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Yin and Athletic Performance
Athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers are always looking for an edge,
and we are seeing now more than ever a bigger emphasis on the recovery
process of sports training. Chronic stress negatively affects an athlete physi-
cally, mentally, and emotionally. To perform their best, athletes need each
of these areas to be in a positive state. When athletes properly manage
stress, they will excel.
Without proper rest, athletes fall into all sorts of traps, including under-
performance, burnout, and serious injury. As we explored in the previous
section, sympathetic nervous system dominance can lead to serious health
consequences that can affect an athlete’s performance. For athletes to reach
their full potential, they must strive for balance. As I like to say, “Train hard, and
rest hard!”
By including yin yoga in your training program, you will strengthen the
parasympathetic nervous system. Yin yoga will reduce the production of
cortisol and adrenaline, promoting deep relaxation. This relaxation allows
the body to sync up the brain–heart–lung connection, which activates
diaphragmatic breathing. This increases the flow of oxygen-rich red blood
cells, and the body goes into muscle-healing and recovery mode. The body
diminishes the lactic acid that has built up through training and reduces
inflammation, further reinforcing rest and recovery.
Yin yoga also gives athletes more energy. The stiffer athletes are, the
more energy it takes to move their bodies. As their bodies becomes more
supple from a yin yoga practice, athletes are able to conserve more energy.
This surplus of energy can be used to increase power and stamina.
How about peak brain performance? By switching on the parasympathetic
nervous system through yin yoga, you increase blood flow to the cortex
and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain. These areas are associated with
higher reasoning, better decision making, and mindfulness. Because sports
and athletics require a continuous series of decisions that must be made
faster than the blink of an eye, optimal brain function is critical for them to
be at their best.
Throughout my career, I’ve been blessed to have various athletes and
celebrities reach out in gratitude for my yoga programs. On one occasion,
I received a note from A.J. Pollock, an all-star major league baseball player
for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was a first-round draft pick in 2009 out
of Notre Dame University. A.J. was coming to town with his team to play
the Los Angeles Dodgers and invited me and my wife, Lauren, to a game.
I’ll never forget the moment that we stepped onto legendary Dodgers
Stadium field with our special on-the-field passes. Fans were pouring into