Après Riding

I took up mountain biking last year. In many ways, riding can do what yoga does for me: I practice living in the moment to take in every smell, sound, sight, and bump, especially when I bail! I love it so much I planned part of my vacation this year around a riding tour in Europe. I added an impressive amount of kms to my bike during the trip and with extra kms comes extra muscle tension. Here's what I did one day to work out the kinks. 45 mins

1. Virasana (Hero Pose): I used only a folded blanket for support under shins but you could use more to sit on depending on flexibility. Worked on grounding through the shins and small toes to keep the lower legs from rolling inwards. 5 mins

1a. Parvatasana: To lengthen the sides of the torso and provide a great stretch to the arms, shoulders, and spine.

2. Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose): A must after riding. Still with a blanket under the shins, I practice this pose to lengthen through the tops of the knees and thighs. I always start using more support first under the ribcage and head to ease into it. Eventually I remove the support until I'm in the full, reclining pose with only a folded blanket supporting my back. Arms by my sides. The focus here is continually tucking the tailbone and grounding through the shins and toes. 5 mins

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-facing Dog): To lengthen the spine, torso, stretch the backs of the knees, and open up through the shoulders. Used Ahdo Mukha Virasana to rest in between. 2 x 2 mins

4. Lunge to Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-legged King Pigeon): I always prefer to start with a lunge whether in my practice or in my teaching. It allows me to warm up the hip flexors and prepare for the more advanced posture. I use a conservative position for the front bent leg with the foot tucked in close to the body and gradually move the foot away. Today the leg made it in line with the bent knee. I finish by leaning forward onto my elbows and forearms for a more active stretch in the glutes. Move into Adho Mukha Svanasana before switching to the other leg. 5 mins

5. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): To stretch out the back of the legs and glutes. I start high on wooden blocks for the hands placed under the shoulders in Ardha Uttanasana. Move to finger tips in line with the feet and eventually palms to the floor. Used a block between the inner thighs to maintain the action of strong legs. 2 mins

6. Padangustasana (Big Toe Pose): Continued into a deeper stretch here, bending the elbows and drawing the body down to the thighs. 2 mins

7. Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja's Pose): Twist done standing against and twisting into a wall. 30 sec per side x 2

8. Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose): Balanced myself against a wall doing a simple version by bending the knee, holding the ankle, and talking the foot to the glute. Move off the wall for the full pose, once using a strap and once without for the full pose. Using the strap allows me to bring my arms over my head, lift the leg, and come as close to holding the foot as possible. 5 mins

9. Marichyasana III (Marichi's Pose): Seated twist, keeping nose in line with the navel first for a more subtle twist then the full pose. 2 min

10. Upavista Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend): With support of a wooden block under the head. 5 mins

11. Savasana (Corpse Pose): Prone or on the stomach to release the back, head tilted to one side, changing sides half-way through. 7 mins

Ready for the next ride....later.

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