I’m a big fan of yoga and how it benefits me as a runner but I’m also terrible at fitting it into my routine. Even something as simple as stretching after a run sometimes takes a backseat to life. You know how it is…you squeeze a run or workout into your day and then as soon as you’re finished you move onto dinner or laundry or the kids. So when I saw this article on Yin yoga in the July issue of Runner’s World, I knew I had to give it a try. Yin yoga in a nutshell is all about holding gentle poses for up to 10 minutes. Now I know what you’re thinking…”10 minutes for each pose?? Who has that kind of time?” Well fear not my friends because you’re only doing a couple of poses at a time. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t hold each pose for 10 minutes, not because they were physically demanding but rather I couldn’t turn my mind off and I started to get restless so I opted for 5 minutes each. I set a timer for each pose and tried my best to not watch the clock.
The first pose I tried was Twisted Deer and I felt a nice stretch in my lower back and hips, a common trouble area for me. I was able to easily spend 5 minutes on each side for this pose.
Next was the Sphinx. I was pretty familiar with this pose as it’s something I’ve done in other yoga classes but I’ve never focused on it for more than a few seconds at a time. When you spend time in the pose you can really feel your body relax into it which I really enjoyed. My lower back was also happy in this pose 🙂 .
Inside Dragon was next on the list. I started out loving this pose but found it tough on my knee cap and my arms by the end, though to be fair my mat was on concrete so that probably had something to so with it. It was a good stretch for my hip flexors as well as the groin area.
Sleeping Swan seemed just like Pigeon which is an absolute favourite of mine. I learned this pose from my running coach years ago and I love zoning out in it after a long run. Another excellent stretch for the hip area (are you sensing a theme yet??).
Cat Tail was my favourite of the bunch hands down. My quads felt great in this pose and it seemed strangely natural even though I look like a pretzel! I probably could have stayed in this pose for the full 10 minutes.
I really enjoyed learning these new-to-me poses and I’d like to try and fit them into my routine. Realistically, I know that I won’t be able to do it after every run because, as I said before, life is always lurking in the background tapping her foot and looking at her watch but maybe just once a week I can push her aside for just a little while…maybe!
Are you a yoga fan? Which type is your favourite?
Is there something running related that you’d like to learn more about? Let me know and I might feature it on another Try-it-out Tuesday!
Shauna says
Oh such great tips!!! I need to try these! I’ll start with two minutes and work up. The photos of your poses really help to see what it is! Thanks 🙂