Yoga and Football? That's right! Yoga has become a hot trend in the NFL world and more and more football players are becoming quite the yogi masters because of it! So that is why I had to interview one of my dearest friends Alisa Garcia, who happens to be the perfect expert on this topic!
Have you ever met someone new and in a matter of seconds you two decide that you can totally see yourself becoming best friends!? You have no idea what it is about them, but you just have an instant connection. Maybe it's their welcoming smile and their positive energy that draws you in. That was exactly how it was when I first met this beautiful soul Alisa . I met her through my boyfriend , she is a yoga instructor at one of our favorite studios in Bellevue. We hang out after yoga hours and sometimes I randomly call her when I'm in need of spiritual advice - she is the best at it! She also got us epic seats to the Seahawks vs. Cardinals game last year. I mean, I could touch Sherman's infamous dreads and tap Russell Wilson's shoulder and tell him, "You are doing great out there, my Dangeruss!"
Have you ever met someone new and in a matter of seconds you two decide that you can totally see yourself becoming best friends!? You have no idea what it is about them, but you just have an instant connection. Maybe it's their welcoming smile and their positive energy that draws you in. That was exactly how it was when I first met this beautiful soul Alisa . I met her through my boyfriend , she is a yoga instructor at one of our favorite studios in Bellevue. We hang out after yoga hours and sometimes I randomly call her when I'm in need of spiritual advice - she is the best at it! She also got us epic seats to the Seahawks vs. Cardinals game last year. I mean, I could touch Sherman's infamous dreads and tap Russell Wilson's shoulder and tell him, "You are doing great out there, my Dangeruss!"
See, Alisa is not your typical yoga instructor, she is the personal yoga teacher to some of the most elite players in the NFL! This why I decided to interview her. Lets get to know Alisa a little more! How did you get involved with training professional athletes?
A friend of mine is a professional football player. I convinced him to start coming to the hot yoga studio I teach at. I knew there was more he could get out of the classes. I knew certain body parts were effecting him days leading up to mornings games, he would tell me what was hurting and I would give him sone yoga poses to help loosen that area. The same for after games. If I knew he was coming to the class I was teaching that day, I would throw in a few postures to help him recuperate. That's when I realized there was a need for specialized, individual yoga for these guys. Word of mouth, I suppose is how I started teaching more athletes on an individual level.
Who are the athletes you train?
Kam Chancellor, Byron Maxwell, Cooper Helfet. I've had others in group classes but these are the guys I see on a regular one-on-one basis.
How long have you been training them for?
I've had Byron for four years, Kam and Coop just hired me last season.
Where all of them yogis prior to you?
Byron was not, but is definitely a hard core yogi now. Kam and Coop both dabbled in yoga classes before me.
What is the feedback you get from the athletes since you have started teaching them?
Mostly that they are more aware of their bodies. Kam has been very receptive to yoga and he has changed the most. He has avoided surgery, corrected his posture, looks taller and actually tells me often that he wishes he would have found yoga before he had hip surgery last year. He tells me that he watches his alignment often and he even watches how he stands on the sidelines he says he "can feel everything now."
Do you believe yoga has made a difference in how they perform in the field?
100%. Not only is yoga fantastic for recovery, but maintaining a healthy body. It's all about injury prevention. I always use the rubber band analogy: if you pull an old dry rubber band apart it will pop (like an ACL, MCL, or ankle injury). A newer rubber band will stretch, pull, and bounce back. Your body, on yoga, is a new rubber band.
What are the common troubles or weakness you run into working with professional athletes?
Competition. Yoga is anything but competition. The hardest thing is to let these athletes know that competition stays on the field - that acceptance with ones self. Be okay and accept whatever gifts your body is giving you today. It's not about the final destination of the yoga posture (competition) it's about the journey getting there (self acceptance).
Overall, what has been your favorite part of working with athletes?
The best part is seeing these guys evolve spiritually. The positivity, the strength, the focus, they all have it, it's just getting them to connect all of the dots so it all works together. Once they do that, there's no stopping them.
If you are interested in private yoga lessons from Alisa you can contact her at alisa4hire@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @a_hotyogini
Competition. Yoga is anything but competition. The hardest thing is to let these athletes know that competition stays on the field - that acceptance with ones self. Be okay and accept whatever gifts your body is giving you today. It's not about the final destination of the yoga posture (competition) it's about the journey getting there (self acceptance).
Overall, what has been your favorite part of working with athletes?
The best part is seeing these guys evolve spiritually. The positivity, the strength, the focus, they all have it, it's just getting them to connect all of the dots so it all works together. Once they do that, there's no stopping them.
If you are interested in private yoga lessons from Alisa you can contact her at alisa4hire@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @a_hotyogini
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