As a competitive athlete, an endurance sports coach, and an experienced yoga teacher, I truly understand exactly how yoga can complement—or be at odds with—training. I know that many athletes are turned off by yoga because it seems too easy (and becomes boring), too hard (and thus painful and intimidating), or out of sync with their training (leading to fears that they’re undermining their hard work). My goal is to create an environment that is easy enough, challenging enough, and can be modified to suit students’ needs.

Yoga for athletes isn’t necessarily athletic yoga—the intensity of the yoga must be in inverse proportion to the intensity of the athlete’s training. My work with football players has taught me that not only should a yoga practice vary according to the sport and time of year, it also depends on the athlete's position, experience, and abilities.

My yoga teaching style uses both flow and long holds focusing on alignment and mindfulness. The flow generates heat, so that the longer holds can work more deeply. My focus in both yoga and training is form and breath: finding the most efficient, economical form and taking the fullest breaths available, in order to stay present even in intense situations. You can get a taste of my teaching style through my podcast and DVDs. Read what my students have to say here.

I outline this philosophy on yoga for athletes in my books, DVDs, articles, and videos. I also share it with other teachers—for example, at my annual workshop on teaching yoga to athletes (November 5-7, 2010), and during my open workshops at Kripalu, which are attended by everyone from yoga novices to experienced teachers. I'd love to see you there.