Mixing Up the Flow: Techniques for Self Care & Recovery

Self care is so important, especially for us athletes. In order for our bodies to endure the miles on the roads, the weight training and our taxing endurance work-outs, we need to make sure we’re taking proper care of ourselves.

In my Yoga for Runners class on Sunday, I mixed in self care techniques throughout the flow of the practice—trigger point massage, deep stretching and a restorative inversion—to get blood flowing into all areas of the body and release built up tension in the muscles.

The sequence is outlined below and I have provided some pictures for some of the key poses.

Opening: Seated meditation on a block

Integration: Trigger point self massage with ball
– Calves*
– IT band*
– Glutes*

Table top
Downward dog
Plank
Lower with bent elbows, salabasana

Main Body
Downward Dog
Knee to elbow pulses
Low lunge (hands on knee, pulse back/forth)
Runners lunge pulses (hold in pyramid for 8 breaths)
Plank, lower with bent elbows, salabasana
Other side

Runners Lunge
Crescent Pose- Core Twist x 3, hold core twist 3 breaths
Runners lunge twist
Straddle fold (8 breaths)
Warrior 2
Reverse warrior
Triangle
Hands to hips, stand to top of mat
Connecting vinyasa= Plank, lower to low push-up, baby cobra or upward dog
Other side
*on second side, after triangle come into open twist straddle fold and 1/2 pigeon to back and front of mat and then connect vinyasa*

Tadasana
Trigger point massage under feet*
Tree pose
Plank, lower to belly
Childs pose

Bridge pose x 2

Cooling down:
Supine twist
Legs up the wall*

Trigger point self massage with ball: Calves