TOP THREE YIN YOGA POSES FOR RUNNERS

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

It’s a quote from Blaise Pascal, a 17th century French philosopher, and his words still ring true today. Those words may be truer today than ever before, given how busy people are and how overstimulated many of us have become.

Janis Riise, a certified hatha and yin yoga instructor, references Pascal’s quote when she explains why many people can use more yin and less yang in their lives.

“Our lives are pretty fast-paced. Even what we do for fun, like maybe running, is a yang activity. There’s a lot of muscular effort involved.”

In a world where we’re all striving for the next goal, yin yoga is the opposite. To practice yin effectively, you must hold back from your most flexible point. She says yin is a perfect complement to running.

“You’re always striving for that faster time and you have these number goals you want to meet.”

During yin, you let go of those goals, tune in to your body, relax and stretch. Yin is a series of poses held for up to five minutes that work deep into the body’s connective tissues. There’s a meditative aspect to yin, which means the mind is soothed along with the body.

Yin is best performed on off-days from training, on cool muscles, and never before a run.

“It’s unfair to the muscles and tissue to elongate and relax, and then be asked to forcibly contract to run,” says Riise, who works as an exercise therapist at LifeMark Health Centre.

Students often ask her if they’re doing the poses right – she tells them they have to make a pose their own.

“Are you paying attention to your breath? Does it hurt? Can you smile, be relaxed and stay still? Then you’re doing it right.”

These three poses are Riise’s favourite for anyone on the Boogie training program. Start with holding the poses for one minute if you’re new to yin. Find stillness in the pose – try not to bounce or fidget. That fights against the stretch. Move slowly into the poses and even slower when you come out. Take a rest on your back between poses to feel the change in your body.

If you’re enjoying yin and want to learn more about it, many yoga studios in Saskatoon offer classes.