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End of year newsletter

13/1/2015

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Full email newsletter link here, or see below for preview (links may not be active in preview)

2014 wrap up and free yoga classes!

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Hi to all my yoga friends,
2014 is coming to a close, and I hope you have all had great year.  This one has been a particularly challenging one for me however many new opportunities have presented themselves as well.  I would not have dreamed that I would have been teaching Yoga for Cyclist workshops if you had asked me this time last year!  This was the product of months of planning, learning to build my own website, working with graphic designers, working out how to reach people that may come to my class, looking at venues, paying venue hire and booking website fees.. I am so very grateful that people actually turned up :)

 
You will find me each Sunday 10:15-11:15am (except the first Sunday of 2015, I will be at a week long yoga retreat in Carrickalinga) at Flinders OneSport gym located in the Flinders University campus.  It is a beautiful gym with a million dollar view!  First class is free, mats and props are provided and membership is very cheap ($99 for 4 months or around $10 a casual class).  They offer a large range of classes and other yoga classes.  I have been trying out Stand Up Paddleboard yoga classes with Karen Leo who also teaches yoga and pilates at this gym - so much fun and what an extra challenge trying to do a headstand on a moving object!
I have a free community class on tomorrow at Lululemon Adelaide, James Place in the city (Tuesday 30/12/14) at 6:15-7:15pm, open level and mats provided.
Looking forward to 2015 - I may hold some outdoor yoga classes for cyclists, also yoga for complete beginners (this seems to be the biggest fear stopping people coming to class!).  I am in early discussion about working with Lululemon for the Tour Down Under and free community yoga sessions.  I'll also be working with Russell Chan (from Unlock Your Body) on some other yoga events, a first for Adelaide, so it will certainly be a busy year!
Please keep in touch with me - drop me an email or connect on Facebook if there is something you are interested in or want to see done.  If I know there is enough demand out there, I will make it happen!
Thankyou for your support in 2014.  Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year!  See you on the mat soon,
Namaste,
Deanne
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Benefits of Yoga for cyclists and athletes

19/10/2014

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This is an excerpt from the handouts I have prepared for the Yoga for Cyclists workshop, October 25th, 2014.

Benefits of Yoga for cyclists:

Core strength
Good core strength is vital for Cycling power, posture and injury prevention, paricularly in your lower back region.  Many cyclists have highly developed back muscles and comparatively weaker abdominals.   

Flat back posture

Cadel Evans is well known for practising yoga to improve his form on the bike, especially to gain a flatter back.  Cyclists lose the natural lordotic curve in the lower back (lumbar spine) as they reach over the handle bars.  A very rounded back can create drag, but also cause pain in lower back, upper back, shoulders and neck.  Cyclists with a flat back are likely to have more supple back muscles, but also sufficient flexibility in their lower back, hips, and hamstrings to perform an anterior pelvic tilt (i.e. sticking the bum out, or “cow” posture).  Yoga postures can release and/or strengthen these areas to improve comfort levels.  Tension and even slipped discs can occur from pressure on supporting ligaments of spine, the back is not designed to be held in flexion for prolonged periods.  Neck pain can also occur - the head weighs 4.5-5kg – this is a lot of weight to support when not stacked directly over the cervical vertebrae.  

Breathing
We only use 20% of our lungs when breathing normally.  When did you last think about your breath?  Usually breathing is done automatically, using the subconscious, however yogic breathing exercises make us use our conscious mind.  Linking the breath to the mind means we can learn to use the breath to control our how we feel – we can learn to breath slowly to relax ourselves in stressful situations, or to bring mental focus when we don’t want our mind to wander.  The practice of breathing is called “Pranayama”.  Prana means life force, and yama means control. 

Long exhalations engage the parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging relaxation and allowing the body to stretch.  Using the whole area of the lungs to breathe will help to exercise and stretch the muscles involved. 

For cyclists, longer exhalations will allow for greater oxygen – CO2 excchange, as well as a calmer mind.  Cyclists can be tight through the back as well as having a rounded spine and shoulders (compressing the internal abdominal organs against the diaphragm) and engaging the abdomen whilst in the riding position, not allowing for the maximum breath capacity.  Most of the breathing action will come from the diaphragm, however the intercostal muscles between the ribs and muscles around the neck and shoulders also assist in the breathing.  The smaller accessory muscles tire more easily, so learning to breathe deeply through the upper chest and through the back can be helpful in the cycling stance.

Strength without bulk
Yoga both strengthens and lengthens muscles, the benefit is long, lean muscles without gaining bulk.  The stronger forms of yoga can be used instead of or in conjunction with a weights program to complement your cycling.  It helps to correct muscle imbalances by often strengthening several multiple muscle groups at the same time – functional strength and balance.  It helps increase bone density for cyclists, which is a non impact sport – in yoga you are supporting your whole body weight (sometimes with only one body part touching the ground!).  Holding challenging poses teaches mental strength – you learn ways to use your breath and form to stay calm and centered when you encounter challenging experiences in real life. 
 

Balance
Balance is not just awareness of your body in space.  In yoga you move your body through every available direction, not just linear as in cycling.  You will move your body in all directions, even upside down.  Your perspectives will change and you’ll get a fuller sense of your body and what it can do. 

Yoga will balance the work of your training.  Sports are goal oriented.  Yoga instead emphasizes the journey, not the destination – being in the present moment.   Take some time out to appreciate the moment and be in touch with your body.

Flexibility Tight muscles are prone to injury in the form of muscle strains and tears, especially from repetitive use injuries.  If you have a freer range of motion, the body will be able to use the most efficient path to move.  You also become aware of imbalances in your body and you can work to become more balanced – and hopefully prevent injuries before they happen. Stretching elongates your muscle fibers (which shorten in response to accumulation of lactic acid).  A longer set of muscles can contract more and generate force.  It can help the body process lactate after exercise and can improve muscle oxygenation. Yoga also cultivates flexibility of the mind.  The poses, breath exercises and meditation practices all encourage focus on the present moment, commonly known as “mindfulness”.  By letting go of memories of the past and projections into the future, we can find happiness in the here and now.  You learn to relax and allow the body to recover from the stresses of training.  During training, you become more aware of tightness developing – for example, tightening up the shoulders, or slumping.  A relaxed mind and body will help you to sleep better than you ever have before.
 
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    Deanne has an interest in sharing the benefits of yoga to athletes such as cyclists and runners.  She is a pharmacist and business owner, and mum to 3 birds and a dog.

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