Yoga Brings Focus To Intention And Breath

By Elizabeth Carey for DyeStat

As an athlete, I’ve bent over backward for running. But it’s yoga that’s held me up. It moves me on and off the mat into life. The hardest pose, often, is any that asks for stillness. 

As a coach, though, this what I want my athletes to practice. Especially right now. As my co-author of Girls Running, Melody Fairchild says, there’s power in stillness. 

Yoga takes many forms in a variety of methods, especially as we experience it squeezed through capitalism and fitness trends. From vinyasa and kundalini to “hot” and “power,” different yoga styles deliver different perks. These include strength, mobility and balance. What kind of yoga fits best into your training plan will depend on where you are in a competitive cycle (or not — heyo, 2020).  

Olympian and yoga instructor Tianna Bartoletta recommends athletes look for vinyasa (active, dynamic classes), yin (“Stretching, but better,” she says), and restorative classes, “the most supportive and still class. Great for ‘undwinding’ the central nervous system,” she says. 

One thing yoga sessions tend to have in common? Focusing on your breath. That’s the one thing everyone can do. Especially to be here, now. In fact, as you read this, try it! In a second, pause. Turn your attention to your breath. No need to change it. Can you hear it? Feel it? Your natural breath breathing itself? 

“Don’t be intimidated by complicated poses or limited flexibility. It’s a practice, not a performance,” Bartoletta says.

For more information about Bartoletta's yoga classes, go to:  tiannabee.com/live-classes, or follow her on IG @tianna.bartoletta.

You see, there’s no need to bend yourself into a pretzel or flip into a handstand to Do Yoga. We’re all likely tied into enough knots as it is! This is not about achieving some perfect form but moving with intention and breath. As you try the following foundational poses, try inhaling and exhaling through your nose. 

Two Yoga Poses To Practice Right Now

Downward-facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)  

This pose will help you change perspective, quickly. Deceptively simple, it might feel challenging at first, especially if your shoulders have been hunched over a laptop or phone. It’s a full-body stretch that is often incorporated into flows like sun salutations. You may feel it in your upper body and backside of your legs.

Try it: After a training session or as a screen-time break. 

How: Place your hands on the ground and step your feet back into a front plank pose. Spread your fingers wide and actively press your palms down. Raise your hips towards the sky to make an upside-down V with your body. Gently rotate your biceps forward and shoulder blades down your back, letting your neck and head relax but keeping your ears next to your arms. Press your sit bones (under your glutes) up and back, keeping a slight bend in your knees if needed. Let gravity pull your heels towards the ground. 

Modifications: Alternate bending each knee, pedaling your feet out for an active stretch into your calves and up towards your glutes. Take this into a deeper static stretch by moving weight into one leg and pressing that heel gently towards the ground; keep your shoulders square and breathe into your lower leg. 

Legs up the wall (Viparita karani)

You might already know this one, especially if you’ve spent any time at track meets or competed in multiple events in a day. There’s a reason Coach tells you to put your feet up: It’s restorative. This near inversion changes where you feel gravity. It’s an especially tasty treat if you’re feeling tired, stressed, sore, or have been spending lots of time on your feet. If you fall asleep, sweet dreams. 

Try this: Anytime, anywhere, for a few minutes or working up to 20 minutes or more.

How: Find a wall or similar vertical structure, such as bleachers or a bed headboard. Sit on the floor (or ground or bed) with either your right or left hip against the wall. Place whichever elbow is away from the wall on the floor. Swing both your legs up the wall, until the soles of your feet face the ceiling. Scooch your bottom closer to the wall, if needed, for more stretch along the backside of your legs. Allow a slight natural curve in your back. Let your arms hang heavy on the ground by your sides. Relax your legs. Can you feel a little float?  

Modifications: For an inversion, place a folded towel, mat, or blanket under your sacrum and low back so your heart is higher than your head. To reduce the stretch on your hamstrings, scoot your bottom away from the wall or place a pillow or bolster between the wall and your legs, allowing for a soft bend in the knees.

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Elizabeth Carey (https://elizabethwcarey.com/) is a writer and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. Her first book, GIRLS RUNNING, co-authored with Melody Fairchild, is available at your local book store and here: https://shop.aer.io/GirlsRunning/p/Girls_Running_All_You_Need_to_Strive_Thrive_and_Run_Your_Best/9781948007184-9934.