The Yoga and Walking
Connection

By Nicole Kwan

Me thinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my
thoughts begin to flow.
~Henry David Thoreau

Flexibility
“Each joint acts as a message center, sending notes to all the areas above and below it. There are no possible secrets,” says Brourman. If you try to come into Pigeon with a tight hip, you’ll overstretch your knee. If your knee is tight, your ankle knows. To improve your flexibility, take into account each element. It’s not just about touching your toes, it’s about healthy joints everywhere.

Seated half twist
“Since you’re sitting, no one’s pushing you into the pose. It’s about slowly getting into your hip, knee, ankle, and spine flexibility,” says Brourman. For your top leg to completely cross and your top hip to come down to the floor, your bottom hip and IT band have to be loose. To bend your bottom knee under and turn it out, your hips and knees need flexibility. “With each step when you walk, the pelvis moves all of these ways, but more subtly. Your pelvis must move rotationally [right with the right step] in order to be balanced,” she says. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat to the other side.

Camel
“Camel improves knee, hip, spine, shoulder, and wrist flexibility. In order to backbend, your hip flexors need to be open. When you walk, as you’re about to take your back toes off the ground, your front hip flexors need to be loose,” says Brourman. With your shoulders and wrists, Camel opens them by externally rotating the shoulder joints and bringing the wrists to 90 degrees of extension, both of which can be tough to do. Hold for 30 seconds.


Breathing
When your yoga instructor advises you to breathe, not only is she trying to help you maximize the pose benefits and make it through the last few moments, she’s also helping you to stabilize your spine. By breathing into the sides of your body (so it feels like your ribs are touching the inside of your upper arms), you activate your transverse abdominals. “It’s like doing a little sit up 5,000 times a day,” says Brourman. “Chest breathing and belly breathing aren’t core strong.” Use this Bellow’s Breath to get a surprising ab workout.
 
Bellow’s Breath:
Sit in front of a mirror with one hand on your collarbone and the other on your belly. Focus on not letting your chest rise when you inhale, and don’t let your belly pop out as you practice this breath. Inhale through your nose, but imagine you’re inhaling through a tiny pinhole in the back of your throat. “Normally when we inhale, we take in a lot at the beginning but this regulates it so you take longer, slower breaths,” says Brourman. Exhale through your nose as slowly and steadily as your inhale. Pause before each inhale and exhale to make it easier to control the breath. Practice for 5 minutes.

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