Yoga taught in the classical tradition, encourages the examination of a relationship to the universe and fosters spiritual awareness. For dancers, yoga provides a terrific way to develop cardiovascular fitness, strengthen the upper body, stretch overworked muscles, balance areas that are hypermobile, and learn how to calm the mind before performances.
1. Increase your cardiovascular Endurance
Taking Astanga or Power yoga class three times a week prior to a performance will hep a dancer get in shape. The continuous flow of movement known as Vinyasa will condition your heart and provide that endorphin rush that is attained through aerobic exercise. In these styles of yoga, one often jumps from standing position to a prone position and back up again. An example is from s standing forward bend to a push-up. Your heart rate increase and your arms are strengthened at the same time.
2. Strengthen your arms
Dancers are required to lift one another, and both partners share this workload. This prepares for a handstand and will strengthen your arms and stabilize your shoulder joints. To determine your hand placement on the floor, sit with your back against the wall, extending your legs in front of you.
· In tabletop position, place the palms of your hands, spreading your fingers, pointing away from the wall, where your heels are. Your wrists should be parallel to the wall.
· Bend your knees where your heels are and walk your feet up the wall.
· Push firmly into the wall with your feet, making a 90-degree angle from the top of your legs to your torso. Legs are straight and parallel.
· Let your head hang and look back at the wall, pushing into the floor with your arm strength. Do not slump your shoulders. Keep a vertical line from the head up through the tailbone. Avoid arching the back using your abdominal muscles.
· Hold this position for three or four steady breaths
· Walk back down the wall and rest.
3. Stretch overworked turnout muscles
Strong turnout muscles are known as the six deep outward rotators located in the middle lower gluteal area and dancers often tighten them with repetitive use. This yoga asana called Cow’s Face Pose stretches this area and lengthens the deltoid muscles of your upper arms.
· Sit with left knee stacked directly on the right
· Move feet forward
· Reach left arm up high, inwardly rotating the arm so that the palm of the hand faces backward. The left arm reaches behind.
· Bend the right elbow and intertwine fingers behind the back
· Pull shoulder blades down and toward the spine.
· Keep ribs level. You should feel the deltoid stretch on the lower arm.
· To deepen the stretch, slowly extend and round the spine forward, letting the weight of the torso fall forward.
· Exhale fully to release tension in the hips.
· Stay for four long breaths.
· Repeat the other side.
4. Stabilize your neck
Many dancers develop a hypermobile in their lower back in fulfilling a perfect arabesque. This exercise can help balance and strengthen the lumbosacral area.
· Start in a tabletop position, with your hands placed on your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.
· Draw the abdominal muscles in to minimize the arch of the lower back.
· Keep your weight steady on your right knee and left hand.
· Slowly lift your right arm with your left leg at the same time, making sure the leg is parallel to the floor. Do not collapse the lower back. Shoulders and hips should remain even without shifting your weight sideways into the supporting hip. Head is in a neutral position throughout.
· Repeat four times on each leg and rest.
· Repeat the set three times.
5. Inner well-being
The breathing exercise known as pranayama is a helpful method to center a dancer’s body before a performance.
· Imagine you are filling your body with white light as you breathe in through the nose.
· Visualize letting go of any fatigue or anxiety as you breathe out through the nose.
· In a cross-legged position with your spine straight, place your hands in prayer pose at the heart
· As you breathe in, stretch your arms forward then out to the side, arching the back to look up.
· As you breathe out, return to starting position.
Reference:
Cyndi, L and Newman, A (2002) Dancers center on Yoga. Dance Magazine 76 (11) 42. Available at: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=aa4ff876-87c0-4928-89fd-cdd75487ac9f%40sessionmgr4005&vid=4&hid=4109 [Accessed 4 May 2015].
1. Increase your cardiovascular Endurance
Taking Astanga or Power yoga class three times a week prior to a performance will hep a dancer get in shape. The continuous flow of movement known as Vinyasa will condition your heart and provide that endorphin rush that is attained through aerobic exercise. In these styles of yoga, one often jumps from standing position to a prone position and back up again. An example is from s standing forward bend to a push-up. Your heart rate increase and your arms are strengthened at the same time.
2. Strengthen your arms
Dancers are required to lift one another, and both partners share this workload. This prepares for a handstand and will strengthen your arms and stabilize your shoulder joints. To determine your hand placement on the floor, sit with your back against the wall, extending your legs in front of you.
· In tabletop position, place the palms of your hands, spreading your fingers, pointing away from the wall, where your heels are. Your wrists should be parallel to the wall.
· Bend your knees where your heels are and walk your feet up the wall.
· Push firmly into the wall with your feet, making a 90-degree angle from the top of your legs to your torso. Legs are straight and parallel.
· Let your head hang and look back at the wall, pushing into the floor with your arm strength. Do not slump your shoulders. Keep a vertical line from the head up through the tailbone. Avoid arching the back using your abdominal muscles.
· Hold this position for three or four steady breaths
· Walk back down the wall and rest.
3. Stretch overworked turnout muscles
Strong turnout muscles are known as the six deep outward rotators located in the middle lower gluteal area and dancers often tighten them with repetitive use. This yoga asana called Cow’s Face Pose stretches this area and lengthens the deltoid muscles of your upper arms.
· Sit with left knee stacked directly on the right
· Move feet forward
· Reach left arm up high, inwardly rotating the arm so that the palm of the hand faces backward. The left arm reaches behind.
· Bend the right elbow and intertwine fingers behind the back
· Pull shoulder blades down and toward the spine.
· Keep ribs level. You should feel the deltoid stretch on the lower arm.
· To deepen the stretch, slowly extend and round the spine forward, letting the weight of the torso fall forward.
· Exhale fully to release tension in the hips.
· Stay for four long breaths.
· Repeat the other side.
4. Stabilize your neck
Many dancers develop a hypermobile in their lower back in fulfilling a perfect arabesque. This exercise can help balance and strengthen the lumbosacral area.
· Start in a tabletop position, with your hands placed on your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.
· Draw the abdominal muscles in to minimize the arch of the lower back.
· Keep your weight steady on your right knee and left hand.
· Slowly lift your right arm with your left leg at the same time, making sure the leg is parallel to the floor. Do not collapse the lower back. Shoulders and hips should remain even without shifting your weight sideways into the supporting hip. Head is in a neutral position throughout.
· Repeat four times on each leg and rest.
· Repeat the set three times.
5. Inner well-being
The breathing exercise known as pranayama is a helpful method to center a dancer’s body before a performance.
· Imagine you are filling your body with white light as you breathe in through the nose.
· Visualize letting go of any fatigue or anxiety as you breathe out through the nose.
· In a cross-legged position with your spine straight, place your hands in prayer pose at the heart
· As you breathe in, stretch your arms forward then out to the side, arching the back to look up.
· As you breathe out, return to starting position.
Reference:
Cyndi, L and Newman, A (2002) Dancers center on Yoga. Dance Magazine 76 (11) 42. Available at: http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=aa4ff876-87c0-4928-89fd-cdd75487ac9f%40sessionmgr4005&vid=4&hid=4109 [Accessed 4 May 2015].