Athletic Sequences

• Increases your maximum power output.
• Increases your endurance.   
• Increases your speed of movement.

We take our bodies through a diversified range of poses (asanas) and movements to massage and activate the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, so they easily contract/shorten, lengthen, and relax. 

In athletics, we learn that repetitive, imbalanced movement patterns create over-tightness in the muscles and the joints, creating limitation. We cross-train with yoga to learn to create alignment so that we move more freely and effortlessly.

The result: We live and move in a balanced state between strength and flexibility, power and efficiency, and energy and relaxation.

  Cross-train with yoga to…

• Build core strength. 
• Relieve stiffness, aches, and pain.
• Gain flexibility.
• Increase mobility and agility. 
• Improve performance. 
• Go beyond limitations. 
• Increase endurance and efficiency.  
• Increase energy levels and vitality.
• Create alignment in the bones.
• Develop freedom of movement in all directions. 
• Create upright posture.
• Create spinal elasticity.
• Improve joint mobility.
• Relax nerves and conserve energy. 
• Center the body and mind. 
• Prevent injuries. 
• Decrease recovery time. 

step one = practice

Train with a diversity of yoga postures to reeducate your body in movement, alignment, and precision. Be willing to practice for however long it takes to gain that skill – as sometimes practicing harder or more often doesn’t mean you will learn the skill faster. 

Tight muscles are weak muscles. The diversity of yoga postures places your body into different shapes to exercise and massage your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Then, your body can release tension and open up energy flow to infuse and invigorate you with power and vitality. 

step two = repeat

Train with accuracy, balance, and consistency, but do not repeat poses mechanically. Repeat with dynamic awareness, razor-sharp focus, and creativity. Practice to create agility in your body, freedom in your mind, love in your heart, and devotion in your spirit. 

Training with balance means you are training your extensors to extend, your flexors to flex, and your rotators to rotate. In this well-rounded practice you reenergize, refocus, and recenter yourself. 

step three = transform 

Harness your power to change your life in amazing ways. Trust that you can go beyond your limitations. Practice with a fresh mind and a kind heart. With diligent effort over time, core changes occur that maximize your power, compassion, and performance. 

Core strength includes your spinal column, pectoral girdle, pelvic girdle, and upper, middle, and lower torso.

step four =  master 

There are no shortcuts. The end of one training session is the beginning of a fresh, new training session. Take delight in making incremental improvements in the present moment of your training. Mastery is the result of years of disciplined training in the now. The more you give, the more you get. 

As Si-Fu Scott Baker explains “… one has to let go of time frames and fall in love with the path. One has to learn to enjoy the journey and focus his attention on what is going on where he is currently, rather than always looking ahead to what is down the road. In learning today’s lessons well, tomorrow’s lessons will come much quicker than anticipated.” *

“Mastery of the world is achieved by letting things take their natural course. You cannot master the world by changing the natural way.” Lao Tzu

*”What it takes to Master Kung-Fu” by Si-Fu Scott Baker, Ph.D.

Cross-training with yoga keeps your body and mind healthy and fit. Cross-training captures and utilizes the power of your body, breath, mind, and spirit so that the whole of who you are is performing in a unified way. 

Whether I work with you individually or collectively, my goal is to bring out the best in you by leading you through challenging yet achievable yoga sequences to improve yourself as an athlete.

One cross-training yoga technique that I apply is resistance training. 

Resistance training uses the weight of the body, sandbags, weights, and hand weights to meet your individual needs. Resistance training  breaks through or bypasses your resistances to change so that you can fully tap into your power.

Through resistance training you… 

• Release resistance to change. 
• Bypass limitations. 
• Build core strength and integrity.  
• Recharge energy levels and vitality. 
• Gain flexibility, mobility, and agility.
• Gain health and self-mastery. 

Tip: As a beginner practitioner, practice yoga once a week. As an intermediate practiitioner, practice yoga 3 times a week. As an advanced practitioner, practice yoga daily.

Tip: Integrate pranayama (breath work) to capture the power of  breath. Experiment with practicing nostril breathing. Breathe evenly, inhale 4 seconds, hold  2 seconds, exhale 4 seconds,  hold  2 seconds. Repeat 7 times. 

Below is a sample list of athletic yoga sequences that I teach. 

• Yoga for Rock Climbers
• Yoga to Increase Hand, Wrist, and Finger Strength
• Yoga for Upper Core Strength and Flexibility
• Yoga to Relieve Back Pain
• Yoga to Release Tight Hips
• Yoga to Relieve Shoulder and Neck Pain

Learn how to host an athletic sequence class or workshop. (Kari’s Offerings)

• Yoga for Bikers
• Yoga for Golfers
• Yoga for Runners
• Yoga for Skiers
• Yoga for Weight Lifters
• Yoga for Endurance Training
• Yoga for Flexibility
• Yoga for Core Strength Training
• Yoga for Tight Quadriceps and Hamstrings
• Yoga to Focus the Mind
• Yoga to Relieve Carpel Tunnel 
• Yoga to Relieve Knee Pain
• Yoga to Relieve Shoulder Tightness
• Warrior Sequences for Athletes