Yoga for Cyclists - A Must-Have Workshop for the Avid Cyclist

For those of you who currently have that 'big' bike ride coming up, the Charity Ride that you're doing fundraising for, that Fondo or bike race you've been training all these months for, or simply that daily commute to work by bicycle, there is nothing more that can benefit your body than Yoga to alleviate and/or prevent cycling related aches and pains and potential injuries.  Yoga is the one thing that I can attribute my overall improvement on my body and health when it comes to my cycling.  Since starting Yoga about 5 months ago due to a cycling related injury, I have noticed a significant amount of improvement on my mobility and ability to get on and off the saddle with a lot more ease and a lot less pain. This has translated to longer pain-free rides which will be of great benefit for my future plans.

 I am extremely new to Yoga, and at first I had so much doubt whether it would be beneficial for me, but now I am convinced that it only makes me feel better and healthier.  I am now a believer and will continue to be so.  As I continue with my practice, I will be updating this blog with my progress and keep you all posted on the transformations I am seeing.  I am seeing some wonderful things and you should know about it.

Yoga for Cyclists.  A Yatra Yoga Studio Workshop
A workshop at YatraYoga Studio in Burnaby has been specifically designed for the cyclist in mind and is intended for the avid cyclist of all levels.

Beginning Saturday, June 1st - July 6th (2013): 5:30-6:30pm. (6week session) CAPPED TO 8 PEOPLE! This is a pre -registered class $90 (gst included)
Fostering teacher / student connection through a progressive class structure. Small class sizes enhance quality of teachings to be received by students, and enhancing teachers ability to attend to each individual student thoughout the class.

A yoga practice focused on flexibility, core strength and balance can be a perfect cross-training platform for the avid cyclist, a regular yoga practise can assist any cyclist to alleviate muscle tightness from logging long hours in the saddle and can aid in preventing cycling related injuries.

In cycling, the quadriceps, hamstrings, and hips never rest. As a result, riders often have overdeveloped quadriceps and tight hamstrings, which can pull the hips out of alignment. Also, a cyclist's spine is constantly flexed forward. If proper form isn't maintained, it can result in muscle pain and strain in the back and shoulders. Yoga helps ease the tightness, creating core strength, and aligning the spine.

Cycling requires not only physical strength, but also intense focus and concentration to succeed on the road. The attention to breath and mind-body connection in yoga can be employed by the cyclist while riding to maintain mental clarity and calmness

Please email or phone Alexandra (yatrayoga at gmail.com)/  to register! Registration deadline: Wednesday, May 29th (2013). .

Please check out their website at  http://www.yatrayoga.ca for more information or join their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/yatrayogastudio .

Our city needs more workshops like these so help me spread the word to ensure increased availability and support for the future.  Happy cycling and Namaste.

My Trip to Paradise

Over the Christmas and New Year's Holidays I've finally had the opportunity to go on a 'real' vacation.  A vacation that lasted longer than 1 week.  It has been over 5 years since my last true vacation and I have been feeling the need to de-stress and de-program.  My work does not afford me the luxury to travel and be away for long periods of time.  This time, I was able to go.  Destination - my birthplace, The Philippines.
It was a wonderful and magical experience.  I can go on and on about the things I was able to do and things I was able to enjoy, but I can truly say that it is best to show you rather than to tell you in writing.  Here is a video I had prepared for my family and friends and I thought that it would also be a great idea that I include you, my blog readers, in sharing my experience.  Some of you I haven't spoken with in months and I am anxious to hear from you, especially those that I have become good friends with through my blogs.  And then there are also the new friends I have made along the way who are now following me on this blog.  You know who you are. ;-)

-->Click Here for My Trip To Paradise Video<--

This was truly a trip of a lifetime.  Something I will never forget.

Now for some cycling content...  

It has been 4 months since my last blog entry and I will tell you why...  Other than the excuses of life 'getting in the way', one of the main reason is that I haven't been on my bicycle(s) in the last 4 months.  To start off, I ended my cycling season of 2012 with a 'Bang' doing a charity bike ride on my Tallbike! It was a great end to an amazing cycling season of the best spring/summer/autumn seasons out here on the Westcoast Vancouver, Canada.  We had no rain for 3 whole months!  And if you know westcoast Canada, you know that is an extreme rarity around here.  I rode my bike daily.  I rode everywhere!  And one of the proudest accomplishments I've had was to commute to work day in and day out!  I did not use my car for 3 whole months, something I thought was simply impossible!  This was huge, and I was extremely happy that I was able to achieve this.

Unfortunately, all this riding came at a price.  At around August and September of last year, I started developing hip and knee problems.  The hip pain started moving towards my groin and before you know it, I was forced to stay off my bike to get some time to heal.  It has been 6 months now since I've had these pains on my right hip, right groin and right knee and I have seen no improvements even through long-term rest.  In this time, I have also been taking some Yoga therapy sessions hoping it would help fix whatever problems I am having.  Yoga has helped tremendously with my mind, and body and my overall physical and mental health and that includes my happiness. Unfortunately, it has helped very little with my hip/groin and knee problems.  I will need some drastic measures to be able to really fix myself.  I have now recently gotten some x-rays done and I am scheduled to see a Sports Medicine Doctor to continue on with my treatments.  Hopefully, this finally fixes my problems, or at the very least allow me to be as pain free as possible so that I may be able to get back on my bike.  At this time, I have lost so much of my cycling stamina and I will surely have to do a lot of training to get back to my physical cycling fitness level that I was accustomed to.  I am feeling some desperation for everything to start getting better as soon as possible as I am going to need my legs, especially now that certain 'plans' have been confirmed that will allow me to reach that goal that I have been aiming and striving for in these past few years of my born-again-cycling life.

Until next blog...   Hoping all is well with you.