Working in Before Working Out
I love to lift weights. I love to sweat and find that ‘second wind’ in a workout, proving time and time again tomyself that I can meet and sometimes surpass my own expectations.
Why Do We Do It?
Whether you’re a competitor or not, we’ve all experienced the clarityand confidence that comes from lifting a heavy barbell or nailing a workout in the gym. “Balance” is another word thrown around a lot – this is unique to everyone dependingon what their goals are. Regardless, sometimes we need to tap out. Because stillness isoften where the answers lie. It’s human nature to be hard-wired for activity ALL. THE. TIME. Our ancestors constantly needed to be in a ‘fight or flight’ state, protecting their lovedones, on the hunt for their next meal, escaping from danger and seeking safe spaces.This is also where the human tendency for immediate gratification comes from. In a new world of technology, smartphones, and Deliveroo, we have excess at ourfingertips and somehow have to refrain from it. Hence why the common “trust the process” piece of advice is sometimes easier said than done. I’ll come back to the relevance of all of this.
Working In.
My yoga journey began with a similar need to you – a way to recover mybody from training. What makes yoga unique to the multitude of mobility/recovery tools on the market? Well, it’s the source for one. Believed to date as far back as the 3rd century BC, yogauses the breath to inform the practice (rather than as a separate methodology). The poses themselves are like a moving mediation and it’s the breath that allows us tofind that sense of space. Think about it. When you’re stressed or scared, the first thing the body does is constrictbreath. Without releasing this physical stress, there’s not much in the way of movementwe can do to reverse it. A recovery practice isn’t about contorting the body into uncomfortable postures –it’s about using the breath to inform how far your body can achieve a stretch, and often,“maxing out” in a stretch probably isn’t good. Rhythm in our breath should correspond with a sense of symmetry or as yogis call it,“equanimity” in the body. And now we start to see how it’s all Connected.
A Regular Practice
The word “meditation’” can sometimes be intimidating. We have visions of monks sittingcross-legged for hours in silence. All I call it is taking time out – even a few minutes – to reconnect with the breath (seemy video below for an easy 10-minute daily practice you can follow). Why is this important? I was actually thrown into the deep end when I was introduced to a daily breathingpractice – during my yoga teacher training, 4:30 am, silence, darkness, the sound of ourSwami (teacher) chanting in the middle of the Himalayas. My point is this – create the environment, a quiet space for one. Maintain a comfortableposition – you can even lie down. And – have faith it’ll work. Trust the process. Of course, sitting still even for a few minutes goes against our nature but creating thehabit definitely makes it easier. What we’re trying to do is divert our attention back (because it will get sidetracked) toour breath – which is why having a set count to focus on helps. There’s no use in trying to drown out thoughts – we have millions, lots of them totallysubconscious, daily. The art is in getting accustomed to observing them without getting attached. It’s this process that starts to create headspace – we physically begin to relax and ourbodies are now optimally primed for a yoga/mobility/recovery practice.
Breathing for life.
Having a regular practice begins to have a positive impact on everyday situations.We’re incredibly reactionary beings – again, by nature. Feel yourself getting ready toreact negatively to something someone has said? Take a deep breath. I actually like to take 10 deep breaths as a practice – wherever Iam – when I have feelings of agitation or anxiety about something. Try it and you’ll find that your next move will probably be very different from what itcould’ve been. We’re so inundated with signals, messages, information all day long – it can beall-consuming. A simple but effective practice such as this has, quite honestly, just mademe chill out a bit more. It has had endless positive effects on my interactions and therefore my relationships –and that’s ultimately what we want. To be better wives, husbands, fathers, friends. Channeling male and female energy in equal amounts is important (in the context of this blog, ‘training’ energy versus ‘recovery’ energy). They both optimally feed into each other – a breathing practice encourages greatermental and physical awareness, something you can optimize in training (when it comes to effectively breathing during, as well as tuning into how physically primed or fatigued you are). Having masculine energy doesn’t mean you are ‘masculine’ – same for the other wayaround. It’s crucial to tap into both for our sense of ‘balance’ that we’re constantly craving. Find yours. With love and light,Annika Learn more about all the benefits yoga can provide you as an athlete and how you can add it to your training by checking out Annika’s page on Instagram at @yogafortheathlete.