Athletic Performance   

In my Stretching for Athletes classes, I emphasize work for the entire body, building strength, flexibility and alignment on both left and right sides, and simultaneously conditioning the core muscle groups. A strong core provides stability for the trunk to allow the limbs to work more productively during sports activity.

Repetitive training, uneven use and overuse of muscle groups cause sports specific muscular and range of motion imbalances. Cross-training in another sport is not the ideal solution because no sport can perfectly balance the body biomechanically, nor may that sport offer core strengthening.

While athletes train for endurance and sports specific strength, a simultaneous stretching routine ensures the opportunity to counter strengthen, develop core stabilizers and to maintain or increase flexibility, all of which contribute to an increased recovery rate and a decrease in injuries with less time off in recovery.

Is This a Yoga Class?   

No, my courses for Athletes are not Yoga Classes.  The parameters of a Yoga Classes differ significantly from a Stretch for Athletes Class. 

In Yoga, we practice yogic breathing, postures with an emphasis on mindfulness of movement, body and mind awareness and a longer relaxation. Class atmosphere is calm and meditative.

In a Stretch for Athletes Class we do Yoga postures for stretch and strengthening; however, the environment is geared to the competitive nature of the athlete and to sports specific education and benefits of yoga postures.  There is usually a short relaxtaion at the end of class.

  Specialty Experience                  

When I finished Yoga Teacher Training at Kripalu (August 1999), where I was doing a minimum of 4 hours of Yoga daily for one month, and returned to Kingston, I noticed a tremendous improvement in my swimming; particularly in my shoulder and hip range of motion, my flip turns, and recovery rate.  Since I wanted to explore how Yoga can apply to Athletes, I was disappointed to discover that there was very little published on the subject.  I began with one book, Yoga For Athletes by Aladar Kogler, Ph.D., an Olympic Coach.

Having worked through this book, I was only beginning to take hold of a subject that interested me quite a bit, and I found that I needed to expand my knowledge on human movement, anatomy, and then apply my knowledge and teaching of Yoga to sports specific activities.  [I had already studied canine anatomy and movement.]

With further self-education and more teaching experience, I gradually began to put together principles in applying Yoga for the benefit of Athletes.  In the meantime, I found various groups of Athletes interested in my Yoga/Stretch for Athletes classes:

Kingston, Ontario   2001 - 2005

  • 2004 Canadian Olympic Sailing Team  
  • 2004 Canadian Youth Sailing Team  
  • Yoga For Equestrians 
  • Mercury Trek Cross Canada Cycling Team (a Cross Canada trip to commemorate 100 years of Canadian Military Communication) 
  • Kingston Blue Marlin Swimming Team (Seniors ages 13 - 17) 
  • Yoga for Sports Performance, Kingston Family YMCA  (participants came from a wide variety of Sports activities) 

 St. John's  2006 - 2007     

  • Runners from the Running Room Runners Club, ANE and Nautilus Running Club in St. John's, 2006 - 2008

  • Regular presentations with Running Groups at The Running Room (Churchill Square) 
  • Presentation at The Battery for the reception of the Cape to Cabot Run on October 21, 2007