Yoga Pose
Yoga Pose
Yoga Pose
Yoga Pose
Yoga Pose

Yoga 4 Sports

What is Yoga?

Yoga is an ancient system of personal mastery and self discovery. The essential purpose of yoga is to bring together the body, mind and spirit through asanas (physical postures and movements), pranayama (breathing techniques) and dhyana (meditation).

Yoga 4 sports performance

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Yoga is not a sport, however it is a great addition to any training programme and it is now being used by many athletes (elite and recreational) to improve sporting performance. Some of the benefits of a regular yoga practice to an athlete include:

  • Improved strength- physically and mentally
  • Improved balance, coordination, agility and speed
  • Improved body awareness and biomechanical efficiency.
  • Injury prevention, by increasing strength and flexibility and correcting muscle imbalances in the body which are perpetuated through sports.
  • Reduced recovery times by restorative posture work and by benefiting the cardiovascular, neuromuscular and lymphatic systems.
  • Improved lung function, breath awareness, efficiency (VO2 max) and relaxation.
  • Longevity of the sport through all factors mentioned above.

Through yoga many athletes have also discovered the importance of breath and steadying the mind to help improve focus and control in their sport, a skill that has been proven to be vital to improving performance! You may know it as being in “the zone”. This can be quite a difficult skill to master particularly if there are so many distractions in training and competition. Through the practice of yoga asanas and dhyana you learn to steady the mind and channel your attention and awareness to parts of the body that need it the most. Most importantly it is fun and different! The great thing is you don’t need to be flexible to practice yoga and it is for all ages and abilities.

Yoga Options

Classes and Workshops

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One to one sessions

Private one to one lessons can be arranged to give you the time to explore techniques further and to understand what is appropriate to their sporting and therapeutic needs. Private sessions are perfectly suited to individuals who do not benefit from being in a class situation or for beginners who are unsure of their ability and would like to build confidence. Quality of movement and breath are monitored closely and lesson design is specifically tailored to the individual. These sessions can also be interlinked with specialist performance coaching on offer.

Group or team sessions

Sports specific group or team sessions can also be arranged at a suitable location. This is a good way to build team rapport and introduce a suitable warm up/cool down programme using yoga techniques. Football, hockey, volleyball, netball and team running are some of the local groups that have already benefited from such intervention. (Minimum 4 people).

Classes

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Specialist performance coaching

Yoga 4 sports specialist performance coaching offers an exclusive coaching service that works alongside pre-existing training schedules targeting all athletes ranging from elite to recreational of any sport. The aim is to integrate modern sports techniques with the ancient science of yoga to optimise health and sports performance and to gain the extra 1% excellence required for maximal achievement.

Specialist performance coaching encompasses:

  • An initial comprehensive assessment
  • A thorough biomechanical assessment
  • An optional written report
  • Delivery of a personally designed programme
  • Optional yoga performance training schedule
  • Remote coaching techniques
  • Email and telephone contact

Follow up appointments can be arranged to review the programme developed (these will discussed at the time of assessment).

Progress will be measured through biomechanical analysis, questionnaires and subjective feedback.

If you are an athlete who trains throughout the year, a written yoga performance training programme can be developed alongside a personal training programme to complement training requirements. In order to improve quality of treatment this may require interaction with members of the multidisciplinary team such as your coach, nutritionist, psychologist, medical professionals and family members. Remote coaching is also available though desired multimedia options. These will be discussed with you throughout the programme.

Prices will vary according to extent of coaching requirements. Please see prices section.


Important
In order to ensure that our courses are carried out in the safest and most beneficial environment to you, we would appreciate you taking the time to complete our health questionnaire. Please download the pdf, print it out and bring the completed form with you to your next session.
Click here to download