Integrating Ashtanga Practice with Strength and Conditioning

Designing a Periodized Plan:

Developing a periodized strength and conditioning plan for Ashtanga Yoga practitioners requires an understanding of both the physical demands of Ashtanga Yoga and the principles of periodization in athletic training. Here’s a guide to structuring such a plan:

1. Understand Ashtanga Yoga’s Physical Demands

• Strength: Core, arm, and leg strength for poses like Chaturanga, Navasana.
• Flexibility: Hip openers, backbends, and shoulder stretches.
• Endurance: Sustained practice, particularly in the more extended sequences.
• Balance: For standing poses and inversions.
• Mobility: Joints do things, and muscles move bones. We need a combo of strength and flexibility, not either or. Understanding this helps target specific areas for growth.