Yoga Sequences For U

15 minute yin yoga PRACTICE for the HIPS
 
We are all active beings on a daily basis, sometimes we forget what supports this and that is our HIPS.  We often lose sight of how much our hips matter in our inner + outer mobility.  Our emotional centre can be found in our HIPS and the surrounding tissue.  Try this 15 minute practice at any time of your day to increase your physical presence and to perhaps let go of some stale emotions in the process.
 
Child's pose with knees apart (3 minutes)  draw your knees mat with a part, bringing the forehead to the mat, arms are along the side of your body, seat is resting towards the heels.
Why? healing, stretches the spine, compression of the belly aids digestion & soothing
*you can use a blanket or fold your mat in half to create a cushion for the knees

Come in to a downward dog for 3 breaths
 
Sleeping Swan (2 minutes on each side)   from DWD, bring your right knee down to the mat so it is pointing towards the right top corner while bringing your left leg straight back tucking your right foot under your left thigh.  Take a breath in to lengthen your spine and fold forward from your hips coming to your forearms or all the way down to the floor.  Why? a relaxing and safe way to open your hips. DWD (switch sides) To counter balance sleeping swan come on to your back bringing your feet to the earth, mat with apart and knock your knees side to side like windshield wipers.
 
Happy baby (3 minutes)
lying on your back, bend the knees to the chest, draw the right knew towards the right armpit and the left knee towards the left armpit, reaching the hands to the soles of the feet and draw the feet over the knees. Why?  opens your hips and releases your lower back while aiding digestive function.
 
Savasana (3 minutes)  lie flat on your back, release your arms and legs comfortably apart, close your eyes & relax. (lower the room sound & lights) Why? to relax your mind, body & nervous system.
 
Casey Soer, yoga & cycling instructor, co-founder of Spynga The Yoga & Cycling Studio, a mom of 2 and a huge advocate of practicing clean thoughts and consuming healthy foods!

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4 COOL exercises to strengthen your CORE for cycling (both inside + out)

1.  Power Bridge
What: Hip flexors, glutes, lower back
How Lying on your back, bend your knees and place your heels near your glutes. Arms are at your sides, palms down.  In one smooth motion, squeeze your glutes, raise your hips off the floor and push up from your heels to form a straight line from shoulders to knees; toes come off the floor slightly. Hold for two seconds. Keeping your toes raised, lower yourself three-quarters of the way to complete one rep. Do 10-15 repetitions.
Why In addition to stretching the hip flexors, often extremely stiff in cyclists, the bridge strengthens the link between your lower back and glutes.
 
2. Plank
What:  Transverse abdominus, upper and lower back
How Lying on your stomach, place your elbows under your shoulders with forearms and hands on the floor.  Lift your hips off the floor, keeping your back straight and abs tight, and rest on your toes. Aim for 60 seconds.
Why The plank builds the strength and muscular endurance you need to ride powerfully in the drops or in an aero position long after others have surrendered to the top of the handlebar. (sound familiar)?
 
3.  Scissors KICK
What: Transverse abdominus, hip flexors, inner and outer thighs
How Lying on your back with legs straight, place both hands palms down under your lower back.  Pushing your elbows down into the floor and pulling your belly button toward your spine, raise your shoulders off the floor and look toward the ceiling. Raise your legs 4 inches off the ground and scissor them: left leg over right, then right over left. That's one rep. Work up to 50 then 100.
Why A comprehensive movement that connects key cycling muscles, the kick also builds inner-thigh muscles, which help you achieve hip, knee and forefoot alignment for a proper and efficient pedal stroke.
 
4.  Boat Pose
What:  Transverse abdominus, lower back
How Sit, resting both hands lightly behind you, and lean back until your torso is at a 45-degree angle.  Keeping your legs together, lift them off the floor as you extend arms forward at shoulder height. Abs are tight, as thighs and torso form a 90-degree angle. If your hamstrings are tight, you'll need to bend your knees a little. Work up to holding for 60 seconds, while lengthening your inhales + exhales.
Why As with the plank, this pose builds the lower-back stability and core strength needed to remain bent over the handlebar for hours, or to blast up hills without compromising power or speed.
 
Casey Soer, yoga & cycling instructor, co-founder of Spynga The Yoga & Cycling Studio, a mom of 2 and a huge advocate of practicing clean thoughts and consuming healthy foods that produce energy for busy days.
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Get GROUNDED today.Connect yourself to the earth and your own physicality with this short grounding practice

Mountain pose - tadasana (8 breaths)
as you stand with your feet hip width apart, toes pointing straight forward and arms at your sides begin to observe your breath, as it moves down to your feet.  
 
Fierce posture - Utkasana (5 breaths)
from tadasana, as you breathe out, bend your knees without letting your heels come off the ground.  Keep your navel pulled up and back toward your spine.  On your next exhale, raise your arms above your head and place your palms together in prayer position.  Look up to your finger tips.  If you have neck issues, look straight ahead rather than up.  
 
Seated forward bend - Paschimothanasana (10 breaths)
forward bends promote a strong flow of grounding energy, aid in calming the mind and improve posture.  Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you, hip width apart, keeping your back straight.  Try to sit at the front of your sit bones, to eliminate slumping into your lower back.  Make sure that your neck is in line with your spine.  Flex your heels so that the back of the knees - as much as possible - are on the floor.  Breathe in and as you breathe out , bend forward from your hips without rounding the spine.
 
Casey Soer, yoga & cycling instructor, co-founder of Spynga The Yoga & Cycling Studio, a mom of 2 and a huge advocate of practicing clean thoughts and consuming healthy foods that give life energy for busy days.
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Yoga is so much more powerful than "just a workout".  Yoga encourages us to think positively about our bodies and our place in the world.  Yoga teaches us to accept and celebrate where we are at this moment.  Scientifically speaking, thinking positive thoughts alone increases an invisible odourless gas, nitric oxide, that your body makes in the endothelium layer in the lining of your blood vessels.  Nitric oxide boosts pleasure, feelings of joy, resilience, hardiness and hope.  This may be one of the reasons why thinking positively reduces the risk of heart disease by 13%.  As well, yoga has been shown to be as effective as antidepressant at lifting depression.
 
In yoga we learn to distinguish between pain and resistance.  We must back away from pain but breath through resistance.  By breathing through resistance we develop - patience, persistence and resilience and we produce more nitric oxide leading to more pleasure and joy!  Just a few of the many reasons why I continue to practice yoga after 35 years.
 
Lynda Montis, yoga instructor, dietician and wise soul. Reach Lynda at www.weightlossyoga.ca.  contact lynda.montis@gmail.com.