"Yoga is not about self improvement, it is about self acceptance."
- Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa
After a long run, it is nice to walk, loosen up the muscles, and take a five minute stretch, or more if you have the time. I will always say more to every yoga student that I get the pleasure to teach, but I do not always take the time to truly stretch after a run, myself. Like your runs - I assume - my runs are usually perfectly timed between other to-dos, and then, I am quickly off to the next activity on my agenda - walking the dog, teaching yoga, giving a massage, working on my other jobs, cooking, or cleaning, etc.
Lets face it, we all live busy lives, but taking five minutes a day will help your recovery, flexibility, and overall health of your body. Stretching will also help nourish your ligaments, tendons, and fascia, which all take longer to gain stretch, but also take longer to heal compared to your skin, muscles and bones.
If you only have five minutes a day, here are my favorite yoga postures after a run, including the benefits of each pose, and why focusing on your own recovery is so important for your overall health. If you have extra time, visit my other post about my five favorite postures.
Why Focus on Stretching:
Stretches EVERYTHING. When you stretch, you are stretching everything in your body - muscles, ligaments, skin, nerves, mind, organs, etc. Every time that you move beyond your normal range of motion, you are stretching all of these areas in your body. This is important because each layer of tissue gets less bound and stuck, which enables your body to slide and glide more easily. As an example: you are able to breathe more deeply with less effort, and you can lunge deeper without strain.
Removes Toxins. A sustained stretch - when you hold a posture for a longer period of time - is similar to the wringing out of a sponge. If you use a sponge to clean your dishes or bathroom, you know that in order to remove the excess dirty water, you need to twist and squeeze the sponge. This is a similar response happening in your body when you hold a twist or stretch for a long period of time (I'm talking anywhere between 3-9 minutes). The longer you hold a posture, you are massaging each and every layer of tissue, and removing any excess toxins, build up, or bound tissues.
And, similar to that sponge, it takes your body time to adjust and get back to normal (puff back to original sponge shape before the squeezing). In Yin Yoga, it takes about 30 minutes after a posture for your body to flush back with synovial fluid, or other fluids and nutrients in the area of focus. In addition to removing toxins, you are flooding your body with more nutrients and added benefits.
Enables Freer Movement. To expand off the first point, stretching helps release bound and tight areas in the body. After a stretch, you are less likely to pull or borrow from other places in your body with a sudden movement after a stretch, which can help prevent injury. Basically, stretching improves your overall range of motion.
Increases Mental Health. When you take the time to move deeper inward, you bring your neurological system back into balance and harmony. This process becomes in-tune with your breath, and as you deepen your inhales and exhales, your mind travels back to its natural clam state.
Three Quick Postures to Release and Let Go:
And now on to my go-to poses for a quick stretch and recovery after a run. I will keep the postures to three, knowing that you have a second side to balance. If you hold each posture for about one minute, you can find your sense of balance and calm after a run within six or so minutes!
Before you begin, I invite you to take the postures with ease. There is no need to really sink into the pose too fast, or too deep. Notice your breath. If your breath is becoming shallow and forced, back out of the pose, and either rest, or find your own personal edge (your own comfortable uncomfortable space in a posture).
Remember, consistency is key. If you practice each posture a few times a week, you will notice your body becoming more open, flexible, and stronger.
1. Utthan Pristhasana, Lizard Lunge Pose
Benefits:
Opens the hips.
Releases emotional tension.
With a twist, opens the spine and quadriceps, as well.
There is so much room to grow in this posture. As your hip opens, you can add a twist, or even an ankle bind with the back leg. You can also reach your chest to the ground as you stay on either your back toe or knee.
This is a great outer hip release for all of those muscle attachment points at the greater trochanter, and even the inner thigh as you roll your knee open. This is a great preparatory posture for: Pigeon and Monkey Pose (Full Splits).
How To Get Into the Pose:
Start in downward facing dog.
Inhale: lift your right leg into three-legged down dog. Exhale: plant your right foot at the top of your mat, between your hands.
Heel-toe your right foot to the outside of your right hand, and stay on your back toe, or lower down to your knee.
Exhale: fold into the stretch, lowering down to your forearms, your chest, or a block.
For an added twist: Rest into your left hand into your mat, as you press your right hand into the inside of your right knee, and look to the back of the room, over your shoulder.
To bind: Bend your back leg and reach to grab ahold of your ankle, pulling your heel closer towards your body. .
2. Ardha Hanumanasana, Half Splits Pose
Benefits:
Opens the hamstrings, glutes, and IT band. Lengthens the fascia along the back of the leg.
Stabilizes the pelvis. Opens the back.
Calms the mind.
This posture changes the intensity of the stretch based on where your upper body is positioned. You can stay high, in a sort of runner's lunge position, or you can lower your sits bones down to the ground. As you make this change, you will feel the focus of the stretch move from your hamstring to your calves, and it all depends on your area of tightness. It is a great release after a run!
How To Get Into the Pose:
Start in downward facing dog.
Inhale: lift your right leg into three-legged down dog. Exhale: plant your right foot at the top of your mat, between your hands.
With your right foot at the top of the mat, lower to your back knee. Exhale: shift your weight back as you lift your right toes to face the ceiling/sky.
Inhale: lengthen your chest towards your toes. Exhale: fold your nose toward your knee to round the spine.
For an added variation: Lower your sits bones towards your back heel, and reach both of your hands towards your toe.
3. Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
Benefits:
Calms the brain - helps relieve mild depression.
Stretches the spine, ribs, shoulders, hamstrings, groin, and hips.
Stimulates the liver and the kidney. Improves digestion.
This posture is a deeper seated twist that opens the space between the top of the hip and the lower rib (these are the attachment points for your QL muscle - the hip hiker). As an LMT and RYT, I love this pose because it lengthens the side body, which gains space between the ribs; strengthens the legs; aids in digestion (if your foot is nestled between your thigh and chest in a half lotus); and, can stretch the back of the shoulder as you press the bottom elbow into the ground to propel your twist. As you can tell, there are so many working parts to this posture, it is pretty incredible. It is definitely one of my top favorite yoga poses to practice.
How To Get Into the Pose:
Start in a seated wide-legged or figure-4 position.
If you are in the figure-4 position, you can take a half lotus with the bent leg, and place your foot onto your inner thigh to activate your dextkfication process of your liver (your foot adds a compression to a Chinese Meridian Line of your inner thigh based on TCM).
Inhale: Lift your arms overhead and turn towards your outstretched right leg. Exhale: fold towards your right toes.
For an added twist: With your right hand, grab the inside of your right foot, and inhale: lift your left arm overhead, and reach towards your right toes. Take your right hand and reach across your body for your outstretched or bent, left leg. Press your left elbow into the mat, and use it as a fulcrum point to twist your torso further - your heart towards the sky.
Remember: You do not have to touch your toes in order to gain the benefits of this posture. You can reach your floating arm across your ear and find the length and stretch without grabbing the toes.
Now, I hope that you found these postures interesting, and I hope that you are able to take the time it took to read this article to stretch after your next run. Enjoy the length and strength from each one of these postures!
All my light and love, Namaste.
xx,
Jordan
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