Photo: Melody Haas.
To achieve YOUR state of optimal performance surfing and pain free living, apply this approach to your yoga asana and sequencing.
VIRABHADRASANA I WARRIOR (variation)
We continue with the third part to Creating Flexibility and Strength in Your Surfing.
Apply this asana for better paddling and less pain from constant wear and tear, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and hips. To be the best surfer you can be, you want strong legs, a strong back, and loose hips for powerful surfing and greater endurance. Having strong muscles and a softer, pain free, outer layer is key. Remember the layers of connective tissue between and around the muscles can become shortened. These muscles also hold trauma, pain, and most importantly, short and long term memory in them.
As we continue to spend hours and hours in the ocean paddling, surfing, and unfortunately wiping out, we create more memories in this layer of muscle. This can increase the connective tissue’s potential for shortening and experiencing trauma. Ideally, we want to create memories that makes us stronger, more accurate, dynamic, and responsive in the memory of the connective tissue. This makes our surfing experience more effortless and enjoyable. Yoga and resistance stretching is a great way to create space and length in the connective tissue to stop the shortening patterns and trauma in the body that cause pain and fatigue. The results allow the body to open to new dynamic experiences in surfing.
Instructions
Photo:Melody Haas.
-Standing strong in your legs in classic warrior with the back leg pressing into the earth and the front leg deepening into a ninety degree angle. Feel your inner thighs engage to strengthen the legs and gluts. Begin to sink your hips towards the earth. Emphasize pressing the outsides of the feet a little more to keep the knees from collapsing in and the conned engagement of the inner thighs and buttocks area.
-Take a deep breath through your diaphragm opening the rib cage as you lift the front hand up and back hand behind your head.
-The back hand assists in pulling the front hand back a little deeper to open up the front side of the muscles surrounding the ribcage and Shoulder blade. Make sure to keep the neck comfortable and open.
-Continue to breathe, inhaling into the nose clasping the hands together and use the back and arms to pull resistance through them without release the hands from the clasp. You should feel the strength through out your body.
-Exhale, release the strong hold resistance and soften the heart and upper body. Apply the resistance release technique 3 to 4 times.
-As you continue breathing, focus on the grounding strength in the legs, deepening the opening in your hips, while softening and lengthening the upper body.
-Place the back hand onto the back of the leg and reach the front hand into the sky, take three more breaths, settling into your strong legs and softening the upper body.
-Fold forward and move through your Vinyasa to switch sides or simply switch legs and repeat on the other leg and arm.
Namaste
This is Part 3 of the Creating Strength and Flexibility in Your Surfing series. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here. For more from Rochelle, check out Surf Into Yoga.
