Week #6- IT Band +vinyasa

The weather has been so amazing!  This means... more running... yayyyyy!  Opportunities to get out, breathe in some fresh air, and feel the promise of spring.  As the body gets readjusted to running, yogaRX will focus on some IT Band stretches that will help recover legs.  The iliotibial band is the ligament that runs along the outer edge of the leg from top of the thigh to just below the knee.  To learn more about IT Band and its close relationship to running, click here.   We will be working on baby grasshopper pose this week. Video tutorial to come.

Here is a preview of our intention work in class woven in throughout the week and hint of our sanskrit WOTW.  Have a great week!

DRISHTI

Our sanskrit word this week is "drishti" meaning focal point. This is usually in reference to concentrating as you meditate or balance in an asana. If you're having a hard time balancing during the physical practice of yoga, try focusing on a single point on the ground not moving. When adjusting your drishti, move your gaze slowly, concentrating on how your body changes as your drishti does. When you're meditating, your drishti becomes more abstract. I read a really good article explaining drishti:

"The ancient yogis discovered that where our gaze is directed our attention naturally follows, and that the quality of our gazing is directly reflected in the quality of our mental thoughts. When the gaze is fixed on a single point the mind is diminished from being stimulated by all other external objects. And when the gaze is fixed on a single point within the body, our awareness draws inwards and the mind remains undisturbed by external stimuli. Thus, the use of a drishti allows the mind to focus and move into a deep state of concentration. "  Read the whole article here.

 This week, as you focus on an intention for your practice, the theme is to dwell on the little things that make you smile, make you excited, lift you up- even if it's just momentarily.  I often reference my kindergarten class in yogaRX.  This week's intention reminds me of a daily routine we have in kindergarten to "Fill the Bucket".  Each of us has an invisible bucket over our heads.  When things happen throughout our day that are unpleasant, some of the water drips out of our bucket.  Our negative inner feelings become negative actions and attitude.  BUT, alternatively, if we focus on the positive little parts of the day, it can work to fill the bucket, creating a better attitude which leads to friendlier actions… a way of "paying it forward" so to speak.  In honoring each other, we practice daily shout-outs that help fill up each other's "buckets."  When we give a shout-out it works to benefit the giver as well as the receiver because spreading the joy manifests joy itself.  It creates a domino effect that really makes everyone feel good- and isn't that the point?

Bring an intention to your practice to add up the small victories in your day, creating a happiness that brighten the lives of everyone.

Happy Martin Luther King JR Day

Week #2 - Shoulders +vinyasa

This week will be the first +vinyasa series.  Every week we will be targeting areas of the body.  What you learn in my class can be transferred to home practice or post-workout recovery so you can continue to mobilize.  We will build on these skills in the following weeks.

The focus for the week will be shoulders.  CrossFit is very shoulder intensive.  Lack of mobility in the shoulders can hold you back from even the most basic CrossFit functions.  If you can't make class this week, here are some poses to try at home.







I'll leave you with this quote from Sage Rountree with the Yoga Journal:

Weightlifting and CrossFit can be a great way to develop full-body strength. While CrossFit pays attention to mobility, it’s still easy to incur imbalances in the body—especially when you head to a desk and sit for eight hours or more right afterward. A strong but tight front body puts you at risk for both overuse injuries that come from chronic imbalance between muscle groups and acute injuries, especially to the back, as you lift or go through other daily movements.