I haven’t been posting much at all for several months now, not due to neglect, but due to yet another injury. This time, I re-injured my left shoulder and am having a terrible time recovering. Today I found out the results of an MRI–no tears in my shoulder, but some wear is visible in my rotator cuff. The official diagnosis is shoulder bursitis, which is chronic (and painful!) inflammation of the shoulder bursa, a sack of synovial fluid that is supposed to reduce friction and help joints move smoothly. When the bursa becomes inflamed, though, it actually increases friction and can even cause the surrounding tissue to wear and tear. The swelling also results in a painful locking sensation in the shoulder when you try to lift your arm into certain positions.
Filed under: Yoga & Rock Climbing
After returning to the climbing gym a few times, I’ve discovered that I no longer experience what’s know as “Elvis Leg”–that uncontrollable shaking that sometimes happens to one or both of your legs from exhaustion.
I’m convinced that yoga has improved my leg strength and endurance, allowing me to climb longer and with greater power. There are some poses in particular that can help build the relevant leg strength. I’ll just list them here today, with the goal of eventually constructing a fun sequence for people to practice at home. (Of course, this sequence is also good for yogis who don’t rock climb.) (more…)
Filed under: Yoga & Rock Climbing
After a long hiatus, I’m trying to get back into rock climbing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stick with it and can start posting climbing-oriented yoga sequences on this blog again. (more…)
Filed under: Yoga & Rock Climbing
I’ve been telling my students lately that when you fall out of a pose in yoga, that’s a sign that you’re getting stronger and that you’re testing — and pushing — your edge. Conversely, if you find that you’re never falling down in yoga class, or that you’re never falling out of any poses, chances are that you’re probably staying in your comfort zone a little too much. A similar set of principles can be applied to rock climbing, providing yet another example of how yoga and climbing fit together so nicely. (more…)
Filed under: Yoga & Rock Climbing
I went climbing last week for the first time in over a month, and blew out my arms in about an hour. Basically, I did what you’re not supposed to do when you climb, which is to overuse your arms and under-utilize your legs. So, for this posting I’ve decided to suggest an asana sequence for climbers that will both strengthen the legs and improve balance. Non-climbers may also enjoy this sequence! (more…)
Filed under: Yoga & Rock Climbing
One of the wonderfully strange sensations that you tend to experience after rock climbing is “forearm pump” — i.e. when your forearms are overworked, tight, swollen, and pretty much shot. This happens almost inevitably to me every time I climb, and I find it nice to do some asanas to counteract it. Here are a few different asana variations that I think might be useful to relieve that “juiced” sensation in your forearms. These asanas can be done after climbing, or even while you’re resting and waiting to do your next route. (more…)
Filed under: Yoga & Rock Climbing
As promised, I’m going to start posting asana sequences that are designed specifically for rock climbers. These sequences will fall into one of three categories: (1) warm-up asana sequences to do just before climbing, (2) stretching/cool-down asana sequences to do just after climbing, and (3) asana sequences to incorporate into your yoga practice to build a strong foundation for rock climbing.
This time around, I’m going to describe a strength-building asana sequence that might be good to work into your self-practice, if you have one. And even if you don’t have a self-practice, you still might try to do this sequence on your own, with 10 minutes or so of warm-up beforehand of course (5 Surya A’s and 5 Surya B’s should be an adequate warm-up). (more…)
A lot of yogis find that once they reach a certain level in their yoga practice, they are no longer interested in participating in other forms of exercise or sport. For instance, many serious yogis do not lift weights, because the kind of muscle development that comes with lifting weights can be counterproductive to what we are developing in our asana practice, which is what I like to call “strength within flexibility.” I even find that running and walking excessively are counterproductive to yoga because they cause my hips to become so amazingly tight. (Lately I’ve been walking about 3 miles a day around campus, sometimes more, and my hips are so tight as a result that I have to start every practice now in Child’s Pose…on my elbows!)
One physical activity that I’ve been getting into lately that seems to be totally consistent with a serious yoga practice, however, is rock climbing. In fact, I might even venture to say that yoga and rock climbing are a match made in heaven. (more…)
