Yoga with Kassandra

6 Yoga Stretches for Soccer Players

As an athlete, it is so important to work the muscles that support the joints. For soccer, that means stabilizing and opening the hips, work the adductors and quads to support the knees, and stretch the calves and ankles to support the feet.

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As an athlete, it is so important to work the muscles that support the joints. For soccer, that means stabilizing and opening the hips, working the adductors and quads to support the knees, and stretching the calves and ankles to support the feet.

These 6 stretches are great to do before practice, a game, or on your days off to have the low body prepared.

Not a soccer star? These stretches are great for all athletes, before crossing training, or on your day off.

1. Bridge - Lay down on your back. Bring the soles to the mat, hip width apart, and close to the glutes. Relax your arms by the sides. Push in to the heels, lift hips, low and mid back up. Squeeze the thighs to keep the knees over the ankles. Dig in the heels, dragging them back to lift the hips higher. After holding for a few breaths, slowly lower down.

2. Figure Four - Cross the right ankle over the left knee, and flex the foot. Push the right knee away. Stay grounded here, or reach arms through and pull the legs in. Lean more on to the left hip and continue pushing the right knee away from you. After a few breaths here, lower the legs down. Then repeat on the other side.

3. Two-Legged Table - Come to table top, with a strong core. Step your right foot back, stretching the calf muscle and ankle. Shift the weight forward, float your right foot up. Trace a few big circles with the knee. Then extend the right leg back, keeping your right hip and toes pointing down. Reach the left hand forward. Pushing in to the two standing limbs, and thinking of opposition with the floating arm and leg.

4. Low Lunge - Lower the left hand down, then step the right foot through to the front of the mat. Melt the pelvis forward and down, inviting the hip flexors at front of thigh to release. Keep the right knee tracking over the middle toes. Step back to downward dog, paddling the feet out.

Repeat 3 and 4 on the other side.

5. Tree - Stand at the front of the mat. Bring the hands together at the heart. Shift your weight to the right leg. Squeeze in to the hip flexors and lift the left knee up as high as possible. Rolling the ankle in circles. Place the left foot somewhere along the inside of the standing leg (ankle, shin or thigh), pushing the knee out to the side. Push the leg in to the foot, and the foot back in to the leg. Draw your hip in to the midline to stand tall. Repeat on the other side.

6. Goddess - Turn to face the wide edge of your mat, taking the feet wide. Turn the heels in and the toes out at about 45 degrees. Bend the knees and drop the hips down low. Squeeze the glutes to push the knees out over the middle toes. Use the hands to guide the knees open further. Drop your right shoulder down and draw the left shoulder back. Repeat to the other direction. Come back to center, bringing the hands to the heart. Try to lift the right heel off of the mat, pushing in to the ball of the foot. Lower it down. Lift the left heel. Lower down.

Prefer to be guided by voice and visual cues? Check out the video below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel

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Are you feeling worked up? Boiling over? Frustrated and needing to vent? Take it to the mat and find a healthy way to release and work through that anger.

In this practice you will combine Yin Yoga asanas with affirmations to address frustrations. Simply repeat the affirmation a few times internally, noticing how it makes you feel. Process the emotions that come up, feel in to them, and then let them go.

I highly recommend having a journal at the ready for the end of this practice, to write down anything that comes up.

Also have 1 block handy.

1. One-minute Breath - When you are worked up, the breath is your best resource for calming down and targeting the parasympathetic nervous system. The goal of one-minute breath, is to inhale for 20 seconds, retain the breath for 20 seconds, and then exhale for 20 seconds. That is quite advanced, and will take some time to work up to, so start with 10. Find a comfortable seat to start. Drop shoulders away from ears and rest your hands on the legs. Inhale fully for 10 seconds, hold for 10, then exhale for 10. Repeat this for a few rounds of breath. Afterwards, allow normal breath to come back. While seated here, bring to mind that which is causing you turmoil.

2. Butterfly - From a seat, bring the soles together to touch, dropping the knees out to the side. Start to tilt forward from the pelvis. Make this fold passive, rounding in the spine and releasing down with gravity. Support the head with the block or let it dangle. Find the version of the shape that works for you, find some stillness, and then hold the pose for a few minutes.
Affirmation: "I release the need to control others."

3. Dragonfly - Extend the legs out to the sides in a straddle. Rotate towards the right leg, then begin to fold. Allowing the body to open in to the fold over time. Again you might place a block underneath the forehead or leave it to gravity to open up.
Affirmation: "I am a calm and loving person."
Lift up slowly, and shift towards the left leg. Repeat.
Affirmation: "I allow emotions to flow through me without attachment."
Slowly rise back up, move to center and fold forward.
Affirmation: "Anger is energy and I turn that energy into positive action."

4. Half Happy Baby - Lower down on to the back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hug the right knee in to the chest, opening the leg to the right side body. Stay here, or catch hold of the big toe and kick the heel up as you guide the knee down. Bring the right elbow inside of the right knee to open it further. Keep the shoulders and head on the ground. To step this up, extend the left leg out in front of you, or drop the left knee out to the side. Keep the body weight evenly distributed between the two sides.
Affirmation: "I am a loving force of good in this world."
Release and switch sides.
Affirmation: "I let go of old past hurts with ease."

5. Banana - Move the hips to the right. Shift the chest, shoulders and head to the left. Possibly clasp opposite elbows. Walk the legs to the left, as you extend them out. To increase intensity cross the right ankle over the left. The whole body should be facing up, isolating this stretch in to the side body.
Affirmation: "Forgiveness comes naturally to me."
Ease to the other side.
Affirmation: "Outside circumstances will not affect my inner peace."

6. Savasana - Extend out, taking up some space. Shrug the shoulders away from the ears. Close the eyes. Release tension from the forehead, the cheeks, the jaw. Imagine sinking in to the floor beneath you.
Affirmation: "This too shall pass. I welcome change."

Prefer to be guided through the poses and transitions? Practice along with me in the video below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel

6 Yin Poses and Affirmations to Release Anger

by Amy Stubbs on 07:36:00

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️ http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo Are you feeling worked up? Boiling over? Frus...

😍 ONLINE YIN YOGA TEACHER TRAINING 😍 Get certified to teach! ❤️http://bit.ly/yinyttinfo

Who doesn't love a quick, but still deep, stretch in the morning? We all have 10 minutes to spare to ensure you wake up the right way and have a great day.

I won't waste any more time, just roll out your mat. No props needed.

1. Side Bends - Start standing at the front of your mat, with the feet a bit wider than hip width and in parallel. Reach your hands up overhead, clasping the opposite wrists. Inhale to lengthen, then as you exhale move in to a side bend to the left. Push in to the right hip. Inhale to center, exhale to the other side. Move side to side a few more times. Take this in to a full circle. Reaching hands to the left, bend the knees, fold all the way down, push in to the feet to come up to the right. Do 3 rounds. Then switch directions.

2. Forward Fold - Reach the hands up, bend your knees and fold all the way down. Let the belly rest on to the thighs. Relax the upper body, the head, the neck, and shake gently side to side. Bend the left knee deeply, while straightening the right leg. Alternate legs. Paddle the feet in this way a few times. Next turn the toes out and heels in, bend the knees, and drop the hips down in to a yogi squat. Use the elbows to push the knees out. Let the hands rest down to the mat in front of you. As you exhale, straighten the legs and fold forward. As you inhale, bend the knees back to squat. Do 3 rounds.

3. Goddess - Take the feet wide, turning heels in and toes out. Reach the arms out to the sides, in star pose. As you exhale, bend the knees and drop the hips in to Goddess. Squeeze open the glutes, and squeeze the shoulder blades behind you. Rest the left hand to the left thigh, and reach the right arm up and over in a big side bend. Repeat on the other side. Return to center, and rest both hands on thighs. Drop your right shoulder down, and pull the left shoulder back. Switch sides. Press in to the feet to straighten the legs and bring the feet in to parallel. Inhale to lift and lengthen. Exhale, to fold forward and let the hands rest down where comfortable.

4. Runner's Lunge - From forward fold, walk the hands to the right foot. Point the toes to the right, lifting the left heel off the mat, and bending in to the right knee. Melt the pelvis down and forward, while lifting the heart. Drop your back knee down to the mat. Stay here, or reach your right arm back as you bend in to the left knee, pulling the left heel in to the glute. Release, and tuck the back toes under and lifting the back knee off the mat. Straighten the front leg, as you fold in to a wide pyramid. Then walk the hands back to center, in to a wide legged forward fold. Take to the other side.

5. Flow - Come to standing at the front of your mat, to take a vinyasa flow. Inhale the hands over head, exhale fold forward. Inhale hands to the shin for a half lift, exhale to step back to plank. Inhale to lower down into cobra back bend, then exhale to lift the hips up and back for downward dog. While in down dog, bend one knee and push the opposite heel down. Then switch. Paddling the legs out. Afterwards, bring the big toes together, and take the knees wide as you bend and lower them to the mat. Come on to the tops of the feet, sinking hips back to the heels. Let forehead come down to mat, reaching the arms forward in child's pose.

6. Shoulder Opening - Bring the knees together as you lift up to kneeling. Open up the arms as you squeeze the shoulder blades behind you. Bend the arms in to cactus. Exhale, bringing the forearms together. Take a few rounds with your breath. Straighten the spine. Wrap the right elbow under, binding your arms once or twice. Push the elbows away, dropping the shoulders and tuck chin to chest to let forehead rest on arms. Repeat on other side.

7. Unwind - Come to a comfortable seat, roll your shoulders down. Rest the hands on the legs. Notice the effects on the body. What feels different? Find something to be proud of, or grateful for.

Prefer to be guided along by my voice and visual cues? Press play on the 10 minute class below.

Namaste,
Kassandra

Please do subscribe to my YouTube channel