Yoga_Journal_-_February_2016_USA_

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FAVORITE POSE

Bakasana (Crane Pose).

I feel it in my back all the

way through my core.

It’s helped me a lot.

takeo

Former NFL linebacker, philanthropist,

and sports analyst for NBC Sports in Atlanta

spikes

I have degenerative discs in my back, so I usually

have to sleep with a pillow between my legs to

support my lower back. My first week taking yoga

classes with Jason Anderson at Atlanta Hot Yoga,

I forgot to sleep with a pillow. I woke up at 4 a.m.

in a panic until I realized, “There’s no piercing

pain in my back. I’m not hunched over.” At that

moment, I knew this yoga stuff was for real.

I love the mental gratification of yoga. My mind

has so many thoughts running around, but during

yoga it’s at ease. It’s one of the only times that

I can relax. After class, I can actually finish several

thoughts on different topics and complete to-do

lists without getting distracted.

I’m one of only seven linebackers in the history

of professional football to start for 200 games.

Everyone is always trying to find out how I played

in the NFL for 15 years. I tell them that you have

to treat a hangnail the same way you treat a

hamstring pull: Give it your full attention. I tell

guys, “You need to do yoga to be strong, fast,

and physical. It will help you stay loose and get

the most out of your body.”

Guys see my yoga photos and are like, “Man, don’t

get on Instagram with tights on and your shirt off!”

But I tell them, “If you’re on a regimen with yoga,

instead of having a torn hamstring you can reduce

it to a minor strain.” The NFL season is hard and

intense training day in and day out. It’s natural for

your muscles to tighten up due to dehydration,

fatigue, or a contusion. Yoga helps with flexibility

and will decrease your chances of getting hurt.

My first yoga class was difficult because I wanted

to do what I saw everyone else in class doing with

ease. It was frustrating, but I knew that I was going

against the grain as far as flexibility was concerned

since I used to lift weights so much. I went home

and kept stretching until I felt more comfortable

going to class. My flexibility improved tremen-

dously. It was tough, but I never gave up.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

“I believe in living in the moment. Why wait to

do something tomorrow if it can be done today?”

Interview by Dana Meltzer Zepeda

ERIC SCHWABEL

124

february

2016

yogajournal.com

I’M A YOGI