Five Poses to Build Strength and Stability Intelligently
Many people go to drastic measure to get strong and fit with little regard for joint health or safety. The strain of using weights and equipment that is too heavy for them causes them to hold their breath, grip muscles, and tense their bodies as they fight through a workout.
As a result, they risk serious complications: pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, diastasis recti, and urogenital hernia, to list a few.
I offer yoga poses as part of a mindful movement practice with intelligent and active cues for the feet and joints taking on the load of the pose.
When students follow my cues, they accomplish a deeper sense of mindfulness within their skin that becomes moving meditation.
They feel their systems of muscles activating to support the pose in a way that builds strength and protects their joints. These muscle activations in opposing muscle groups are called “bandhas” in the yoga world, but we can think of them as bandages that wrap around joints to keep them stable.
I offer five practices for you to explore these activations. The three standing poses will strengthen your legs and hips while also stabilizing your posterior chain of fascia and activating your deep core fascial system. This all starts with the cues I give for what to do with your feet! Yes, your core strength begins with your feet and your breath. Pay attention, tune in, and feel it for yourself! The two floor practices will stabilize and strengthen your core in the front, back, and sides. When you breathe well as you practice, you also stabilize and enhance flexibility in the thoracic and pelvic floor diaphragms—the top and bottom of your core cylinder!
Explore these practices, leave comments on how you felt as you navigated the cues, and share them with anyone who could use healthy and intelligent practices for getting stronger, more stable, and flexible.
These practices are especially safe for those who are pregnant, recovering from birth, or seek a gentle yoga practice as they build up stamina. I encourage experienced yoga practitioners to try them, too, as this cueing takes them into a deeper experience with poses they have probably done for years with a different kind of awareness!
Below are the links for exploration:
Get Strong As…
Get Stable in Your Core