(Excerpted from Yoga for Paddling with Anna Levesque) Breathwork (Pranayama) is one of the eight limbs of yoga. According to yoga, the breath is our life force (prana) and can be manipulated to warm us up, cool us down, stimulate digestion, energize us or induce relaxation. Another benefit of breath control is to bring you…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling
Yoga for Paddling: Side Angle Stretch
(Excerpted from Yoga for Paddling with Anna Levesque) The muscles of the side body are mainly responsible for lateral flexion of the spine and hiking the hip. Kayakers and canoeists activate these muscles for hip snaps, performing the roll, edge control, and stability. SUP paddlers also use these muscles for balance and stability on the…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Legs up the Wall
(Excerpted from Yoga for Paddling with Anna Levesque) Relaxation and stress management are important in maintaining our health, happiness and performance in life. This is especially important in our culture where the focus is almost exclusively on expending energy. Keep moving, keep busy, and keep striving. We fuel our bodies on the move and and…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Simple Seated Twist
(Excerpted from Yoga for Paddling with Anna Levesque) The obliques are key muscles in the movement of torso rotation and tend to be chronically contracted in paddlers. Twists help to stretch the obliques, give our internal organs a good massage, stimulate digestion, and calm the nervous system. One of my favorite twists for paddlers is…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Table Top Pose
(Excerpted from Yoga for Paddling with Anna Levesque) Core strength is an important element of effective paddling technique. A strong core assists us in sitting up tall and helps to protect our low backs from risk of injury. According to yoga, we are not striving for a “six pack.” In fact, yoga advocates for a…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Relieving Low Back Pain
Here in the U.S. we spend over 100 billion dollars per year on low back pain relief (trying to get it). What is most astounding about this is that most, if not all, low back pain is avoidable. The key is knowledge, understanding and a little discipline too. First, your low back pain and discomfort…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Side Plank Variations
Side Plank Variations for Greater Balance and Power Our side body muscles are mainly used for lateral flexion of the spine and hiking the hip. This means their strength AND flexibility are key for a successful hip snap and roll in whitewater kayaking. As well as carrying our kayaks on one shoulder for portages. In…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Top Poses to Relieve Holiday Stress
In my experience most paddlers are very active types who don’t like to slow down. In our culture we are encouraged to stay busy, keep going and get things done. It’s important to get things done because that’s how we pay our bills, provide for our families and accomplish our goals. Unfortunately few of us…Read more »
Yoga for Paddlers: Glute Strengtheners
The first time my PT/Yoga Therapist told me I had ‘sleepy’ glutes I didn’t believe her. How was it possible that an outdoor athlete/Yoga teacher like me that kayaks, SUPs, hikes, mountain bikes and practices Yoga on a regular basis could have weak glutes? And anyway, I was in her office because I was experiencing…Read more »
Yoga for Paddling: Shoulder Care
On a beautiful December day my husband and I drove two hours to paddle the Watauga gorge – a classic Class IV creek in the mountains outside of Boone, NC. On the way to the river I started experiencing pain in my left shoulder blade. It wasn’t the first time that I felt the cranky…Read more »
