Asanas can be versatile ‘supporting’ practices to all other life endeavours.  If you are a runner, asanas have the potential to do a lot more than ‘stretching’.  The sessions in this Short Course offer carefully chosen options that can help the runner target specific areas of the body, work with actions/ positions that are not adequately covered by running, as well as bringing strength and flexibility to those areas that are continuously working while running.  The sessions offer options for increasing strength and flexibility, injury prevention, resting and recovery, not just on a physical level, but at the level of the mind and the breath. These sessions aim to maintain the rigour (and therefore, the effectiveness) of Iyengar Yoga, but can be attempted by any healthy non-asana practitioner.

This Short Course is in 8 parts (plus a short Introduction):

'Introduction to the Short Course': We recommend that you start here.

The first 2 parts are conditioning and strengthening ideas for the feet and ankles, with a lot of drills, and very little asana practice:
Part 1: 'Strength and Conditioning: For Feet, Ankles, Calves & Shins, Part I': Focussing on shins and calves, inversion of the ankle joint

Part 2: 'Strength and Conditioning: For Feet, Ankles, Calves & Shins, Part II':  Focussing on the major ankle movements in running: dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the ankle joint and the big toe

Part 3: 'Hip, Leg, Knee Actions - The Missing Links in Running': hip, leg, knee, movements and positions that are important because they are not covered by the running ‘stance’. Particularly useful for maintaining hip and knee flexibility.

Part 4: 'An Option for a Pre-run Practice': can also be done separately from the run or on non-running days.

Part 5: 'An Option for Rest and Recovery': can be done separately from the run or on non-running days.

Part 6: 'Conditioning Arms & Shoulders': brings attention to the arms and shoulders, and also leads to the segment on back arches

Part 7: 'Arching Back for Increasing Stamina and Improving Breath': If you are a runner, you will find that they might become the most important supports for your running - improving breath, increasing stamina, bringing mental alertness.  In this sessions, we have tried to present supported back arches in way that is creative and playful, rather than technical and complicated.   We recommend doing this session in continuation of part4 of this Short Course

Part 8: 'The Hips and the Core': In this session we focus on the outer hips, which stabilise the upright position in humans, and is therefore a crucial element in any upright activity.  The understanding of the ‘core’ is quite different in asanas than in regular ‘exercise’. You will find your core being engaged in these positions.  For a deeper understanding of this, please explore other recordings in our portal on ‘abdominal’ actions. Like most sessions in this Short Course, this session can be done as a stand-alone session

After giving a quick listen to the INTRODUCTION to the Short Course,  the sessions may be attempted in any order (pt 4 and 5 were recorded together, and you might want to follow this order).

If you are an asana practitioner, there are many other recordings in our portal that will support your running. In particular, we highly recommend including a practice of inversions (upside down) asanas for their great physiological and psychological benefits. In particular, some of the following asanas may be included after learning from a qualified teacher:

Inversions - Supported Quietness Part I

Inversions - Supported Quietness Part II

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