| You are on a tennis court and everything is looking | | | | practicing chaturanga should eventually give you a |
| good: your backhand is as strong as ever and your | | | | better control of the racquet. |
| serve is impeccable. Point after point, you are winning | | | | Inhale and move forward, lifting to upward-facing dog. |
| the match. Inspired, you come back to the same court | | | | Your thighs should be a few inches off the floor. Gaze |
| the next day and unfortunately, are faced with a | | | | at the tip of your nose. Make sure that the inner elbow |
| different scenario: nothing works, every ball goes out | | | | creases face forward, thus opening the shoulders. |
| and the more points you are losing, the more irritable | | | | Hold for five breaths. |
| you become. Sadly, this scenario is too familiar to most | | | | Up-dog is great for tennis elbow treatment and |
| tennis players. If you are not a pro, you are likely to | | | | prevention. Because the pose opens up the shoulders, |
| experience some degree of unsteadiness in your | | | | there is less pressure on the elbow joint. The pose |
| tennis game. | | | | also strengthens the spine, the arms and the wrists. It |
| Yogic practices can tremendously help in making your | | | | can improve your serve. |
| tennis game steadier and stronger. | | | | Exhale and make your way into a downward -facing |
| Meditating for just ten minutes a day can greatly | | | | dog, pushing back, straightening the legs and trying to |
| improve your concentration during a stressful match | | | | place the soles of the feet on the floor. Gaze at your |
| and dristi (single-pointed gaze) would prevent your | | | | navel. Spread your fingers wide and make sure the |
| tennis instructor from screaming: "Watch the ball!" For | | | | inner elbow creases are still rotated forward, while the |
| seventeenth time during a half-hour practice. | | | | middle fingers are parallel and pointed straight forward. |
| Pranayama (breathing practices) increase the lung | | | | This way you are preventing the tennis elbow through |
| capacity, so you don't run out of breath while your | | | | stretching the shoulder joint. Activate your quadriceps |
| tennis partner is busy running you from one corner of | | | | and hold the pose for five breaths. |
| the court to the other. Regular asana practice would | | | | Downward facing dog is one of the best pre-game |
| make you more flexible, therefore increasing your | | | | stretches. It stretches the spine, the sides of the torso, |
| reach on the court. Sun Salutations make the spine | | | | the shoulders, the arms, the neck and the backs of the |
| suppler, so if used as a pre-game stretch, they can | | | | legs. If you practice downward-facing dog regularly, |
| greatly reduce the risk of injury. | | | | you should have a better reach on the court and you |
| While most yoga poses can be used as an aid for a | | | | may feel lighter while running to the net. Your ground |
| tennis game enhancement, some poses are still better | | | | strokes can improve tremendously from all of this |
| than others, as they target tennis-specific injuries and | | | | stretching. If you love this pose, you are unlikely to |
| problem areas. These poses can be done both on and | | | | develop post-game cramping of the legs, because of |
| off the court and of course, if you'd like to see quick | | | | the regular hamstring stretch. The serve should |
| improvement, you should try to practice regularly. | | | | become very powerful from the shoulder opening. |
| Before starting your yoga practice, take a moment to | | | | From a standing pose, inhale and lift your right knee into |
| center your breathing. Inhale and exhale deeply and | | | | the chest. Exhale and open your right knee to the right, |
| fully through the nose (ujjayi breath.) Try to remember | | | | placing the right sole of the foot into the inner side of |
| to go back to this type of breathing in between difficult | | | | the left thigh. Imagine energy, lifting through your left leg. |
| points during your next match. You will notice the | | | | Lift your pelvic floor in and up. Keep your torso straight |
| soothing and the centering effect of ujjayi when you | | | | and on the inhalation, lift your arms in prayer up above |
| are stressing out about a tie-break or about losing a | | | | your head, with forearms being behind the ears to tree |
| game. | | | | pose, vrksasana. |
| Inhale and lift your arms in prayer pose up to the sky. | | | | Keep your gaze steady at an unmoving point in front |
| Exhale and fold forward, placing your palms on the | | | | of you. Hold for ten breaths and repeat on the other |
| floor, with fingertips in line with the toes. Then, | | | | side. |
| straighten your legs, if you can. Inhale and look up. The | | | | Tree pose is excellent for balance and coordination, |
| spine is straight. Exhale and jump or step back into | | | | necessary for tennis. It also strengthens the back and |
| chaturanga, bending your elbows straight back. Look in | | | | the torso muscles for a great serve and works on the |
| front of you, not down. The elbows have to be very | | | | leg muscles for ground strokes and volleys. |
| close the body, don't let your tailbone stick out in the air. | | | | Yoga practice can make your tennis game steadier, |
| Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. | | | | through improving your strokes and helping your |
| Hold the pose for five breaths. This pose strengthens | | | | injuries. Most importantly, yoga can steady your mind, |
| the arms and the wrists, so you'd never have to use | | | | so you are able to get "into the zone," necessary for |
| one of these annoying wrist machines again, because | | | | winning. |