The last weekend of July, Wade and I attended the 2nd annual South Dakota Yoga Conference held at The Lodge at Deadwood in Deadwood, SD. I found out about the conference from my mom who sent the information my way late in the Winter. I took a chance reaching out to the organizers to see if they were still looking for presenters. And was so excited when I got their reply that they would love to have me propose a session for the conference. One of the things I put on my vision board for this year was to present at a conference and this dream was coming true!
South Dakota Yoga Conference 2017 Yoga for Athletes Mobility Session
I proposed a session based around the Mobility program I had been teaching since the Fall. A new type of offering that had allowed me to work more directly with athletes, weekend warriors, and people wishing to improve their mobility. Yoga for athletes has been something I have been more interested in watching my husband train for runs and adventures and learning to help him stay healthy as well as other friends and peers who have other loves outside of yoga. It’s also been beneficial for me to gain a deeper understanding of how different bodies work and function and how different movement patterns, stretches, foam rolling can help too.
The mobility program combines yoga stretching and stabilizing with functional movement (joint pattern movement) and foam rolling/self-myofascial release. In the online version of the program you get 3 separate warm ups to get the body ready to move and then each major area of the body is broken out into a section with movements, stretches, strengtheners. There is also a full-body foam rolling tutorial which takes you through every aspect of the body and how to perform self-myofascial release with a foam roller or lacrosse ball.
Wade and I bought a foam roller a few years back, and like most people it sat in the corner of our living room, we would occasionally use it but I honestly had never had anyone teach me how to use it. Our friend Mike showed us how to use it one day and after that with self research I have learned a lot about the importance of this self-myofascial release. Using a foam roller breaks up adhesions in the muscle that develop when we use and strengthen them. I like using this GAIAM Deep Tissue Roller it’s a great in-between roller to get into the muscles but not so hard that it causes crazy faces (code: CLARISSA20 for 20% off)! But if you are looking for a denser roller I like this one.
Foam Rolling Calves with GAIAM Foam Roller
It was fun for me to be able to develop this program into a workshop and share it at the South Dakota Yoga Conference. I also had the opportunity to connect with some really incredible people. Those students and fellow teachers who attended my session as well as all the other amazing sessions I attended. I was blown away and just really inspired by some of the teaching I experienced at the conference. It actually made me quite nervous to teach mine being surrounded by so many talented instructors. But I knew my workshop was different and relevant and ended up really enjoy being able to share it with all who attended.
I’m looking forward to returning to the South Dakota Yoga Conference in the coming years as a presenter I hope again and as a student. As I was telling the students in my newest Yoga 101 course this weekend I am student first and a teacher second. I really believe that in order to be a great teacher I must still be curious and willing to learn and explore, to challenge myself and experience things so that I may share them with others!
As a thank you to all who attended the conference and for all of my readers I’m offering a 10% discount off either my Foam Rolling 101 Tutorial or my Hip Mobility Mini Course.
Simply use code: SDYCTHXS until 8/31/17
And because I want to share my full Mobility Program with you as well you can use: MOBILITY25 to get 25% off the full program until 10/31/17
South Dakota Yoga Conference 2017 Yoga for Athletes Mobility Session
