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INSPO Fitness Journal July 2017

Everything from nutrition, beauty, home and workplace wellbeing to health, performance – and so much more.

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Finding your flow on<br />

THE SNOW<br />

YOGA FOR ATHLETES BY SARAH MACDONALD<br />

Yoga can build strength, focus<br />

and balance to help you have<br />

fun on the slopes.<br />

When you are hitting the slopes for<br />

skiing or snowboarding you need<br />

your mind and body primed and<br />

working together. A smooth run requires fast<br />

mental processing, split second judgements,<br />

and single-pointed concentration. The body<br />

needs to be mobile, strong and balanced.<br />

Yoga brings mind and body together<br />

through breathing, mental focus and poses<br />

(asana), and can enhance your whole snow<br />

sports experience. When mind, breath and<br />

body all work as one without distraction,<br />

we can enter the state known as flow. Time<br />

seems to slow down, we find an ease and<br />

rhythm to our movements, and we are completely<br />

in the zone.<br />

Below are five yoga poses that you can<br />

use to develop focus, leg and core strength,<br />

balance and mobility. Add in some focused<br />

breathing, meditation or visualisation and<br />

this short routine can help you find your own<br />

flow on the snow. Hold each of these poses<br />

for 30 seconds or more.<br />

1. Mountain pose - Tadasana<br />

In mountain pose first look for the connection<br />

of your feet to the ground. Build<br />

up through the body for a balanced stance,<br />

running your awareness up through the<br />

legs, hips, core, spine, shoulders, arms, neck<br />

and head. Find a sense of ease, strength and<br />

balance while focusing on a full, soft breath.<br />

This will help you build body awareness and<br />

focus.<br />

2. Chair pose - Utkatasana<br />

From mountain pose, squat low into the ankles<br />

and knees, lowering the hips and raising<br />

the arms long overhead. Draw the core in,<br />

and the spine long. Move the shoulder blades<br />

down, away from the ears. Work strength<br />

through the legs and stretch through the<br />

upper body. This pose builds strength in the<br />

glutes, upper legs and back, and stretches the<br />

calf muscles.<br />

3. Half Chair pose<br />

This pose adds a component of balance and<br />

a hip opener to chair pose. Lift your right<br />

3<br />

1 2<br />

leg, and cross your ankle over your left knee.<br />

Dorsiflex your foot (press through the heel<br />

and pull your toes towards the shin). Open<br />

your right knee out to the side.<br />

The legs take a shape similar to a figure<br />

four. Then bend into your standing leg<br />

further, as in chair pose. Work to keep the<br />

standing knee moving directly out over the<br />

toes. You can have your hands on your hips,<br />

or take the palms together in front of your<br />

chest.<br />

This pose works more strength in your<br />

standing leg, while opening the opposite hip.<br />

It will help stabilise the ankles and knees,<br />

and develop your balance, core strength, and<br />

concentration. Keep focused on a long, full<br />

breath in and out. Hold for 30 seconds, then<br />

change sides.<br />

22 <strong>INSPO</strong> – FITNESS JOURNAL JULY <strong>2017</strong>

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