Why Athletes should get their yin on

It is truly wonderful to see more and more athletes, trainers and coaches at the top of their game giving greater emphasis to RECOVERY.

Sore muscles, injuries, over-extension of the body…if you’re an athlete or enjoy an active lifestyle then you’re no stranger to these. Whether you are smashing running records or weightlifting PBs in Crossfit, chances are you’ve experienced some type of injury or strain. Injuries may be inevitable, but what if I told you there is a practice you could adopt to minimise injury.

Introducing Yin Yoga.

A gentle, yet challenging, yoga practice that allows you to drop into your own body, listen, and be present with anything and everything that comes up, both physically and mentally.

Yin is a seated, grounding practice, where poses are held for 3-5 minutes in order to bring ease to the body. By practicing yin yoga, athletes are able to transform the way their body moves, and also reduce stress and tension in the mind.

The mind can be our greatest ally or enemy in sport as well as life!

In most Western yoga classes, students are working with their yang muscles, or power muscles, which can be similar to an athlete’s normal routine. When practicing yin yoga, students are asked to relax into postures, taking a more passive approach, focussing on deep connective tissue and fascia in the body.

Fascia, connects every part of our body together, and by caring for your fascia you are maximising athletic performance, reducing nervous system stress and placing your body in a deep state of rest, every sports person knows rest is when gains take place.

Chronically engaged muscles tend to shorten, which creates tightness and reduces range of motion. The reduction in the range of motion can limit active pursuits or just give a general feeling of unease in the body.

The deep, static stretches of Yin are intended to apply stress (therapeutic traction) to the connective tissue & joints. If we never stress our joints through therapeutic traction, they will atrophy.

Many athletes now do Yin Yoga and are all the better for it, a lot of top professional trainers in football, MMA, all other sports are encompassing yin as part of their training.

Top trainers and coaches are keyed into the fact that an athletes body gets stronger in a state of rest.

The balance of hard training plus recovery & rest is what leads to good health, this enables optimal functioning of your body and mind.

Yin Yoga also offers athletes a chance to find stillness in the mind. Over time dedicated practioners will find themselves breaking through old emotional patterns and coming out of class stronger and more resilient, yin expands the window of tolerance for uncomfortable emotions, which is helpful for sport and life

WHY YIN

· Improve flexibility & mobility

· Reduce risk of injury

· Reduce inflammation

· Increase energy (the stiffer and tighter the body the more energy is needed to move it, as the body becomes more supple, the body conserves energy which can be used to increase endurance & power)

· Sleep Better

· Reduce stress

· Enhance brain function – associated with quick decision making, higher reasoning and mindfulness

· Feel better in body and mind

When embarking on a yin yoga journey it is important to seek out a highly certified specialist coach.

peaceloveyogauk@outlook.com

www.peaceloveyogauk.com