Ahh, it's been several years since I "played" tennis. I took tennis in elementary and high school and was not too competent to say the least...In grad school I made some new friends, one of whom really enjoyed playing tennis. After getting out on the court with me one time, in her blunt way, she let me know that I wasn't quite in her league, just not up to snuff.
So sad. Yet, I am determined to play tennis again one day soon. A few hundred yards around the corner from my house, public tennis courts often beckon me. And, I have been wondering...will I play better since, I have been doing yoga regularly (virtually daily) during the past 5 years?
British yoga instructor, Tara Fraser says that yoga can help racquet sports players who usually have an imbalance in their body because you play primarily with your right or left side depending on whether you're right or left-handed. She says in her book, Easy Yoga, that yoga poses such as the backward handclasp aka shoulder stretch can help restore muscular balance in the shoulders and upper arms for players of racquet sports. Other benefits from this yoga pose are:
1. Opening of the rib cage
2. Prevention of calcium deposits in the arm joints
3. Easing of tension in the shoulders and upper back.
4. Enhancing of the symmetry in shoulders and upper arms
5. Assisting in firm and toning upper arms.
6. Increasing the range of motion in your arms.
These are all wonderful for the tennis player! The August 2011 issue of Yoga Journal includes the backward handclasp in its group of poses practiced at home and expressly designed to "free" tight shoulders. Sounds like yoga and tennis could go hand in hand! Why not try it? Below are is a repeat of an excerpt from my new book, Yoga at Home: Gain Energy, Flexibility, and Serenity in 20-30 Minutes a Day. I explain exactly how to do the backward handclasp.
How to do the pose:
1. Sit or stand erect. If seated, the Japanese sitting pose or any cross-legged pose (simple cross-legged pose, half-lotus, or full lotus pose) on your mat is most conducive for the backward handclasp.
2. Gently and firmly raise your left arm directly into the air as high as you can. F -e - e- l the stretch—I often imagine myself trying to reach the clouds as I lift my arm directly into the air—I enjoy elongating my arm straight above my shoulder.
3. Slowly, move your right hand behind you, palm facing outward, and bend your elbow so that the back of your right hand is against your spine.
4. Bend your left arm at the elbow so your left hand, palm downward, touches the center of your back. Your left elbow is pointing straight up into the air.
5. Carefully work your left hand while at the same time inch your right hand slowly upward so that the fingers of your two hands can clasp each other if possible. This may be difficult when you first practice this exercise. Some beginners use props like belts or towels to make the reach if they can’t clasp their hands. I just kept my hands on my back as far as they could reach.
6. Hold this position motionless for 5 seconds.
7. Gently release your fingers and come out of the pose reversing the steps you used to enter it. Again, feel the stretch and imagine touching the clouds as you raise your left arm again directly up into the air. Release and bring your arm down. Inhale and exhale at least once. Raise your shoulders toward your eyes and gently shake them out. That should feel so good!
8. Reverse sides and do the same steps starting by raising the right arm directly up into the air. Inhale and exhale again after finishing the exercise.
Practice Time: Hold the pose for 5 seconds; add 5 seconds each week until you are holding the pose for 25-30 seconds on each side.
Number of repetitions: 1-2 on each side
Your for flexible tennis playing with yoga,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez
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