Tennis Yoga Connection
Success not Stress with Yoga. Here is the way to Energized Living. Want to know how to go from tired to fired-up in just 5 minutes! Click on the picture below!! It's amazing and it works!!
and because I personally know how beneficial is this type of mind-body connection, I am offering you a FREE ticket to YOGAHUB Enjoy it!
At first glance, yoga and tennis don't seem like a good match. One is stationary and deliberate, the other fast-paced and dynamic. However, today most professional players like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova have all used the centuries-old Eastern regimen to improve in a number of areas crucial to tennis such as core strength, balance, mental calmness, and flexibility.
These are very important attributes when you need to generate power on the tennis court - the farther you can reach up on your serve, and the faster you can swing on your forehand, the more pace you'll get on the ball. What's also crucial in tennis is keeping the muscles on both sides of the body balanced in strength in order to avoid injury.
One common problem that tennis players have is that they overdevelop certain muscles on one side of the body and underdevelop them on the other side. Yoga helps balance them and it also helps keep the developed muscles flexible.
The benefits of yoga go beyond the physical. Mentally, yoga helps people stay relaxed but intense. The breath control techniques you learn will also help you stay focused on the tennis court.
There are three common poses to get you started:
Dancer - With your knees together, shift your weight onto your left leg. Inhale, bend your right leg, and take hold of your right ankle or foot. While holding your left arm straight out in front of you, rotate your right shoulder and bring your right leg up as far as you can behind you. Bend forward and hold for five deep, steady breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Upward-Facing Dog - Lie prone on the ground or floor. Stretch your legs back, with the tops of your feet on the ground. Bend your elbows and spread your palms on the ground beside your waist. Inhale and press your inner hands into the ground and slightly back, as if you were trying to push yourself forward. While inhaling, straighten your arms and lift your torso up and your legs a few inches; look forward or tip your head back, but don't compress the back of your neck or your back. Hold 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily.
Warrior II - Place your feet about 4 feet apart, toes forward. Stretch your arms out to your sides. Turn your front foot slightly inward and back foot outward 90 degrees, with the back heel in line with the instep of your front foot. Exhale and bend your front leg so the knee is over the heal and your thigh is nearly parallel to the ground. Turn your head in the direction of your front leg and drop your shoulders. Breath and hold for 30 seconds, eventually working up to one minute. Inhale, press down into the outer heel of the front foot, and straighten front leg. Repeat on each side.
This past December,I had the privilege to attend yoga classes with Julie Lusk M.Ed., who has 30+ years of experience and my experience with Julie was an unforgettable one. I learned how to stay focus and let my body relax naturally. Julie's Relaxation Imagery and Inner Healing techniques are outstanding and you indeed feel re-energized and ready to enjoy life even more. Julie Lusk is president of Wholesome Resources, a company that believes stress management, wellness promotion, and mind-body techniques and strategies are indispensable to thrive in today’s world and essential for personal and professional growth.
Back from Yoga to Tennis-Mind-Training |
