Laurel Yoga

1 day ago

ARE MORE FLEXIBLE HIPS THE ANSWER?
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My quick take: for many, no.
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But let’s take a closer look at where this belief might come from.
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Since asanas are especially effective for helping us improve our flexibility + many experience noticeable improvements in their moods from practicing yoga - a greater capacity for relaxation and ease - it's an easy (albeit overly simplistic) mental leap to attribute this improvement to increased flexibility of the hips (or other areas.)
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It’s true, yoga asana biases increasing flexibility. Leveling up to harder poses usually means working increasing ranges of motion.
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But meanwhile, resistance doesn’t increase because we’re only ever working with body weight.
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As our flexibility increases, our practice may not serve to help us increase our strength commensurately.
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The eventual result, of asana is all you do, might be the aches and pains of underloaded tissues.
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The good news is that we can be both flexible AND strong. One doesn’t negate the other!
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Enter resistance bands.
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These have become my favorite tool for dosing my practice with external resistance to build skill and strength. They’re easy to get, affordable, and transportable. The ways they enhance the physical practice are numerous.
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Resistance bands increase load exposure 2 main ways:
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1. They can increase the magnitude of load your body manages, depending on the rigidity your choose, making it possible to progress magnitude over time and build strength and resilience.
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2. They help vary the load depending on how you arrange them on your body. You are no longer bound by the loads due to the axis of gravity (vertical only) when practicing. The bands offer resistance no matter your relationship to gravity.
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I’m bubbling over with excitement for tomorrow as I get ready to teach my Yoga with Resistance Bands TT to the teachers @hotyogadublin. We’re gonna nerd out on biomechanics and learn a ton of ways to add bands to yoga to progress and vary the loads we expose our bodies to in the practice.
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You can still get in on the fun. Link in bio. 👆#yogawithresistancebands #yogawithresistancebandstt ... See MoreSee Less

Laurel Yoga

2 days ago

Go AGAINST the flow. Add some external resistance. 💪
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Dublin 🇮🇪! My weekend Yoga with Resistance Bands TT starts Friday @hotyogadublin.
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Rather than learning a bunch of *alignment rules* you will learn to *manipulate forces* to progress and vary the loads your body manages in your practice. 😎 One of the topics we cover is choreographing flows.
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You can still sign up for this weekend training. Link in bio.
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#yogawithresistancebands #yogawithresistancebandstt ... See MoreSee Less

Laurel Yoga

5 days ago

Head over to @trinaaltman’s page for a post about the “fathers of modern yoga”. #whosyouryogadaddy?
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Her post inspired me to repost this reflection here:
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#repost
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IMO, and...
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THEY MODEL INQUIRY: They question what they know and model this mindset to their students.
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THEIR PASSION IS CONTAGIOUS. They get really worked up about their subject and bubble over with enthusiasm.
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THEY BREAK ‘THE RULES.’ They question the status quo and model opposing it if its values contradict evidence or ethics.
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THEY ASK instead of tell - 1) because it’s an effective way to teach (inductive versus deductive.) 2) because they actually care what their students have to say about the matter and are open to different viewpoints and ideas, as well as levels of experience and knowledge.
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THEY DON’T SHAME THEIR STUDENTS. Not knowing and making mistakes are not seen as a signs of insufficiency, but rather opportunities to teach and to learn.
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What qualities do your favorite teachers model?
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#teachdontpreach #teachtolearn #laurelyoga #bodyofknowledge #movingmeditation #yogaeverydamnday #asanaeverythirdday #varytheload #varytheloadstoyourbrain #meditation #meditate #fitness #health #love #workout #yogi #namaste #yogaeverywhere #midrangeisthenewblack #asanaeverythirdday #yogaeverydamnday #lifeofayogateacher #instayogis ... See MoreSee Less

Laurel Yoga

6 days ago

Hot Yoga Dublin Sunday’s masterclass 5/24 9:30-11:15 just opened for enrollment and it’s already half full. Go here — hotyogadublin.ticketbud.com/resistance-banded-backbends-and-inversions---with-laurel-777e8cebf36d
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Banded Backbends and Inversions — learn banded progressions of poses that increase load gradually to the tissues essential to condition for inversions and backbends.
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Get ready to vary the load with ideas for how to incorporate pulling exercises on your yoga mat and cross-train your yoga practice DURING your yoga practice.
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You will practice the steps of inversions and make the PROCESS the POSE. Preparatory postures function as the scaled-back alternative for those who know that more consistent, varied, and loaded practice long-term will prepare them to securely invert. In this workshop, you will be able to tailor your process to your needs. Practice the skills of inversions without ever going upside down. Build strength and resilience for further down the road, like putting money in the bank.
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And for those of you going upside down, get ready for some brand new ways to build your skill in entering and exiting with grace and precision. (Can anyone say partially closed chain feedback? 🤓)
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Discover ways to introduce bands in your classes to more effectively help your students skill build progressively by adding external resistance.
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Link in bio to enroll👆Or go here: hotyogadublin.ticketbud.com/resistance-banded-backbends-and-inversions---with-laurel-777e8cebf36d
#varytheload #progresstheload #loadexposure #forcevectorvariation #yogawithresistancebands #yogawithresistancebandstt #getstrongerinthestretch ... See MoreSee Less

Laurel Yoga

7 days ago

Hot Yoga Dublin & Yoga Next Door this Friday’s masterclass is sold out! We’re opening up the Sunday masterclass details coming soon.
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#yogawithresistancebands #yogawithresistancebandstt ... See MoreSee Less