Vigue Sean - Power yoga for athletes: more than 100 poses and flows to improve performance in any sport

Sean is a talented and knowledgeable fitness instructor that I am proud to have had the privilege of working with. Beyond his technical skill and knowledge, he also has a personality that makes him easy to get along with, and helps him inspire everyone, regardless of age, skill level, or gender, to become active through yoga and Pilates. This book is going to be a standard for athletes that are interested in taking their game to the next level in non-traditional fitness areas.

Dean Pohlman, owner of Man Flow Yoga

Sean teaches a challenging yet super fun yoga class. He is a master at what he does.

Heather Kapande, owner of Nicks Pro Fitness

Sean brings a lightness to any heavy-duty workout. His sense of humor keeps you smiling when your mind is telling you to frown and possibly give up. In my opinion, a light and kind teacher that can also encourage you to meet your edge is a treasureand Sean is that!

Adriene Mishler of Yoga with Adriene

Seans power yoga workouts are my go-to yoga workouts. He is an amazing instructor and I love the way he always makes me laugh.

Laura London of Laura London Fitness

I was in search of inspiration for yoga and Pilates and when I found Sean online, I felt like I could accomplish my fitness goals and have fun at the same time! I had taken many different classes in person and online, but never did I connect with someone in such a human way. Sean is kind and thorough, yet silly enough to take your mind off of the many plankorific poses he teaches! His style of teaching is inclusive and full of variety, so you will never get bored. This combination makes for a long-term commitment from his students who keep coming back time and time again. I was so inspired by Sean that I became a yoga teacher myself!

Natalie Cummings, founder Cardio Yoga Fusion

Working out with Sean is a blast! I refer my online clients to him because I know not only will they get a safe and effective workout, they are sure to be entertained in the process!

Dana Chapman of RealFitTV

I love Seans dedication to yoga and working out, his fun personality, and his commitment to helping people.

Ali Kamenova of Ali Kamenova Yoga

I love Seans classes! Hes my go-to power yoga instructor.

Peggy Tung, owner of Core Solutions Pilates and Wellness

FOR ATHLETES

More than 100 Poses and Flows to Improve Performance in Any Sport

SEAN VIGUE

2015 Fair Winds Press

Photography 2015 Terri Zollinger

First published in the USA in 2015 by

Fair Winds Press, a member of

Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.

100 Cummings Center

Suite 406-L

Beverly, MA 01915-6101

www.fairwindspress.com

Visit www.bodymindbeautyhealth.com. Its your personal guide to a happy, healthy, and extraordinary life!

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5

Digital edition published in 2015

Digital edition: 978-1-62788-294-1

Softcover edition: 978-1-59233-615-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vigue, Sean.

Power yoga for athletes : more than 100 poses and flows to improve performance in any sport / Sean Vigue.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-59233-615-9 (paperback)

1. Astanga yoga 2. Athletes--Training of. I. Title.

RA781.68.V54 2015

613.7046--dc23

2014049290

Cover design by Traffic

Book design by Traffic

Page layout by Sylvia McArdle

Photography by Terri Zollinger

The information in this book is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician or medical practitioner. Please see your health care provider before beginning any new health program.

Dedicated to my loving parents, Robert and Beverly, for their constant support, love, and encouragement. I love you!

Range is for the ego, control is for the soul.

Joseph Pilates

Whatever your sport of choice, yoga can help you improve focus, flexibility, and performance. Power yoga in particular, a form of yoga involving aerobic exercises and constant strenuous movement, is ideal for athletes who strive for a holistic, balanced fitness routine and who want a strong, flexible body and better performance in the sport of their choice. Studies show that most athletes are used to conditioning in a particular way, usually by isolating specific muscle groups with the aim of increasing the intensity and frequency of the training regimen; this kind of conditioning focuses on isolating different parts of the body. Yoga, on the other hand, is based on the principle of integrating the body as a whole and shifts the emphasis to the quality of the movement. This holistic approach can reveal weaknesses and imbalances that may never have been exposed before. This may come as a surprise to many athletes who think they are in tune with their bodies.

This book, with more than one hundred power yoga poses plus yoga flows, is designed specifically for athletes who want a total body/mind workout. Yoga is the ideal cross-training tool and a perfect stand-alone exercise, whether youre looking to improve balance, focus, control, breathing, posture, or flexibility; strengthen your back, joints, or core; or reduce or heal from injury. Each yoga pose features step-by-step directions, instructional photography, and lists of the muscles being worked, the overall benefits, and the sports for which each pose is ideal. These poses benefit athletes of all types, including runners, swimmers, cyclists, golfers, and baseball, basketball, soccer, and American football players. When you incorporate these poses into a vigorous flow (), it becomes power yoga.

Power yoga is the athletes secret weapon. Dozens of high-profile professional athletes are hitting the yoga mat, from the Seattle Seahawks American football team to basketball star LeBron James to the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team. Professional athletes are turning to power yoga to improve performance, prevent injury, and extend their careers. But while the word has gotten out that yoga is a natural fit for athletes, many are still too intimidated to give it a try. They view it as too earthy, for granolas, too intimidating, or foreign to their typical workout routine. But anyone who has practiced yoga could talk about its many benefits. Yoga involves movements and body postures that provide a full-body workout and improve flexibility, balance, focus, awareness, strength, endurance, and recovery. My hope is that Power Yoga for Athletes will serve as a gateway to all athletes interested in reaping the benefits the mat has to offer.

As a former professional singer/dancer and yoga instructor, I have seen firsthand the difference yoga can make to an athletes performance. I also grew up playing hockey, football, basketballyou name it, I played it, and my goal is still to have that kind of unlimited energy throughout each day. Power yoga gives me that energy. In my life prior to becoming a yoga/Pilates instructor, grueling rehearsals and performances took their toll on my body. My muscles would feel tight, and my energy levels were dropping, affecting not only my rehearsals and performance but also my sleep. Plus, my focus wasnt as sharp as many of my fellow performers, and I had a hard time remembering all the complex music, lines, and choreography. I noticed that my fellow dancers who practiced yoga didnt seem to have the aches and pains that I had. When I began practicing yoga, I noticed immediately how my body became stronger and my focus was as sharp as a laser. I was fortunate that a couple of fellow performers were yoga instructors, and they began to teach me some power yoga flows, which made my muscles long, lean, and powerful.