Fw: 3 Core Strengthening Exercises - Yoga Tune Up Newsletter - March 2012

March 8, 2012

new jill miller. I hope mary has this. I have to say that kneerehab is a life saver for me ----- Forwarded Message ----- To: k9sports4gsps@... Sent: Thursday, March 8, 2012 10:02 AM Subject: 3 Core Strengthening Exercises - Yoga Tune Up Newsletter - March 2012

I am soooo excited!! It's finally finished... my new CORE DVD entitled Coregeous! Ok, before you roll your eyes, let me tell you why I called it that... it's not what you think. This unique core video focuses on actvating key respiratory muscles to help establish proper breathing patterns, revitalize spinal alignment and unify all the tissue layers of your torso. This refurbishes your core from inside-out and provides newfound stability, agility and fluidity of movment -- helping you in your practice and daily life! (P.S. - There's also a segment for learning the steps for Nauli Kriya!). I promise you have NOT seen a CORE video like this before! Watch the Preview Video HERE

In the spirit of Coregeous.... this month's article provides a little core education and gives you three exercises to help strenghten your core.

If you'd like to join me live, I'm in NYC at ECA and will be in Chicago later this month at EMPOWER! and then Vancouver. But if you can't join me personally, we have over 100 YTU Teachers internationally. If you'd like to become part of our YTU Teaching Team -- there's an upcoming Level 1 Certification Training in Boston starting March 15th and another in NYC starting April 19th!

Hope to see you soon!

**NEW DVD RELEASE**

Coregeous®

Overcome core and abdominal weakness caused by underuse, over-training, injury, or scar tissue. Get 7 specialized routines that help restore facility and function to the multiple tissues surrounding, supporting and enveloping your spine and core.

Specialty Sequences include: Tubular Core Activation & Nauli Kriya

Get 10% off a Pair of Therapy Balls when you Purchase Coregeous, just enter Coupon Code: BALLS10

(valid through 3/31/12)

Watch the Preview Video HERE

3 Exercises for a Stronger Core!

by Jill , Creator, Yoga Tune Up

A strong core has been "in" for years. But the biomechanic awareness that has trickled into yoga and fitness studios has been affected by loads of misinformation and the "quick-build" mentality. Unfortunately, this can often do the body more harm than good.

A brief unauthorized biography of the core

1) The six-pack: It is commonly known now that doing excessive crunches might build a stronger rectus abdominis

(the six-pack muscles), but the action of curling the spine repeatedly can ravage the back muscles and damage precious vertebral discs.

2) Navel to spine: Pilates introduced the transverse abdominal

(TA) muscle into our vocabulary. We were told that this would protect our backs, as the TA acts like a cummerbund to pull in sagging guts and make us look like we're wearing Spanx! The problem with pinning the navel to the spine is that students will often flair their ribs out to make the "appearance" of the navel drawing in the spine. But this actually creates a stretch and weakening of both the TA and the obliques!

3) Side bends: The obliques are often misrepresented as the ubiquitous "side-bending" muscle. They are actually two layers of diagonal abdominal muscles that are like crisscrossing sashes spiraling around our midsections. But biomechanically, the obliques are not all that functional in a side bend. It's the quadratus lumborum, a deep lower back muscle, that is chiefly responsible.

So when reviewing this partial list of core muscles, it's clear that they all need a new public relations firm in order to get firm

-- while keeping you safe! These fabulous muscles have been stripped of their dignity, oversimplified and reduced to dysfunctional, unintegrated

tissues. Yes, making your core muscles actually think while they work can be hard work, but the payoff is a sounder structure that will support you for a lifetime!

3 Core Exercises That Help Your Muscles Think

Here are three great Yoga Tune Up® abdominal exercises that wake up all of the major core muscles and more:

1) Corset Contraction: diaphragm, intercostals, TA, obliques, rectus, spinal erectors

Stand upright with good posture and place hands on either side

of the ribcage. Inhale fully into the lungs with an expansive thoracic breath.

Feel the spreading and flaring of the ribs as the external intercostals

contract and the internal intercostals stretch.

Exhale and close down the ribs by tensing and contracting the

internal intercostals to reset the ribcage. Intensify the end of the exhalation

by drawing the bottom of the ribs down toward the navel and creating a binding

action all throughout the midsection.

Continue to exhale until no breath is left, as if the whole

torso were being corseted. Feel the blending of the internal intercostals with

the obliques, transverse and diaphragm.

Practice eight to 10

complete rounds.

2) Megaplank with Active Serratus: rectus, obliques, TA, intercostals, serratus anterior (a shoulder-core muscle), pectoralis

Mega Plank with Active Serratus will strengthen your core from armpits to pelvis! The forearms are parallel to each other, shoulder-distance apart. Shoulder sockets are vertically joint-stacked over elbows. Body is stiff as a solid board, while belly inflates slightly to ignite the abdominals into full tension (see photo above!).

To activate the serratus anterior, protract the shoulder blades by pushing the ground away while the upper back hunches, then depress the shoulder blades as if pulling a window shut while the arms remain pinned

to the floor. Maintain all actions at once. Hold for about 30 seconds.

3) Jithara Parivartonasana (revolved abdominal pose): obliques, TA, iliopsoas, quadratus lumborum, spinal erectors

Probably the best way of explaining this pose is with the following two videos: Variation 1 (see video HERE) and Variation 1.5 (see video HERE)

Take your time with these exercises and coordinate your breath with your movements. Your abdominals are smart but also need you to think, so

show them that you really care!

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Discover a fresh approach to asana, going beyond formulaic instruction in order to think and teach creatively. In addition, as a Yoga Tune Up teacher, you can help your students create and define a "path of purpose," inspiring them to unlock their greatest potential. This 70-hour training:

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Fw: 3 Core Strengthening Exercises - Yoga Tune Up Newsletter - March 2012

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