The two main assets to any successful contact sport are their high level of physical fitness and their low level of physical injury.

As you may be aware the science of yoga has been established as a performance enhancing tool throughout sports today. Its long list of benefits include; injury prevention creating a greater range of motion and increased flexibility, increased strength, endurance, balance and a calm and focused mind.

We would welcome the opportunity to present to you what yoga can do for your athletes. We specialize in injury prevention, where money and tournaments can be lost due to top players being injured. Being in the Sport and Fitness industry for over ten years, and as athletes, we have marveled at the benefits yoga can bring to any game. A prolonged and disciplined practice has now been attributed to extending an athletes career by up to five years.

Why Yoga?

• Injury prevention – Every physical sport sustains a high level of injury.
• Main reasons – Repetitive stress on over/under developed areas of body (e.g. hamstrings and shoulder joints)
• In Yoga there are three (3) stabilizing junctions which help us keep the body safe and effective.
• These are : the shoulder girdle, the pelvic girdle and the foot/ankle. The alignment & actions in each posture are cultivated to protect these areas.These are the areas most affected in sports keeping top players out of the game.
• Yoga detoxifies the organs and boosts immune system preventing disease, this means overall healthier players.
• Yoga aligns, strengthens and balances the musculoskeletal system, this means more physically balanced players with less injuries.
• Yoga purifies the nervous system creating a clear and precise mind, this means players are more focused and concentrated.

The Approach

The Yin (soft ) approach focuses on releasing and strengthening the Connective Tissue which encases the entire body. For most athletes the CT is tense and restricted, aiding injury. To stimulate the CT we hold floor postures that target the lower back, hips and hamstrings for extended periods. Here we also focus on meditative breathing to help release the tissue and harness the mind.

The Yang (hard ) approach involves powerful vigorous standing postures designed to target tensile strength, CV endurance and balance. Here we focus on linking the postures with the breath, creating a dynamic fluid movement which aligns the mind and body.

The Inversions and Pranayama (breathing techniques) are designed to rejuvenate the body and mind. Increasing oxygen levels in every cell and inverting the body from gravity stimulate the Immune, Nervous and CV systems. The mind is left clear and focused.

We combine these approaches in one session so your athletes can receive all the benefits at once.

We design each session to the athletes needs based on their most frequented activity, and how each approach might benefit them.

To gain the benefits of this approach the program runs twice a week for 12 weeks.

Please contact david@vinyasaflowyoga.net or call 01-6587800 for further information on how yoga can help your athletes.

What the Athletes say?

• Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans says “I haven’t missed a game due to injury in seven seasons.”
• PGA pro David Duval says “yoga gives me greater range of motion in the hip and shoulder joints, which generate extra power and distance.”
• Power hitter Mike Piazza of the NY Mets at 35 says “over the years I’ve lost my elasticity, yoga is my way of elongating my career.”
• “This is a great workout,” says pitcher Al Leiter of the NY Mets, “It’s definitely an asset in my success.”

Who practices Yoga?

• Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs – players for Manchester United and Celtic
• Evander Holyfield – Heavyweight Boxing Champion
• Pete Sampras – Grand slam Tennis Champion
• Venus and Serena Williams – Women’s tennis Champions
• Ian Thorpe – Australian Olympic gold medalist in Swimming
• New Zealand All Blacks
• Indian National Cricket team