Whether you’re donning your first pair of trail kicks or training for your fifth marathon, adding a little yoga to your routine is a great way to amp up your run. Seattle University Village store ambassador, Erin Jasmine Taylor, shows us a five-minute, pre-run Jasyoga sequence that will help warm you up, align your stride and prevent injuries.

five pre-run poses to warm up your engine

For maximum benefit, complete the entire sequence in order and hold each pose for 5–10 deep breaths, engaging the muscles you need and relaxing the ones you don’t.

interlace and fold

opens chest and shoulders, stretches hamstrings

• start by standing hip-width apart. On your inhale, bring your arms overhead.
• exhale as you reach your arms out and back, interlacing your fingers behind you—use a strap or towel between your hands if it’s a struggle. Take a few breaths here to broaden the chest.
• fold forward, taking your arms up and overhead, keeping bend in your knees.
• shake out your head and relax your neck. Eventually release the interlace and drop your hands toward the ground for the last few breaths.

high runner’s lunge

(from forward fold)

trains the knees to stabilize, strengthens and lengthens stride

• take a long step back with your left leg and come into a lunge with your front knee at 90 degrees, tracking directly over the ankle.
• keep your back leg straight and your front knee stable over the ankle as you raise your arms overhead.
• find your balance, relax your neck and shoulders and breathe deeply—think less effort and more ease!

high runner’s lunge with side bend

(from high lunge)

lengthens side body, stretches top of the IT band and improves balance

• place your right hand on your right hip, bend your torso to the right and reach your left arm overhead and to the right—stretching the left side of your body.
• remember to keep that right knee stable over that ankle!

warrior III

(from high lunge)

strengthens ankles, legs, core and improves proprioception

• balance on your right leg and lift your left leg behind you as you drop your torso parallel to the ground.
• keep your arms out like airplane wings, or reach them forward.

low lunge twist

(from warrior III)

stretches hips and twists spine

• step your left leg back into a lunge, dropping that knee to the ground and releasing your hands to the ground.
• put your right hand on your right thigh as you rotate your chest to the right, while keeping your left hand on the ground.
• reach your right arm up and look skyward.

and repeat...

Return to your standing forward bend and repeat poses 2–5 with the opposite foot forward…

Now you’re ready to get sweaty and hit the ground running!

Erin Jasmine Taylor is the owner and head coach of Jasyoga, a mobile yoga studio that helps athletes around Seattle—from rec soccer players to NBA basketball players—find their flow. Special thanks to Nate Burgher for all the amazing photography!

When a co-worker asked Alexis to attend the Baron Baptiste Foundation Yoga Workshop in Seattle, she was so flattered. Even as a beginner yogi, she'd heard about the legendary Baptiste in revered tones, but her immediate “YES!” gave way to concerns about her abilities.

Ten minutes after saying "yes," I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Two-and-a-half days doing hot vinyasa flow? My heart started racing. I began dreaming of excuses why I couldn’t go. It was an internal battle of the ages – I really wanted to go, but I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I have a hip injury from a long-ago car accident, but the line where the injury stops and the excuses begin is blurry and gray at best. With a combination of excitement and trepidation in my heart, my co-workers and I headed off to the workshop.

baron baptiste retreat

As I stood in the lavender-scented warmth of the hotel ballroom, surrounded by 300 like-minded yogis of all skill levels, Baptiste took to the stage and began talking about the purpose of the weekend ahead. To say ‘magnetic’ when describing Baptiste is an understatement – his level of self-possession and genuine connection with us was immediately captivating.

He began the first evening’s asana portion by showing us the sequences of the Baptiste style of vinyasa flow. Every pose, and the order they go in, is intentionally planned to focus on awakening your inner truth. It was physically challenging but after five minutes I wasn’t worried about keeping up – I was so focused on being in the moment that I forgot all thoughts about looking good.

meditation

After breakfast the next day, we headed back to the hotel ballroom for a full day of asanas, thoughtful conversation and reflection. The day started off brilliantly – Baptiste led a meditation that was so transcendent I actually saw colors.

I was in upward dog sometime before lunch when I felt my right hip twinge with pain. I continued until we broke for break but by the time I'd returned to my room for a quick rest, I was in agony. I tucked myself into bed and used some of Baron’s meditation techniques to fall asleep.

perceived failure

Sunday morning, I was feeling WAY better. I thought to myself, “No more excuses. You took a break yesterday – but that’s not happening again today.” We started with a wonderful meditation and sharing session followed by the Baptiste style of Vinyasa Flow.

Within five minutes, I knew I was in trouble. My hip was throbbing like it was going to explode out of my skin. I hopped up and left the ballroom to take a breather. That breather turned into me sitting in the lobby for the remainder of the morning, consumed with my perceived failure.  When I went home, I felt extremely enlightened from what I had learnt but also ashamed that I hadn’t ‘completed’ the weekend.

post-retreat learnings

A few days later, my beautifully insightful co-worker Parker and I caught up. She and I had been roomies that weekend, and she wanted to hear about my experience at the workshop. I explained to her that I thought Baptiste was amazing and that I had learnt a lot about myself but that I was disappointed that I didn’t finish.

“Why didn’t you stay in the room after your hip started hurting?” Parker asked. “If I had known that you were sitting in the lobby, I would’ve dragged you back in there.”

I didn’t have an answer. I knew what her point was – not that I had to participate in the asana, but that I could still learn a ton just sitting on my mat, absorbing the energy around me. It dawned on me: the only reason I had sat outside was because I was afraid to look bad. Talk about an ‘a-ha’ moment.

I am still learning and growing from my weekend in Seattle. I’ve become more aware when I’m trying to save face – and in turn, have found my own truth. I can’t wait for Baron to visit Vancouver next so I can practice with a humble and happy heart, whether in a rockstar crow pose or lying on my mat – whatever is right for me.

I just returned from a week-long vacation on the west coast. Relaxing? Of course. Interesting? Always. Hot? Definitely! How convenient that I was escaping the rarity of rain in Toronto to be greeted by record-breaking heat in Vancouver and Seattle.

While I had no problem leaving my email and work behind, I found it difficult to keep up my usual fitness regimen on the road. By the end of the week, my total number of workouts equaled zero and I was tallying one meal per waking hour. The only sweat I was breaking was from the spicy French food I had for dinner in Seattle.

After being back home for a few days, I quickly fell back into my routine of yoga, spin & weights. I had no problems getting into the groove and my body actually felt stronger than ever. Could I attribute my newfound strength to my vacation?

I gloated to my boyfriend about my new insight, on how basking in the hot Vancouver sun built my muscle strength, just as well as any hour long spin class. He laughed. “Are you kidding me? We were sweating once a day. At least!”

How did I manage to break a sweat every day of my vacation without once hitting the gym or getting to my yoga mat? I ran after cabs, walked up miles of steep hills, danced like a maniac at a wedding, and even managed to fit in a quick stretch while waiting to cross the border. I guess you can find a decent workout anywhere in the world without even realizing it!

With summer at its end, plenty of last minute vacations are to be had. How do you manage to “sweat once a day” during your time off?