose), helps my back feel great. Begin in crocodile (nakrasana) - down phase of a triceps push-up, then place the torso on/near the upper-arms and lengthen legs up. Balancing prone butterfly, what I like to call hovering helicopter, is a great transition for feeling balance before lifting the legs.

A Handful of Poses To Awaken and/or Rest and Sleep

These poses can be done laying on your back, supine or laying on your front, prone while in bed. Be inclusive, intrinsic, intuitive & conscious while feeling, breathing and listening; you may fade in & out of this wise presence. However, the more you practice the more awake & aware you will become.

1.) Supine/Prone Tree (Vrksasana) - lay long with one foot placed in towards the thigh, up near the groin, switch sides, lay in pose for a similar amount of time.

2.) Supine/Prone Butterfly (Baddha Konasana) - rub feet together with knees splayed apart, opening/stretching the adductor muscles (inner thighs including groin) – prepares the body to awaken.

3.) Supine/Prone Twist (Jathra Padangusthasana) - bring knees towards the chest then place knees to one side, rest, then move to the other side – beneficial for the internal organs, especially after a 12 hour fast when the stomach and intestines are relaxed. According to the article Fasting the Right Way, in the magazine Energy Times (Enhancing Your Vitality Through Nutrition Health & Harmony; June 2014), Campanile, MD, recommends a daily mini-fast of 12 hours to help with fat burning and increase metabolism, among other benefits.

4.) Feet to Hands or Child (Apanasana or Balasana) - bring knees towards chest and hold the soles of the feet or lay prone & bring knees underneath, place tailbone towards heels & rest head.

5.) Upright Legs or Sit Through to Upright Sitting (Supta Dandasana or Dandasana) - lengthen legs up & hold legs, feet or toes, rub up & down legs while stretching them towards the sky or bring legs through, to the front of the body, from Child to sit upright, tailbone through to the top of the head aligning while lengthening legs long. Both poses can stretch the hamstrings group of muscles and back.

Rise and shine with these beneficial poses to start your day the happy, healthy, wealthy and wise way!  Use reverse order to fall asleep, dreaming sweet!

Intermittent Fasting Scientific Evidence | EAS Nutrition Research

Intermittent Fasting Scientific Evidence | EAS Nutrition Research

Handstand (Adhomukhavrksasana)

I used to work for the Forest Service caring for wild-lands. The job entailed thinning trees in fire danger areas. This helps protect old-growth trees from ladder fuels which could start crown (canopy) fires. So, while felling trees we want the most oxidative to remain standing. I write this information because Handstand (Adho-mukha-vrksasana) is Downward-facing-tree-pose and while it is important to focus our breath, core strength is also integral to remain standing.


Yoga Journal magazine's July issue contains the article Defy Gravity. It states, “To ensure you have enough strength to work toward Handstand, first be sure you can hold Chaturanga-dandasana (Four-limbed-staff-pose) or Adho-mukha-svanasana (Downward-facing-dog-pose) for about 5 minutes.” Therefore, practice core strength, like flowing from Plank or Hover (Chaturanga-dandasana) → Side-plank (Vasisthasana)→ Reverse-plank (Purvottanasana) → Side-plank. Then, add variations like lifted leg and quad stretch, for the fun of it. Even try Explorer (Virabhadrasana) → side-plank → Crescent-lunge or Low-lunge (Unjanyasana). All excellent strength building poses.

When ready incorporate handstands into a session with handstand kick-ups. I like to practice during Salutations with variations or any fun flow. From Downward-facing-dog scissor kick by bringing the leg, that would normally lunge forward (let's say the right), half-way up the mat and kicking the other leg (the left) overhead followed by the right leg and while the legs are overhead bringing the left leg down followed by the right. Continue, and on the next round with the left leg moving forward and kicking up the right leg etc. Now, if you haven't already started, your doing Adho-mukha-vrksasana!