Yoga is a lifelong practice to train the mind, body and soul. It is easiest to discipline the body, so Yoga often begins with physical yoga poses (Asanas). Next is control of the breath (Pranayama). And most difficult is control of the mind (Meditation).
Flexibility, core strength and focus are vital to optimal performance as a swimmer, and all three of these areas are addressed and improved through yoga. Swimming involves bending, stretching, twisting and extending, involving the psoas, obliques, rectus and traversus abdominus, and the erector spinae muscles.
Flexibility: There's an ongoing debate about static(holding) vs. active(moving) stretching and I think it's good to do active stretching to limber up off the bus or before race warmup and static after racing to loosen tight muscles. Young swimmers who have such limited range of motion that they can't comfortably grab the front of the block while doing starts, or whose stroke technique is compromised because they can't streamline with their arms over their head would seriously discover huge improvements in their speed if they devoted even a small amount of time to flexibility training. For us older swimmers, spinal flexibility is key to maintaining joy and energy in motion. "You're only as young as your back!" Like many things, it can feel hard in the beginning, but the more you do it, the better it feels.
Core Strength: Standing yoga postures require balance to stand steady and strong. This balance comes from the core, and rooting through the legs and feet into the earth. Swimmers need to achieve balance with a fluidly moving environment, finding an anchor and leverage through the core of the body. "Whole body swimming", connecting through the whole body through the core takes core strength in the front, side and back of the body core.
Mental Focus: One of the principle foundations of any yoga practice is an attention to and an awareness of the breath. Focus on the breath is used to help deepen the stretch felt in some postures. For swimmers, this focus can be used in stressful (i.e., pre-race) situations to bring attention back to something simple and controllable.
(Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste, Rodney Yee are 3 of my favorite yoga teachers who have inspired me over the years I have been doing yoga. The 3 videos posted here are a small sample of the beauty and joy they share. Enjoy!)
