If you're a member of USA Triathlon (which you should be, if you race triathlons!), you'll soon receive a copy of their nice magazine, USA Triathlon Life. [Addendum: See it online here!] The winter 2010 issue includes a piece I wrote on yoga for triathlon. If you look very closely at the cross-legged twist instructions and photo, you'll notice they don't quite mesh. While the instructions cue you to cross right leg over left and roll to the left, the photo shows that cross of the legs with a twist to the right. Obviously, this is just a mistake of composition, but it gives me a chance to tout the virtues of twisting both ways with the legs crossed.

Here's a depiction of what's illustrated:

And here's what's called for in the text:

Same cross of the legs—right over left—but two different poses. Both do stretch the IT band, the outer hip, the spine, and the chest. But the first one, in which you twist right, works the lateral quads and the iliopsoas on the left, while the second, in which you twist left, gets much deeper into the right-leg glutes, tensor fasciae latae, and IT band.

Try them both, and you'll feel the difference. Together with a squat for the quads and lower back and a forward fold for the hamstrings, these twists would be part of a complete postrun routine. These twists appear in Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga and in the Reclining Twists episode of my Sage Yoga Training podcast, available free at iTunes and streamable at YouTube. We also do them regularly at the studio, and they're featured in my YogaVibes yoga for athletes class. Enjoy them both!

I'm often asked to choose one yoga pose every runner should practice. Usually, I say "mountain pose" or "low lunge." But when you think about it, Bird Dog is an essential pose for runners. First, it mimics the contralateral action used in running: as one arm is moving forward, the other is moving backward, and the core has to hold it all together. Along the way, the hamstrings, glutes, and hip stabilizers must engage to help with the extension of the leg, and the hip flexors have to release to enable this action. This corrects imbalances between weak hamstrings and glutes and tight hip flexors, which I discussed in this blog post.

Second, the position in relationship to gravity helps to strengthen the muscles that support the spine, as the musculature of the core—both front and back—must kick in to hold the midline of the body steady.

Third, you'll need to engage your rear shoulder muscles to hold your scapulae in place even as your arm extends. The upper back is usually quite weak in both athletes and desk workers/drivers/sitters/Westerners, and this is a good way to begin strengthening that area.

Kudos, Runner's World, for the great choice.

Here's where I need your help: what would you most like to see as a theme for these retreats? Are you interested in more running, more yoga, or an even mix of the two? Do you want to spend some time in meditation? Are you dying to master handstands, headstands, or some other particular pose? Would you prefer to have some formal instruction in planning your training? This year, I offered complimentary video analysis of each of the runner's gaits, which was fun for everyone. Would that interest you? In May, weather may be good enough for a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway—would expanding workout options to include cycling be an inducement? We have the option to add a third night and begin the retreat on Thursday—what do you think? Ladies, are you more likely to attend an all-women's retreat, or, guys, are you more comfortable when you know there will be some other men around?

Please share your ideas with me for your own dream retreat, whether or not you think you could make it. You can leave comments here, send me a Tweet, post on my Facebook page, or simply write a good old-fashioned e-mail. (If you wanted to get really creative, you could post a video on YouTube.) I really hope to hear from you.

The inversions help you relax and recover from your training (or December stress), and the reclining position keeps your back in a safe, neutral position. If you keep the stretches gentle, they will work even after a hard workout, when deep stretching would only stress your muscles further.

Today, we did a variation on the Wall Folds routine from The Athlete's Pocket Guide to Yoga, using the team's lockers. These have a seat-height bench covered in a pad, and they're deep enough that players can rest the entirety of their lower legs on the pad. The bottom of the bench is solid. At home, you can use your coffee table (or, if you're tall, your sofa), then move to the wall for the supported twists. The bent-legged position you take as home base for the sequence is very nice on the lower back and knees—much less stressful than a full straight-legged viparita karani/legs-up-the-wall position. Your legs get the draining effect of the inversion; your back is held by the floor, which keeps it from rounding; your chest gets a gentle stretch; and your whole system—body, mind, and breath—gets calm.

Here are some ideas for you to play with. Sure, this could be yoga for football players, but it could also be great as a relaxing sequence after travel, or after a tough workout.

Let me know what you think!