Welcome to Yoga For Runners' by Heather Frenner, RYT
This is YOUR DEFINITIVE GUIDE, your daily source of inspiration and, in time, will be your "ROCK" and your "STRENGTH", when you feel like giving up.
WITHIN THIS PAGE, you will find a TRUE GUIDE, a SPIRITUAL TEACHER that will LEAD YOU, into a natural rhythm of effortless ease. For each and every single day of the week, will become SACRED. Each day will unfold into the next miracle of your life, I PROMISE!
YOU WILL DISCOVER A KINDER, MORE GENTLE APPROACH OF TECHNIQUE, TO IMPLEMENT INTO YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM.
AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO INTEGRATE THE LIFE TRANSFORMING REALITY OF UNITING YOUR BODY, WITH YOUR MIND AND ULTIMATELY- YOUR SOUL.
Deepak elaborates so eloquently, "there are no coincidences" in life. It IS syncho-destiny. And, it is in these mere synchronistic moments of life, we actually get a taste of the nectar of our inheirant purpose in life, that sweet, succulent rapture of spirit.
IT HAPPENED TO ME- AT PRECISELY MILE "21". I have honestly, NEVER felt such a sense of "ONENESS" with all of LIFE. I sincerely felt the most blissful union with each and every runner in the marathon. From the "Elite Men and Women leading the pack, to the precious, afflicted-polio stricken gentleman, quietly maneuvering his crutches to the finish line, from the georgeous 87 year old "Legacy Runner" woman, to the 13 year old child who, got up from his team mate pushed wheelchair, and took several momentous steps to make the dream a reality....I was ONE with all of them! I was ONE with all of the marathon runners, I was ONE with the beautiful, cheering crowd, I was ONE with all of the diversity that Los Angeles has to offer, I was ONE with every hill, with every mile. I WAS ONE WITH GOD. I WAS ONE, BECAME-I WON.
IT WAS SHEER NIRVANA AND THIS EXPERIENCE HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE!
Instead of feeling sorry for myself, and that the UNIVERSE should passively pitty me, I felt compelled to get up, and off of my butt and DO THIS! AND SO, I DID! VOILLA-THE SHIFT HAS OCCURRED!
IT'S ABOUT TIME! AND, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!
What I experienced was just so very amazing and I feel compelled to share with you, ALL of the BEAUTIFUL LOVE and LIFE TRANSFORMING experience that has graced my soul.
I have outlined for you a daily training guide, as well as several, VERY POWERFUL links to view, along your journey. Please do visit these "portals" as you travel your journey from training to the finish line! They will give you the encouragement and inspiration that your soul may be thirsty for, at any point and time, along the way.
AND THE TIMING COULD NOT BE MORE PERFECT! Right now, YOU HAVE THE SYNCHRO-NISTIC OPPORTUNITY TO MANIFEST TREMENDOUS CHANGE! Change in your body, change in your conscious way of thinking on a daily basis and most definitely, a change in your spiritual direction!
So, how does one actually condition one's self for a marathon???
For me, this was a choice- of no turning back-and of complete and utter determination.
SO, THE PLOT THICKENS...
I had always had the desire to run "A" marathon. I enjoyed walking, hiking, running, etc. I used to run with my Dad, as the sun painted the most exquisite sunsets across the Scottsdale desert-at twilight.
Afterwards, I have fond memories of my father and I making a beautiful soup from the magnificent vegetables and edible flowers, growing in his garden.
When I found out the the Los Angeles Marathon was on March 21, 2010- I KNEW. THIS WAS THAT "A" MARATHON, that I had forever wanted to run. This was the marathon that my Dad was preparing me to accomplish. And, it was THIS marathon that I carried my beloved fathers soul, across that finish line. He made his soul transition on March 21, and I vowed that I would forever carry his legacy of peace, harmony, laughter and love.
Training for, Running for and Completing for takes you out of the I-Ego and into a service of total, authentic dedication. It enables us to be totally and completely honest, with having the feelings of "this is me- like it or not, this IS who I am and I present to you ALL that I am, with ALL that I CAN BE!
TO BE OR NOT TO BE??? This is THE question of the SOUL... Period.
So, how does one get psyched for kicking themselves in the butt? That's right! 26.2 Miles of kicking yourself in the ass. And, you will NEED a source of strength, for sure!
Know how I got mine??? God only knows. Everyone around me, with the EXCEPTION of my most greatest blessing in life, MY DAUGHTER, told me-even wanted to argue with me, that there was NO WAY that I could DO THIS! So, this was my first clue....I was being motivated by my daughter and by SPIRIT.
To prepare my body for the marathon, I followed the advice provided by the LA Roadrunners, as well as implemented some great tips from other running coaches. I found their advice to be a solid, foundational tool that proved to be very beneficial in my overall conditioning and preparation.
To prepare my mind and spirit, I practiced yoga. Not only did I utilize the foundational roots of my teacher training in the renown Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, designed by Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. David Simon and Claire Diab, I designed and implemented my very own yoga program~especially for runner's!
~INTRODUCING~
~ The Essential 13
by Heather Frenner, RYT~
(Perfectly designed daily yoga postures to perform, before and after your run)
I have designed a simple, yet effective yoga program to enhance your training experience. These yoga postures are the ULTIMATE blueprint, laying the foundation of flexibility~ for the aspiring marathon runner. Please enjoy them 20 minutes prior to your run and 20 minutes after your cool down period. As with any exercise program, please consult the advice of a physician, before embarking on these or any other physical exercise programs.
1.) TADASANA (Mountain Pose) - Begin with feet together, shoulders relaxed and gaze at a focal point in front of you. Inhale and extend the arms out to the side and upward. Interlace the fingers and reverse the palms to the sky. Exhale and lean the body to the right. Inhale and return to center. Exhale and lean the body to the left. Inhale and return back to your center position of Tadasana.
2.) PADAHASTASANA (Forward Releasing Forward Arm Fold) - Standing in Tadasana, Place the hands on the hips, inhale as you lengthen your spine, focus your gaze toward the sky. Exhale and gently fold from the hips, your upper body toward your legs and allow your hands to rest on the earth. With a straight spine, inhale and focus your gaze toward the sky and exhale, curving your spine, bringing your chin to meet your chest. Continue with this sequence of inhaling and exhaling, while flexing your spine, 3 times. Next, lean your body (slightly) over to the left and raise the toes and arch of the right foot and place the right hand underneath the right foot so that the palm of the right hand has contact with the arch or the right foot. Then, rest the right foot on top of the right hand. Repeat this sequence, on the left side. Bending your elbows toward the shinbones, release the shoulder blades down the back. Make sure your weight is evenly distributed between your right and left foot. Now, on your inhalation begin to activate your abdominal muscles with an internal energy lock called Uddyana Bandha. Exhale and bring your chin to your chest. Begin to slowly shift the diaphram muscle upward into the region of the chest. It will feel as if you are sucking the lower portion of your abdomen in. Slowly manipulate this hold in an upward manner. Like an ocean wave rolling in and out with the Universal tide, feel the energy shift in your body. Then, release the abdominal hold and inhale. Relax. Exhale. Release your hands from underneath your feet. Bend the knees. Squeeze the buttocks. Shift your pelvis inward toward the belly button. Inhale and come on back up, with a curved spine. Breathe!
3.) PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA (Wide Leg Forward Bend) - Standing in Tadasana, bring the right leg out as wide as is comfortable. Point the toes slightly inward. Inhale. Place the hands on the hips with the fingers in front, for support. Exhale and with a flat back, begin to fold forward and bring the head as close to the earth, as is comfortable. Place the hands, palm side down, on the earth, shoulder width apart. Enjoy inhaling and exhaling in this position for as long as you like. When you are ready to come up, bend the knees, squeeze the buttocks, shift the pelvis upward. Inhale and come on up!
4.) UTTHITA ARDHA DHANURASANA (Standing Half Bow Pose) - Standing in Tadasana, gradually begin to shift your weight onto the left foot and bring the right foot back, as you place your big toe onto the earth. Place your hands on your hips and begin to lift your right foot upward. Continue lifting as you reach your right arm behind to grasp your right foot. Your right hand will be placed on the inside portion of the arch of your right foot. You will feel that you are in this pose correctly when your shoulder is expanding in this stretch, as well. Squeeze the buttocks, lean forward slightly and continue to raise your right foot until you have reached a comfortable stretch. Take a couple of inhalations and exhalations in this exquisite pose. Release. Please repeat this sequence, on the left side of your body.
5.) VIRASANA (Hero Pose) - Kneel onto the earth with the arches of the feel resting on the earth, by the hips, bringing your knees as close together, as is comfortable. Sit up tall. Press the sternum forward. Raise the arms towards the sky. Interlace the fingers, reverse the palms to the sky. Inhale and stretch up 3 inches taller than you think you can! Exhale and unfold. Bring your head to the earth and hold the heals of your feet with both hands. Take a couple of breaths here, then resume your original, seated position.
6.) TRIANGA MUKHAIKAPADA ( One Leg Folded Forward Bend)- As you are leaving the Virasana pose, simply bring the left leg straight out in front of you. Flex the left foot. Inhale as you raise your arms upward, toward the sky. Exhale and allow your body to unfold over your left leg. If you are able, massage the arch of your left foot with your hands. Take a couple of breaths here. Inhale, then come on back to your seated position. Repeat on the other side.
7.) SUKHASANA (Easy Seated Pose) - MY VERY FAVORITE POSE OF ALL TIME!!! Sit on the earth, "indian style", right foot and shin are in the front of the left foot and shin. Flex both feet a bit so that your feet can feel more of a connection with the earth. Inhale. Place the hands in front of you, with the palms resting on the earth, as well. Exhale as you lower your shoulders, relax your neck and begin to unfold the upper portion of your body forward until you reach a comfortable stretch. Take a few glorious yoga breaths here. Inhale and allow your hands to "walk" your upper body back into its original, seated position. Switch legs and feet and repeat!
8.) UTTHITA ANGULI SUKHASANA (Toe Stretching Forward Bend) - Continuing from the Sukhasana pose, lean forward slightly and weave your fingers on your left hand, between the toes of your right foot. Next, weave the fingers of your right hand between the toes of your left foot. Caress both feet with your hands. Inhale sitting up nice and tall. Exhale and unfold, allowing your head to rest on the earth. Enjoy feeling your inhalations and exhalations. When you are ready to come up, simply inhale, and bring your body back to its original seated position. Switch legs, and repeat on the other side!
9.) UPAVISTA KONASANA (Seated Angle Posture) - From your seated position, simply straighten and open the legs as much as is comfortable. If your knees are beginning to buckle, you are doing too much. Ease up a bit and bring the legs closer together. Inhale, feel your spine lengthen. Then exhale and lean forward as much as is comfortable. With each hand, grasp the big toe on each foot, between the thumb and index finger. Raise the elbows upward toward the sky and you lower your head to the earth. Take a couple of breaths here. When you come out of this, please place your hands, palms side down on the earth and walk your upper body back up into its original, seated position.
10.) PARSVA UPAVISTA KONASANA (Seated Side Stretch Sequence) - From your beautifully prepared Upavista Konasana position, simply inhale, expanding your arms out to the side and up towards the sky. Exhale and twist your upper body over to the right. Inhale and unfold your upper body over your right leg, as you hold your right foot. Take a few breaths here. Inhale. Release your foot and allow your hands to walk your upper body back up and into your original, seated position. Repeat on the other side of your body.
11.) GOMUKHASANA (Cow Posture) - Sitting on the earth, with feet apart and knees slightly bent, bring the right foot under the left knee and place the heel of the right foot as close to the left hip, as possible. Next, place the left foot on top of the right thigh, as close to the groin as possible. Extend your left arm out to the side, bending your left elbow and bringing your left hand behind your back with the palm facing outward and resting along your spine. Now, reach your right arm upward toward the sky, twist the right hand so that the palm of the right hand is facing behind you. Bend your right elbow and reach down to grasp your waiting left hand! Take a few yoga breaths here. Inhale again, then release your arms, unfold your legs and repeat this sequence on the other side.
12.) SUPTA PADANGUSTHASANA (Reclining Hand to Toe Sequence) - Lie down on your back, with your legs and feet together. Bring the right leg straight up. Reaching upward, with your right hand, grasp the big toe of the right foot between your thumb and index finger. Extend your stretch by straightening your leg as much as is comfortable. Enjoy relaxed breathing here. Next, extend your right leg straight out to the right side as much as is comfortable, and again enjoy your breathing. To compliment this stretch, bring the right leg back up to the center stretch position. Hold the inside of the right arch with left hand, release the toe with the right hand and take the right leg across the body, over to the left. Make sure your spine is straight and your hips and sacrum are still on the floor. Turn the head to the right and hold for several, long, deep breaths. Bring right leg back to center position. Release the right foot, as you lower it to the floor and straighten the right leg. Repeat on the left side.
13.) MATSYASANA (Fish Pose) - Lie on the floor, with your legs extended and arms resting by your side. Bend both knees, resting both feet on the floor. Raise the right hip upward and place the right arm directly underneath your right hip, with the palm facing the earth. Repeat this sequence on the left side. Now, press the heels of the feet into the earth, shifting the energy up through your shins, squeeze the thighs and buttocks as you press your elbows into the earth. Raise your chest up toward the sky, bringing your head up and then allowing your head to look behind you as you rest it on the earth. Take 13 yoga breaths here. Then inhale, as you raise your head and bring your jaw to your chest. Lower back down to your original restful position and breathe.
YOU ARE NOW FULLY STRETCHED FOR A VERY SUCCESSFUL RUN! ENJOY!
OK. NOW YOU HAVE STRETCHED. ARE YOU READY? ONE LAST IMPORTANT BIT OF ADVICE...IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS...IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT YOU ARE NOT CAPABLE...IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF OR DESERVING OF THIS OR ANY OTHER ACHIEVEMENT...THEN, READ THIS NEXT LITTLE TID BIT!
"No limits, Jonathan? he thought. Well, then, the time's not distant when I'm going to appear out of thin air on your beach, and show you a thing or two about flying!
And though he tried to look properly severe for his students, Fletcher Seagull suddenly saw them all as they really were, just for a moment, and he more than liked, he loved what he saw. No limits, Jonathan? he thought, and he smiled.
His race to learn had begun.
(Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
We're all here to learn about this great mystery of life. And we're all here to share and to serve others with authentic grace. That is what I came to realize when I crossed the finish line of the Los Angeles Marathon. To learn, to share and to serve. I learned to crawl out of my protective outer layer (the i-ego), detach from what was NOT serving me, and MOVE FORWARD!
You see, if we ACCEPT the judgement and criticism of others, we will inevitably become trapped. Which is not a fun place to be! Being trapped creates an obstacle in our purpose in life. OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE MUST BE ACKNOWLEGED AND ACCESSED AND MANIFESTED!
Through running, I was able to DETACH and to LEARN and to SHARE. I withdrew my thoughts from anything that was not nourishing and focused all of my thinking into an opportunistic perspective. "What can I learn from this"? "How can I shift negativity, into positivity"? "How can I overcome any obstacle"? "And now that I have learned this, how can I help others who may be in need of this support"?
AND HERE IS A VERY POWERFUL AFFIRMATION. CUT IT OUT, PASTE IT UP, PRINT IT, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THIS AFFIRMATION OUT OF THIS WEBSITE AND PLACE IT IN A HIGHLY VISIBLE AREA IN YOUR HOME! IT WILL BE YOUR ROCK, YOUR SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND YOUR INSPIRATION, WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP!!!
"WHEN YOU WITHDRAW YOUR ATTENTION FROM THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT PLEASING,
AND YOU PUT YOUR ATTENTION UPON THOSE THINGS
THAT ARE PLEASING,
THOSE PLEASING THINGS BEGIN TO BECOME MORE ABUNDANT,
AND THOSE NOT PLEASING THINGS BECOME MORE RARE.
UNTIL EVENTUALLY,
THOSE NOT PLEASING THINGS CANNOT BE PART OF YOUR EXPERIENCE
BECAUSE YOU WILL HAVE ELIMINATED YOUR ATTRACTION FACTOR
FROM YOUR VIBRATION.
*WHAT YOU THINK AND WHAT YOU GET ALWAYS MATCHES*"
So true!!!
What we think about and FOCUS our attention ON, actually becomes our REALITY! Make your choice to only accept what is peaceful, what is harmonious, what makes your heart sing with laughter and what brings you LOVE.
AND I'M NOT DONE YET!!! THERE' MORE!!!
AS WITH MANY MARATHONS, RUNNERS' FEEL A DRIVEN PURPOSE. DEEP DOWN, JUST WAITING TO EMERGE, IS THEIR CORE BELIEF IN SOMETHING....THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE...THAT WE CAN BE THE CHANGE THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD!!! WE FEEL PROPELLED TO CROSS THAT FINISH LINE FOR THIS REASON....AND THIS REASON ALONE- TO CREATE CHANGE, TO MANIFEST CHANGE AND TO BE THE CHANGE!!!
WELL, THAT CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU-I PROMISE!
AND THE TIME HAS COME- THE CHANGE IS NOW!!!
There has simply NEVER been to better time than to serve with ALL THAT WE ARE for a CAUSE. WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO RUN IN WILL HAVE A GLOBAL IMPACT AND YOU WILL BE SERVING MANY BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEINGS, WHO LIKE YOURSELF, WILL BE INSPIRED, AND WILL GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES...
SO, READ THE NEXT PART OF THIS PAGE, BUT THIS TIME, READ IT WITH YOUR SPEAKERS TURNED UP! GO AHEAD, CRANK IT UP- THE WHOLE WORLD AWAITS YOUR PARTICIPATION!!!
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"Calling on Angels" by Train!
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I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU-AT THE FINISH LINE!!! LOVE AND MANY BLESSINGS, HEATHER ;-)
