Unnata Aerial Yoga: Flyers Taking Flight

Linda C

The first time I ever heard of aerial yoga was from a former colleague's Facebook post. It was a selfie she took in the class while suspended upside down. It seemed a little crazy, but also possibly fun. At the time my concern was more that yoga class etiquette should not have allowed her to have her phone with her, let alone allowing her to take a photo while suspended upside down – how un-Zen! The second time I encountered aerial yoga was last year when the Flyers had a yoga recovery day at Sacred Sounds Yoga (located on the second floor of 163 Bleeker Street).  

Flyers member and studio owner Stephanie T gave us a tour of the studio after our core yoga class, and part of that tour included a peek into the room used for the aerial yoga classes. Hanging from fixtures on the ceiling were beautiful blue silk cloths that were at the time tied together in storage until the next aerial yoga class. After that, I attended other yoga classes at Sacred Sounds and would occasionally think of giving aerial yoga a try, but it was always a passing thought. I had some reservations  ––  after all, regular feet on the ground yoga is challenging for me :) But then it happened, a Flyers recovery yoga session was scheduled for June 8th and it was going to be an aerial yoga class. Fate was calling. I signed up!

Officially, the aerial yoga class is called Unnata Aerial Yoga. What exactly is Unnata Aerial Yoga? Well, the course description explains that "Unnata is the Sanskrit word for "elevated," meaning both elevated in spirit and physically elevated. With the weight of the body supported, students learn how to achieve proper postural alignment through relaxation rather than effort, enhancing a relaxed and peaceful state of mind as well."  

This time when I walked into the aerial yoga room, the beautiful blue silks were down and we could see that they formed a loop anchored to the ceiling. The silks were very welcoming, like a swing or a hammock. Some people were a little more adventurous than I was and popped into the silks swinging and laying back in them, but I’m a Capricorn and pragmatism is my middle name. I wasn’t going to do anything until I had some instructions.     

Unlike traditional yoga classes, our mats for this class were arranged diagonally across the room, one mat per person under each loop of silk. The silks were cool to the touch.  Our instructor, Cynthia, went around adjusting the height of the silk loops as needed for each person  ––  the silk loop should hang to a spot between the pelvic bone and belly button. Once everyone's silk loop was properly adjusted the class began with some traditional yoga poses on the mat as a warm up. Then it was time to take flight. 

Cynthia, Our Instructor, Getting Us Set Up

The first pose incorporating the silks was an elevated downward facing dog. It sounded easy enough and some did take to it rather easily, but I had difficulties getting the loop in the right position along my pelvis to support my weight so that I could come off the ground. The idea was to get off the ground and reach down and forward, while keeping the legs back and down (as if to form a floating triangle).  

Debbie P and Luiza S

As recommended, I used a blanket placed over the silk loop to help better place the silk loop along my pelvis and relieve some of the pressure. I felt the pressure of the silk on my pelvis and with Cynthia's assistance I was suddenly up and reaching forward in an elevated downward facing dog. I was just a few inches off the ground, but it felt wonderfully free and much higher. The elevation allowed me to extend my arms out long without the pressure of my weight on them (as I normally experience in a traditional downward facing dog pose).  

For a few moments, I felt very free. I took breaks from the pose at times to relieve the pressure where the silk loop was pulling against my pelvis and possibly because of moments of fear as my mind screamed that my feet were off the ground and I was likely to lose control. There was a regular Unnata practitioner on a mat near me who seemed to hang forever in the pose. But I was new to this and I was taking it easy.  

Next up was a reverse lunge using the silk loop for support of the upper body. The silk loop wrapped around under our arms and along the widest part of our ribs while we stretched one leg back in a reverse lunge. I could feel my hips open up more than I've ever experienced in a "grounded" reverse lunge  –– my physical therapist would be impressed!  

Dave K and Pei A -- Disobeying Directions

Then came some of what we were hoping for, but also probably fearing.... inversions! You'll have to take a class to learn how to go from a seated swing position to have your legs wrapped around the silks and your head and arms hanging down towards the floor. The most challenging part for me was actually getting into the silk loop to sit in it like a swing - a seemingly insurmountable obstacle that I was able to overcome with the assistance of two yoga blocks to stand on. Once I was in the swing, it was a snap for me to get into the inverted position. It was exhilarating. Of course, Cynthia advised that the rush of blood to our heads would give us a natural sense of excitement and it did  –– a yoga equivalent of a runner’s high?  

Lara K Enjoys Her "Yoga High"

Coming out of the pose occasionally to relieve the blood that was rushing to my head in the inversion, I looked around to see our fellow Flyers in their inversions. One warning, should you take this class, don't stay inverted for too long at any one time as some began to feel a little nauseous from inversions held for long periods of time.

A few more different poses aided by the silks and soon it was time to wind down. We were in the silks once again, but this time in restful cocoons. Each silk loop is nine feet wide and served as luxurious hammocks. We were completely enveloped in the blue cool fabric swaying ever so slightly as we were lulled to a peaceful calm in the silky cocoons.  Sheltered from the outside world, we enjoyed some restful minutes suspended above our mats. Then it was time to emerge from the silks and come back to earth, back on to the ground where we ended the class with some traditional yoga poses. 

There were some wonderfully fun moments in the class and the cocoon was very soothing, but there were moments that I found challenging. I'm still relatively new to yoga, having attended less than a dozen classes, and Unnata aerial yoga didn't require any special knowledge from traditional yoga. It was yoga, but a very different experience. The days following the class, I found that I had some slight bruising on the sides of my pelvis where the silk rested when I was in the elevated downward facing dog pose. However, I note that I bruise relatively easily and some of the other Flyers I spoke to did not experience any bruising. 

Will I try aerial yoga again?  Yes, I think I will. For a runner who pounds on the ground for hours at a time, the time floating in the silks was a treat. 

By the way, if you’re thinking about taking a selfie while participating in an aerial yoga class or if you’re concerned that your aerial yoga attempts will be photographed by selfie-takers, note that Sacred Sounds does not allow photographs to be taken during class. Namaste.

-Linda C

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Yoga For Runners

Stephanie T

When I started training for my first marathon nearly five years ago, I would rarely stretch after a run, let alone take a yoga class. I thought that stretching was unnecessary—my leg muscles always felt tight and sore post-run, so why spend time stretching in an attempt to loosen them when they would tighten after my next run anyway?

I discovered the importance of yoga the hard way when I suffered from sharp shooting pains near my groin only three weeks before the New York City Marathon in 2008 from a pulled groin. A groin pull occurs when the adductors, or muscles in the inner thigh, are stretched beyond their limits.  Such an injury often results in small muscle tears that cause pain and swelling.

After weeks of R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression and elevation) and taking a break from running altogether, my groin pains magically subsided before race day.  However, I learned that increasing one’s flexibility, muscle strength and core stability, thereby correcting muscular imbalance, are imperative to injury prevention.

As endurance sports coach, Sage Rountree, author of The Runner's Guide to Yoga (April 2012) writes in Runner’s World:

“Running injuries come from imbalance. Occasionally it’s a literal imbalance, as in the case of a fall on the trail; yoga’s balancing poses can help there. But usually the injury is one of muscular imbalance between the quads and the hamstrings, the hip flexors and the glutes, or the legs and the core. Yoga poses work to correct these imbalances so that the whole body functions at an optimal level. Beyond that, yoga gives us tools to tune in to our body’s needs, so that we can find the right balance between training and rest. This is key for preventing overtraining and burnout.”

The practice of yoga helps us increase our awareness of alignment, range of motion, breath control, agility, flexibility and strength, which will help us continue to run long and hard for years to come.

My perspective on yoga has certainly changed dramatically since 2008—I’ve delved into my yoga practice, received my 200 hour yoga teacher certification, and opened my own yoga studio, Sacred Sounds Yoga, in Greenwich Village. 

The following are a few of my favorite yoga poses for runners:

Calves: Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Core: Crow Pose (Bakasana)

Hamstrings: Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Hips: Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

IT Band: Pigeon Pose(Eka Pada Kapotasana)

Plantar Fascia: Hero Pose, Tucked Toes (Virasana)

-Stephanie T.

Blogmaster's Note: Sacred Sounds Yoga (Stephanie T's studio) is offering two workshops ($20 for one and $35 if you sign up for both) dedicated to runners to be held at her studio on Sunday, October 14^th:

• ChiRunning with NY Flyer Joel Matalon (click here for his website) from 11:30-1:00pm; and 
• Yoga for Runners with Narisara Vanichanan from 1:30-3:00pm. 

For more information on classes and workshops at Stephanie's studio, please click HERE .

And for prior NY Flyers Blog entries on yoga for runners, please click HERE.

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Get Flexible, Run Faster

Dave K

Some portions of the following blog entry are excerpted and modified from a recent Asphalt Green Swim Team Newsletter.

Countless studies have shown that exercise is beneficial for our body and mind, but less attention has been paid to flexibility. However, doctors and physical therapists agree that it's a vital part of keeping our body fit and strong. "Flexibility is the third pillar of fitness, next to cardiovascular conditioning and strength training," says David Geier, the director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston, and a spokesperson for the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

In fact, flexibility can help our body reach its optimum fitness level, may play a role in injury prevention, and can even contribute to staving off conditions like arthritis and more serious illnesses.

Here's how it works: When you stretch a muscle, you lengthen the tendons, or muscle fibers, that attach it to the bone. "The longer these fibers are, the more you can increase the muscle in size when you do your strength training," says Geier. That means that a more flexible muscle has the potential to become a stronger muscle, too.

In turn, building strong muscle fibers may boost your metabolism and your fitness level. Flexible muscles also make everyday activities easier on your body and may decrease your risk of certain injuries.

For more information and the full article from CNN Health that was the source of the info in this blog entry and that includes descriptions of five 15-minute exercises, click here.

To read Flyer blog posts on yoga for runners, click here.


Run Fast!
(Or Run Goofy!!)

Dave K
Flyers Blogmaster

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Yoga for Runners -Soothing Stretches for Mischievous Muscles

Nearly a year ago, I posted a Yoga for Runners entry on the Flyers Blog that I'm quite certain was critically acclaimed, plus read (and re-read) in rapture and awe by each and every Flyer.

No? Well, even still, as we’re approaching the fall marathon season I'm thinking it's a good time follow-up with some additional info. The focus here is on how to prevent and patch up misbehaving muscles that tend to be sore spots for runners.

This summer, Flyer Deirdre M. and I have been participating in a fantastic class at New York Yoga led by experienced yoga instructor and accomplished runner Tanya Namad. The class is on-going up until the NYC Marathon, and we'd love other Flyers to keep us company.

Specifically, Tanya recommends the following as among the essentials for runners.

Hamstrings, Calves, Achilles and Plantar Fascia

Downward Facing Dog stretches all of the muscles of the back of the legs, as well as the feet. This is the first stretch that I do after nearly every run even though I don’t look nearly as graceful and flexible as Tanya does in the photo below!

To get into the correct alignment for this yoga basic, start first in a plank position (as if you are about to do a push up) with your hips and shoulders and ankles in a straight line. Then keep your hands and feet where they are as you pull your hips up towards the ceiling. Relax the shoulders away from the ears, let the head and neck dangle (no tension) and gaze towards your navel. Focus on pulling your heels down towards the floor while you pull the hips up towards the ceiling and tilt the pelvis forward. You can lift the toes up to strengthen the arch of the foot to help relieve/prevent plantar fasciitis. Hold for one minute.

Back and Spinal Alignment

When we run, all the pounding, plus gravity, compresses the spine. It's important to re-lengthen our spines in order to improve our alignment. Also stretching the spine helps to prevent back issues for those runners who are prone to backaches.

Seated spinal twists are good for lengthening the spine and creating more space between the vertebrae. As you inhale, don't just turn but also allow yourself to "grow taller," and as you exhale try to twist a bit further into the pose. Repeat this breathing cycle 3-4 times and then take a counter-twist before switching and doing the other side.

Since I’m not comfortable keeping both legs bent in this position, a recommended variation that Tanya has me do is to straighten the bottom leg (in this photo, it would mean Tanya straightening her right leg).

IT Band Stretch

IT Band injuries can be painful and debilitating, and tight IT bands also put stress on runners' knees.

For a good IT stretch, fold over as far as you can, then bend one leg. Turn toward the side of the straight leg. If you can't touch the floor you can rest the left hand on a block or a prop of some sort (shoe box, foam roller stood up on its side etc.). You’ll feel this stretch on the outside of the straight leg. Hold for 30 seconds and then do the other side.

Hip Openers

Hip openers provide runners with improved range of motion, which is especially important for not losing stride length as we age.

Pigeon Pose is a great hip opener, including for stretching the outer hip muscles and glutes. If using a mat, try to get the front leg's shin as close to parallel with the front edge of the mat as possible. You want the hips to be even, so push the right hip down towards the ground. You may need to adjust the angle of the front knee to do this. Then lower the upper body down over the front leg. You will feel this in the left outer hip. Breathe to relax into it. Make sure to push the hip forward (the right one in this picture). Hold for 30 seconds then switch sides.

Piriformis &Outer Hip Stretch

A recent thread on the Flyers Forum highlights that piriformis pain (i.e., glutes) can shut a runner down. Piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle becomes tight or spasms, and irritates the sciatic nerve. This causes pain in the buttocks region (my wife says I generate a similar impact for her with my mood swings) and may even result in pain in the lower back and thigh.

For a piriformis and outer hip stretch, stack the shins on top of each other, lining up the knees and ankles (if doable for you, don't tuck them "Indian style"). Then fold forward as far as you can go. Try to relax the hips as you breathe deeply and concentrate on relaxing. Hold for 1 minute and then switch sides.

Hip Flexors

Hip flexors get worked hard, especially when doing speed work, so it's important to stretch them afterwards so they don't tighten up. Lunges are very effective for stretching the hip flexors. Get into a lunge position, then push your hips forward and lean back. In this picture, leaning back towards the right leg really gets into the hip flexor. It also works the calves and achilles, which is helpful for preventing and alleviating plantar fasciitis. Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

Thanks, Tanya!

Thanks to Tanya for sharing all of her great information, which she put together specifically for this blog posting, and thanks also for Tanya kindly allowing me to photograph her in yogi-action to illustrate the poses. For those who'd like to know more about Tanya (no, I don’t mean if you want to know if she’s single!), her personal yoga website is www.yogitanya.com.
- Dave K.

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Real Men (and Women) do Yoga for Runners!

by Dave K

Yoga is boring. Yoga causes injuries. Yoga is inconvenient. Yoga is too hard. Yoga is too easy. Yoga is for females. Yoga isn't helpful for runners.

Or maybe that’s not true?

I've never been flexible. Not just the stubborn type of inflexible (although that, too). I've always had pretty limited flexibility. I remember in kindergarten, Mrs. Kass had us all sit cross-legged. Everyone looked so comfortable. I wondered why, since I sure didn't feel comfy.

But about 15 years ago I decided to give yoga a try after I kept hurting my back and neck. Although I can surely be a pain in the neck, my neck and back pain never returned.

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