 A space for practicing yoga at home As a figure skater, beginning a yoga practice–or starting to “do yoga” –can be overwhelming. There is so much information online it’s hard to know who to trust and where to look.
Besides, society presents this image of yoga as bubbly young athletes sweating in Lululemon doing crazy poses. The franchise yoga business in many cities has perpetuated this myth. Sure, some yogis are very flexible, even hypermobile, but most of us aren’t. The reality is that all figure skaters already have some experience with the foundations of yoga, whether they know it or not. Spirals, catch spirals, lunges, Biellmanns, split jumps, layback spins, etc. Many of the movements and movement patterns we use in skating are very similar to those of yoga, as is the overall focus on balance, strength, and flexibility. In fact, I was drawn to yoga because when I practiced, it was the first time I felt like my body could move in a somewhat similar, yet more gentle, way than skating, and the first time ever I felt like I could synchronize my breath with my movement. And that was the most powerful tool I had ever experienced. The additional reality is that yoga has something to offer every single skater. In a post a few weeks ago I even talked about how the foundations of yoga - Patanjali’s 8 limbs - relate to the skating journey. In short, I broke down the foundational journey of yoga to show how it parallels some aspects of the figure skating journey:
So back to the original question… where does a skater go to begin “doing yoga”?
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 Young Figure Skater Falls During Performance We have all faced nerves and felt anxious before a skating test or competition, right?
Sweaty palms, racing heart, nausea, jittery legs, shaking from the cold yet dripping sweat, forgetting your steps, feeling like your head is floating above your body, maybe your coach even sounds like Charlie Brown’s teacher—wah wah wah. When I was a young competitor, I would yawn excessively and tell myself, “I’m not nervous! Look how relaxed I am.” 😅 I didn’t know that I was experiencing performance anxiety, and my coaches didn’t have any words of advice for me. In fact, I was too embarrassed even to admit that I was nervous. In the 80’s and 90’s, performance anxiety was considered a sign of weakness. Either you could handle the stress, or you couldn’t. If you could, you won. If you couldn’t, you “bombed”. And "Sports Psychology" was only for the elite of the elite. So, instead of recognizing my nerves, I internalized the bad skates and told myself, “I’m just not as good as the other skaters.” As a result, I tried to work harder by beating myself up more in practice. Sound familiar? 2/9/2023 0 Comments The Best Recovery Tip for Figure Skaters - Legs up the Wall Pose (Viparita karani)Sometimes in figure skating, it’s true that we have to practice more and work harder, not just smarter.
And when we do, we need to rest even harder. It’s no secret that our modern society is full of sleep-deprived beings wandering about, operating heavy machinery, putting ourselves on the hook for high performance, and trying to be pleasant to others. Have you ever tried to be nice to a driver who cuts you off when you have only slept for five hours three nights in a row? 😂 Or when someone in your house mouths off to you again? Chronic stress and sleep deprivation are huge factors in illness and injury, and even bigger predictors for burnout. According to most studies, adolescent athletes need at least 9-10 hours of sleep a night. That’s almost impossible for the student-athlete to achieve! Older elite athletes can get by with a little less, but the reality is that most athletes are operating on a sleep deficit. You can read some of the studies here. Factor in stress, electronics use, caffeine, medications, and poor sleep hygiene, and you end up with a scenario that, even if you have 10 available hours to sleep, you can’t be productive in rest and recovery. What to do, then? As a yoga teacher, I’ll tell you that this is where yoga, particularly restorative yoga, comes into play–in helping our rest time be truly restful. What is a Spiral in Figure Skating?If you have ever watched figure skating in person or on youtube, you have seen skaters perform spirals. One of the most iconic figure skating tricks, the spiral (also sometimes called an arabesque), is a key choreographic highlight and also a required element.
A spiral is a skill or trick (also called “element”) in figure skating where the skater glides on one foot with the other leg lifted in extension, generally to the back or side. For the skater to receive at least the minimum credit from the judges for the spiral, the knee of the lifted leg must be at hip level or higher. Some of the most popular skaters throughout history have been known for their beautiful spirals. Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Karen Chen are all known for, among other things, their incredible basic forward spirals. Spirals can be performed on either foot, both forward and backward. In addition, they can be on a straight line or on a curve–an inside or outside edge. There are quite a few variations of spirals–not all of which have names. Some common ones are the catch, the cross-catch, the Biellmann, the Y, and the Charlotte. Check out this compilation of some of skating’s top spirals throughout the years. |
Author // the skating yogiMy name is Sarah Neal. I have been immersed in the world of figure skating for over four decades. I have seen firsthand the abuse that happens at the higher levels of our sport and experienced how that trickles down into unhealthy training practices and habits at the grassroots. I have seen this play out in the operations of the very institutions that control our sport. Whether for a profession or hobby, pursuing skating should be a joyful, rewarding process, an opportunity for athletic and personal growth, and a place to build lasting friendships. Archives
March 2024
CategoriesAll Athlete Well Being Athlete Well-Being Deep Connections Embodied Movement And Meditation Practices Life After Competition Mindful Living |
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