The Home Stretch

Image via WikipediaJust as the mental calm created by a regular yoga practice permeates the rest of my day, my asana practice tends to show up in my other physical activities, especially running. In addition to being aware of my breath, I also adjust my posture to Tadasana (mountain pose) as I run - lifting the front of my pelvis, engaging my core, relaxing my shoulders back and down. And Uddiyana Bandha has gotten me up more than one tough hill.

No surprise that when I need to stretch after a run I turn to the asanas. If you're looking for a few good post-run stretches, here are my favorites:

Kapotasana (pigeon pose) is my go-to pose after every run. Folding forward into what I affectionately call "lazy pigeon" opens the piriformis on the front leg side (nasty little muscle that thinks nothing of pinching your sciatic nerve if it's tight) and stretches the hamstrings and glutes. The quadriceps of the back leg get a nice stretch, too, and they deserve some pampering after a run, especially if you've been on hills. The key in pigeon is to keep the hips squared and level, rather than collapsing to one side. Keep drawing the hip of the back leg forward and breath through that juicy stretch in the other hip.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward-facing dog pose) opens the backs of the legs and, with a few minor adjustments after you've settled in, opens the low back. As your heels sink toward the floor you're lengthening your hamstrings, gastrocnemius and soleus (those well-defined calf muscles that let everyone know you're a runner) and glutes. With a reach back through your tailbone you can lengthen the sides of your waist and decompress the lumbar spine a bit, which is nice after it's been your shock absorber for a few miles. The diaphragm and intercostals also get a stretch. Know what they've been doing? Working really hard helping you suck in oxygen.

Janu Sirsasana (head-to-knee pose, or half forward fold) gets to all our favorite muscles down the back of the extended leg - hamstrings, gastrocnemius, soleus, piriformis and glutes. Up in the torso you're opening lats and obliques. You're also hitting the hip adductors in the bent leg. Since deepening in this pose requires some help from the breath, you'll feel your heart rate come down as you focus on breathing deep.

Take five minutes in some yoga poses after your next run. Your body will thank you. And who knows? Maybe yoga will start sneaking into the rest of your life.