For me, running and yoga have become intertwined — two significant parts of my life that give way to relief, recovery, and resiliency. More important, yoga has actually improved my running performance and has helped me prevent injury. This isn’t just fluff. Go grab the peanut butter because you’re about to get the whole sandwich.
I started running when I was in middle school and ran competitively in high school and college. During my only ever massage, the masseuse spent some time massaging my inner quads, and then turned to me with wide, concerning mom eyes and said: “Has any one ever told you that you’re legs are knotted up?” This wasn’t the first time that someone told me that my legs are super tight. I can compare my legs to sticky, wet cobwebs or a knotted piece of fine jewelry you just can’t get at with good nails. Mangled and impossible. Of course, I never took my condition too seriously. I was a young athlete, and tightness was comparable to strength. So what if I can’t touch my toes when I bend forward?
Fortunately, things changed for me thanks to my cat behavior: pure curiosity. After college, I was looking for a new community of movers to ease into a 9–5 without becoming a head case trying to fight through the woes of early adulthood. Yoga was always so elusive to me. People bending, moving, and flatulating in a hot room together seemed hard to pin down. I deemed them all a bit weird…but then again, I’m a runner. And so, I spent my early 20’s as a yogi, slowly unraveling its mysteries. I liked this new community of weirdos.
Soon enough, the yoga studio became my second Om away from home, and some days actually replaced my running watch and sneakers entirely when the nights got longer and evenings grew cold. Yoga became like one of those long body pillows for me. It was a huge serving of additive comfort to get on my mat and be with myself in a healthy, creative way where I could be curious and free in movement. Okay, I lied. So there is a bit of FLUFFY mentions here, but no B.S.
And like the great Frank Oppenheimer once said, “the best way to learn is to teach”. In 2017, I became a 200-hr certified yoga instructor when curiosity broke wind to passion. Warm, cozy yoga officially kicked my sweaty little run’s butt.
Yoga. Just. Works.
After recognizing the benefits of incorporating yoga into my exercise routine for my body and mind, I created Namaste for Runners, virtual yoga classes to help runners develop a balance between training and recovery to improve their overall performance and prevent injury.
Namaste for Runners incorporates yoga poses targeted to strengthen underused muscles and stretch overused muscles — it is also intended to incorporate recovery into runner’s lives. Movement, like running, can be meditative. We never slam on the breaks and stretch. Each pose seamlessly transitions into the next. The yoga flow is like a runner’s high gliding through clouds! Enough with the pros.
In a gist: the goal of each class is to tap into a more mindful approach to movement while reaping the benefits of this ancient practice.
Four Reasons You Should Join Namaste for Runners:
- You’re an athlete: Athletes! We are goal-minded, early-bird warriors finding ways to Strava everything and anything to find our edge or say we did it. Yoga seems so not US. Yoga asks athletes to slow down, to not aim for perfection, and to focus on keeping within your body’s limits. This can be a challenge from the get-go. My classes are created for athletes by a fellow athlete! I understand the challenges of leaving your ego off the mat. Yep, I used the “E” word. For much of my amateur yoga years, I looked around the room and tried to mimic the yogis in the front row. I was so determined to look perfect I’d completely miss the stretch or the goal of getting out of my head during class. Savasana was the WORST. I kept thinking…this is so weird! Are people just LYING HERE and thinking about NOTHING? I’m here to debunk your myths. Let Namaste for Runners disprove any evolving theories you have about yogis. Trust me, you’ll be wishing savasana would never end when class wraps up(cue Orange Sky by Alexi Murdoch, please).
- You don’t have recovery in your routine: Namaste for Runners still incorporates a workout, but also incorporates a bit of yin to that yang. We recover through static holds and active recovery so you’re ready to hit the road again, with a bit more energy and strength than you did before! If you’re thinking: I just don’t have time for yoga! Or, do I really need to spend an hour a week stretching? Recovery can be quickly replaced when you’re in a rush. I get it. That’s why these classes are in the morning, and can be incorporated into your workout routine. Tune in for an hour after your run for an active cool down, or hit the ground running after you stretch it out with us. Your muscles will be warmer, your body more at ease, and your mind a bit more clear. By carving out the time in your day, you can make recovery happen — and become part of a virtual community of runners, too.
- You have lower body pain or issues: If you’re feeling the strain from your workouts and the foam roller just isn’t working, try an active recovery with yoga! Yoga involves both static and active stretching, which means your body will receive a balanced serving of TLC. Don’t mistake quality over quantity! You don’t need to do every pose in class, especially if your body is being a Chatty Kathy and pain creeps in. Yoga’s variety of movement and shapes can help relieve pain and issues when done regularly. However, it is important to respect the practice. Like running, yoga is best to those who tend to her regularly. If you’re planning to have a one night stand with yoga, she’s going to see right through you and curse you with bad karma for life. Tend to your practice and your body and mind will reap her benefits like a well-oiled Toyota Tacoma rumbling in the driveway.
- You love good music & community!: Namaste for Runners is really about shaaring good tunes and building community. We love tossing around playlists and hosting classes that keep you motivated and help foster connections with other athletes. We love a good song recommendation. I make sure you’re set up for class with a playlist that moves you. Plus COFFEE CHATS! Pop on 20 minutes before class for virtual coffee! We talk about staring at the same walls for days and the last time we went to a concert (RIP). Other times we talk about our latest runs onthe road or the trail. And, we occasionally dare to discuss how much we love Namaste for Runners and a reason to get up in the mornin’. Overall, you’re making new run buddies and helping our running community grow. We want to make sure we Namaste for Runners is on the know how of what races are still happening during this adorable, bumbling pandemic.
Below are a three yoga tips for runners if you are new to the namaste! The three poses below focus on the lower back! Make sure to subscribe to Namaste for Runners for more tips.
Hips and lower back muscles are already tight from the office or home sedentary way of life. This is especially true for runners because of the repetitive stress and impact running puts on the body for a significant duration of time. Hips and lower back may only get more knotted and more tight! Yoga targeting the lower back can help aid in lower back issues and help prevent against injury.
- Rag Doll — From a standing position, take a big breath in and fold forward, hinging from your hips with a slight bend in your knees. Allow your knees to bend so much so that your belly rests on the tops of your thighs.
Grab opposite hand to opposite elbow. Stay here for one minute or more, and breathe intentionally all the way up your spine. As you inhale, lift your tailbone to the ceiling and on the exhale, release through your upper body.
Modifications: (1) Keep your knees extremely bent so your rib cage and thighs are resting on your quads. (2) Rest your forearms on your thighs and then fold forward. (3) Grab a pillow, and rest between your quads and belly for more support.
Benefits: A forward fold stretches the muscles along the backs of the legs, including the calves, and helps uncurl any tension held in the low back by stretching out the vertebrae.
To quote Jerry McGuire, “D’you know that the human head weighs eight pounds?!” In forward fold, try letting your head hang heavy to help lengthen and stretch the spine. This additive modification can release tension all the way up the back of the neck can causes a calming effect on your central nervous system.
2. Wide-legged Forward Fold — Heel-toe shimmy your feet out to the wide edges of your mat. You can take up as much room as you want, just make sure your feet are wider than your hips and you are still in balance while standing. Take a deep breath, and fold from your hips with a slight bend in the knees. Root into your feet, and allow your arms, head, and neck to relax. Hands can rest on your mat or the floor. Take movement by bending one knee and then the other, or allow yourself to be still. Stay here for atleasy a minute, and send break to the back of your body.
Benefits: Stretches inner thighs, outer legs and shins, and backs of legs. Can relieve mild mid-back aches.
3. Two-knee Spinal Twist — Lay flat on your mat on the floor. Bring your right knee into your chest, and wrap your arms around your shin. Slowly, begin to lean left and draw your left knee in toward your chest and let your right leg fall to the right. Allow your tight shoulder to stay on your mat. Gaze in the opposite direction of your knees to extend the twist all the way up your spine. Use your exhale to ease into the shape. Switch sides! Repeat. End with a gentle lower back massage by wrapping your knees in towards your chest and slowly moving in one direction and then the other. Or, try happy baby.
Benefits: Calming effect on the brain, relieves lower back tension, and helps uncurl the upper spine.
Make sure to join with us for Namaste for Runners! Click here to learn more and sign up.
Questions, inquiries, or trail bird stories you’d like to share? Email me at meg@sweetsqueezevents.com.
