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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 21, 2010 - 08:23pm PT
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So after all these years I'm admitting I need yoga to improve my flexibility for climbing. Also a side benefit would be better focus. Better "centering".
My YMCA offers about 20 different yoga styles.
Any suggestions for the more appropriate styles for climbing fitness?
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jul 21, 2010 - 08:25pm PT
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I have a very long winded opinion about this. the short opinion is Anusara. But you probably won't easily find that style.
I've been pondering putting together a yoga curriculum for climbing complete with the physical/practical reasons for teaching/offering it a certain way.
running now... will offer more later....
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Daphne
Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
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Jul 21, 2010 - 09:34pm PT
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First of all, the teacher is more important than the style. It takes a certain kind of skill to help someone understand what alignment feels like.
All forms of yoga are going to increase your flexibility. I'd stick to a slower paced class as the faster moving styles don't allow as much time during poses to really deepen into what is happening in the body. Anusara has really amazing attention to alignment that I haven't found in other styles. Iyengar is also a slower paced class. Yoga Flow or Vinyasa yoga is faster paced and can be wonderful if taught by a teacher who stresses alignment. I'd stay away from Mysore/Ashtanga or Power Flow classes. And don't get me started on hot yoga. Lots of people like it but I think it is the yogic equivalent of rap bolting...
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jul 22, 2010 - 07:37pm PT
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I'm pretty much in 100% agreement with what Daphne said.
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Oliv3r
Trad climber
SF
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Jul 22, 2010 - 07:56pm PT
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I have been taking an all levels Vinyasa class for about a year and a half and couldn't possibly say enough good things about it. For me the benefits are greater control of movement and breath.
For example, my ability to maintain balance while doing moves, and to get my feet to land exactly where I want them the first time has improved dramatically.
My ability to control my breathing and maintain focus has also increased a lot. Vinyasa seems to be focused on tying your breathing to your movement. That is extremely valuable up on the rock.
I'm sure that there are other styles that are great for climbing too. But Vinyasa definitely helps.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 22, 2010 - 08:18pm PT
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They had hot yoga there when i lived in Vail, seemed trendy...
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karodrinker
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Jul 22, 2010 - 08:28pm PT
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Fred, just wait and see what you'll be able to climb once you can put your feet behind your head! I want to see full split heel hooks!
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jul 22, 2010 - 08:45pm PT
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.... not to mention the fact that foot behind the head is a great party trick!
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jul 22, 2010 - 08:59pm PT
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I dont know enough about why this guy dislocated his shoulder while climbing:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1224852/Shoulder-Injury-Advice-Help
but I am going to venture a guess. Even if I'm wrong hang with me as y'all might learn something.
As you are probably sitting at your computer while viewing this (big assumption, eh) try this:
move the head of your upper arm bone towards the computer screen. Now pull it away from the computer screen. Do both again.
Moving the head of the arm bone towards the screen is a less then ideal action. Especially if you put any force on the shoulder (like a hard gaston). You've basically lost integration of the shoulder and set yourself up for bad things to happen. The kayakers in the room know exactly what I'm talking about (do not attempt a roll without having both shoulders integrated).
To add a little to moving the shoulder away from the screen do these four actions:
1) move the head of the arm bone towards your ears (sorta like shrugging the shoulders but without the constriction at the neck).
2) Move the head of the arm bone (and shoulder blades) towards/onto the back body.
3) Move the shoulder blades down the back body (supporting the heart).
4) the tricky/hard part... broaden across the whole shoulder girdle.
Your shoulder blades will be close together. There's a little action of squeezing them together but they don't have to pinch the skin in between.
Don't over effort in any of this. You shouldn't look like you are trying. You should look like a happy monkey.
Those four actions in Anusara speak are what's called shoulder loop (there's six other loops). This is one of the many alignment principles that Daphne speaks of in regards to Anusara.
The action of shoulder loop (and keeping it) will help greatly in preventing injury as well as helping to heal injury.
Now... take the shoulder loop to the floor. Drop and give me 10 pushups! But do it while keeping the shoulder blades on the back body. Try and do it without moving the shoulder blades at all. It's hard, really hard.
It's that kind of stuff that can really help prevent things like shoulder dislocations while climbing hard.
Anyone got a problem with their psoas? Pelvic loop and thigh loop will help keep the head of the femur integrated which will help greatly with psoas problems, sciatica and S/I issues.
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telemon01
Trad climber
Montana
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Jul 22, 2010 - 10:44pm PT
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I've been doing hot yoga for six months to help address some hip issues I have. This is my first experience with yoga, and I agree that the slower paced classes that focus on alignment are better than the "flow" classes.
For a beginner, moving quickly from pose to pose just about guarantees sloppy technique.
Good teachers make all the difference.
I am curious, though, what are the criticisms of hot yoga?
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 22, 2010 - 10:46pm PT
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I don't do well above 65º...
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jul 22, 2010 - 10:51pm PT
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"Hot Yoga" == Bikrams Yoga.
There's a couple things about it that I think invite injury.
One is the almost complete lack of alignment principles.
The second is that by warming up your muscles that much you can injury yourself without even knowing it. Getting that gumby and then holding hard poses is a recipe for injury in my observation.
BTW... you don't need to do power/flow yoga to develop strength. You might be surprised just how much core strength you can develop doing the "slow" styles of yoga.
We'll make up a cold yoga for Jaybro. if his beer is comfortable then he's comfortable
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telemon01
Trad climber
Montana
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Jul 22, 2010 - 11:03pm PT
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Thanks for your opinion on hot yoga, nature. One thing I like about it is the heat factor, especially in the winter after working and skiing outside.
I imagine that in Tucson this time of year, without the AC on, it would all be hot yoga.
My wife, who has been doing yoga a lot longer than I have, won't set foot in a hot yoga room. She is all about Iyengar, and I am beginning to see why.
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leinosaur
Trad climber
burns flat, ok
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Jul 22, 2010 - 11:32pm PT
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I was lucky enough that the only yoga offered at my gym a few years ago was by an Anusara-inspired teacher (working on her certification); she has left that gym but I followed her to a studio and have over time developed a daily practice of my own. My teacher "doesn't do fast yoga" but the slow stuff has taken my climbing to another level.
This website has some great Anusara stuff and is also where I discovered green smoothies, another transformative practice. Check them out at risk of becoming slimmer and more flexible!
(then go find yourself a good teacher!)
http://www.yogawithkatrina.com/wrist-love-align-yoga-therapy/#more-1543
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qigongclimber
climber
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Jul 23, 2010 - 12:28am PT
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I've been climbing for 43 years and doing yoga for probably 25 years. I took yoga classes here and there, and was pretty regular at the Y for a year or two in one of their yoga classes. After a while you figure out that you can just create your own routine (i.e. your own set of asanas). The only reason to go to a class is to learn some new postures (asanas) or to just use it as a way of forcing yourself to regularly practice. I came up with a pretty good routine that takes 45 minutes or so. Then along comes Rock & Ice #59 with the article 'Stretching Over Stone'. It turns out that just about all the stretches are yoga, and i was already doing a fair number of them. I can't recommend this article highly enough for people who want to get strong and flexible for climbing through yoga. I just googled 'Rock and Ice Magazine back issues' and found that #59 is available (as of July 2010). I'd also highly recommend checking out Qigong, or moving meditation, since it complements yoga and has some distinct added advantages over yoga. See http://www.qigonginstitute.org for more info on Qigong and Tai Chi (the most well known and popular form of Qigong).
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tonesfrommars
Trad climber
California
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Jul 23, 2010 - 12:59am PT
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Another strike against "hot yoga" is that you miss out on learning breathing techniques that are central to what makes yoga so great, IMO. While enhanced flexibility and asana are part of the experience, the internal practice (which you can't see) is arguably the most profound aspect.
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WBraun
climber
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Jul 23, 2010 - 01:04am PT
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" .... the internal practice (which you can't see) is arguably the most profound aspect."
And that would be ...... ???
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Jul 23, 2010 - 01:04am PT
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but, I don't drink beer....
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Daphne
Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
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Jul 23, 2010 - 01:54am PT
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I'm pretty much in 100% agreement with what nature said.
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JOEY.F
Social climber
sebastopol
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Jul 23, 2010 - 02:04am PT
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Well....3 years ago I began a weekly Hatha Flow class at my gym. I thought I was in ok shape, but, what a challange! Hey, it's included at my gym membership. Incredibly helpful. I am not sure that the alignment is stressed as Nature and Daphne say, however, we do a fair amount of standing/balancing. And, after warmed up, a lot of hip stretching, and sholder movement. Terrific teacher! I only started this climbing deal at 50, and Yoga, to me, is now indespensible. fwiw...Namaste.
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