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The Mind/Body Workout: A walkthrough of basic asana yoga practice
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
The Mind/Body Workout: A walkthrough of basic asana yoga practice
Story & Photos by Jeff & Martha Ellis
Editor's Note: May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! Visit http://healthfinder.gov/nho/MayToolkit.aspx for health guides, information and resources to help get your crew involved.
Last month, we discussed the benefits and basic principles of asana yoga practice. For firefighters, the strength, flexibility, balance and breathing control realized through yoga are invaluable, as we rely on these traits every day to perform our jobs. For many, there’s also a strong spiritual component to yoga practice.
The key to making yoga useful is making sure you’re comfortable in your practice. It’s much like being comfortable in your own skin. Negative body image or self-image must be abandoned and replaced by a willingness to trust yourself and (hopefully) a worthy instructor.
Finding the right means of instruction, especially as you’re getting started, is extremely helpful. There are many qualified instructors to be found. If you’d like a more personal approach, you can also try a number of instructional DVDs, which are particularly useful in the firehouse.
There are several approaches to yoga, the content of which is driven by goals or styles of the various disciplines. We’ll discuss the different elements of a well-rounded asana practice, and as your needs draw you to specific focus areas, you can fine-tune your practice accordingly.
Note: We’ll use certain terms throughout this article that may seem foreign. Although we’ll try our best to explain or define them, you can find detailed explanations at www.yogajournal.com.
Standing poses allow you to establish a strong yet buoyant connection to the ground through the core of the body.
Back bends (top) are useful for opening the front of the hips and the shoulders, while hip openers create fluidity in the lower spine.
Two positions that you’ll use frequently are downward-facing dog and upward-facing dog. To get into the upward-facing dog position, lie on your stomach with your hands on the floor near your waist, palms down. Draw your shoulder blades up toward the ceiling, draw your tailbone down and your navel in; then draw up into an arched position. Inhale as you push up with your hands, and try to lengthen your body and spine. If your feet slide forward as you push up, it means you’re successfully extending your body.
Next, without moving your feet or hands, exhale and lower your chest. Then, push off the floor using your hands and feet, and push your hips and rear upward. Remember to keep your palms and heels pressed down on the floor as you extend through your shoulders and reach your sit bones toward the sky. You’re now in the downward-facing dog position.
Warming Up
As you prepare to do your warm-up, take a moment to prepare mentally as well. Set your intention and mental focus. Increase your awareness of your breath and how your body moves as you inhale and exhale.
Warming up is usually accomplished by performing some variation of a sun salutation. This exercise varies in content, but it generally includes a fluid series of connected poses with a strong emphasis on breathing with each movement. Upward-facing and downward-facing dog are usually components of these movement sequences, which help to increase body heat and loosen joints. This is also a great time to cultivate the relationship between movement and breathing.
Standing & Balance Poses
After your warm-up, you’ll continue with several different movements, or poses. Standing poses allow you to establish a strong yet buoyant connection to the ground through the core of the body. A strong connection to the ground through the lower body allows for more fluidity through the upper body. By keeping this concept in mind while raising ladders, pulling ceiling or any number of other movements we’re expected to perform on the fireground, you can also help prevent injury. Stay solid at your core, and you’ll be more centered and grounded in your movements.
Balance poses serve several purposes. One-legged balances will challenge and refine both balance and flexibility. Upper-body balance poses will help build upper-body and core strength.
Hips, Bends & Twists
Hip openers and forward bends help to release the hamstrings, outer hips, quads and inner thighs in an effort to “unglue” the hips and create more movement in the pelvis. They will also create more fluidity in the lower spine.
Further, these poses will help strengthen the torso, both front and back, while releasing tension in the lower back and calming the nervous system.
Twisting poses help “wring out” the organs, in a matter of speaking. Engaging and stretching diagonal core muscles help circulate the fluids of the inner body. As you stretch through the twisting poses, you’ll relax connective tissue and release spinal tension.
Backward Bending
Backward-bending poses are useful for opening the front of the hips and shoulders. When performed properly, they also help strengthen the back of the body and decompress your spinal vertebra. Note: Backward bending can be tricky for those of us who struggle with flexibility. Proceed with a great deal of caution when attempting these poses.
To rest the back after backward bending, move on to the supine poses. Theses can include single leg stretches and torso twisting poses. This phase of the practice marks the beginning of the cool-down to the nervous system.
Inversion & Relaxation
Inverted poses, such as hand, head or elbow stands, are great for your whole body because they counter the effects of gravity. Your organs shift and move, fluids adjust to different gravitational forces, the endocrine system is stimulated and further cooling of the nervous system takes place in preparation for deep rest.
Ironically, relaxation can be one of the more challenging phases of yoga practice because many struggle with just being still. Whether you’re alone or in a large group of people, just lying on your back going through a mental checklist of all the different areas of the body and releasing tension within them can be difficult. Gentle, relaxed breathing can help move you past the discomfort threshold and allow you to move into a deep relaxation, both in mind and body. This process allows the physical practice to leave a lasting imprint on the nervous system and prepares you for meditative practices, if you so desire.
The Lotus
Sitting practice is incorporated at the start or end of each class. Moving straight from relaxation to sitting is a great transition, but you don’t necessarily have to sit for an extended period of time.
As you sit cross-legged, in half-lotus or full-lotus position, with your hands palms-up on your knees, take three full-body breaths. Inhale with the belly, lungs, heart, shoulders and throat. Then initiate the exhale from the belly as well, creating slight resistance in your throat. Finish with your hands in a prayer position at your chest.
Namaste.
The authors would like to thank Mary Johnston-Coursey, their yogi, for her input on this article.
Division Chief Martha Ellis has been a firefighter with the Salt Lake City Fire Department (SLCFD) for more than 14 years, serving as a firefighter, an engineer, a media technician, an ARFF training officer, an airport fire marshal and currently the fire marshal for Salt Lake City. She has won the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge Women’s Division five times, and held the world record for 8 consecutive years. She also works as a certified fitness coordinator for the SLCFD.
Captain Jeff Ellis of the Murray (Utah) Fire Department (MFD) has served for more than 23 years as a firefighter, an engineer, a hazmat technician and a shift training captain. He’s been a certified fitness coordinator for the department since 1996. As a competitor in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge, he has won two overall world championships, three Over 40 world championships and helped MFD take the team trophy. He has been active in teaching all aspects of firefighting, including swiftwater rescue and fitness and nutrition in the fire service.
E-mail your fitness-related questions or comments to Jeff and Martha at fit2serve@gmail.com.
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