Yoga teacher Betsy Mayotte, MS, RYT200, NASM-CPT, joined the Tennis Center at College Park (TCCP) last summer to offer classes for members and JTCC parents. In addition to being registered as a Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance, Betsy also is certified as a fitness trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She teaches hatha yoga with an emphasis on alignment and breath awareness to improve flexibility, strength, and balance.
After winning his quarterfinal match at Wimbledon this year, Novak Djokovic said this to the press: “I believe that you can always get better. It’s kind of the mindset I always try to have…something that keeps me going every single day on the practice courts, day in, day out, trying to give my best and trying to…inspire myself to play better tennis and to improve.” Motivation and hard work, day after day, make all the difference on the tennis court – whatever the level of play.
More and more athletes, including Djokovic, have discovered through yoga a way to tap into the source of their own motivation, to replenish and deepen it. In particular, the well-known warrior poses in yoga help us reach within and find strength and commitment to our own goals. Through the discipline of a regular yoga practice, all of us can benefit from greater flexibility in the body, controlled breathing to propel movement, and mental focus to resist and overcome our greatest opponent – ourself! Try standing like a warrior this month and find determination and inspiration – knowing we can always improve, always get better.
YOGA POSE OF THE MONTH – WARRIOR II
Maria Sharapova is another tennis player who practices yoga, as shown above. In this familiar pose we find ourselves extending both backward and forward – into the past and into the future. Yet we seek a dynamic balance and stay grounded in the present, just as we do on the court as we move and then stabilize before hitting the ball. Like other basic standing poses in yoga, Warrior II strengthens the quads, calves, and Achilles’ tendons. It also stretches the shoulders, opens the chest, lengthens the spine, and expands our range of motion. It helps to open the hips – so critical for movement on the court. Through regular practice of Warrior II and other yoga poses, we develop willpower and deepen our motivation to continually improve on the mat, on the court, and in our life.
Join us for TCCP YOGA
To experience Warrior II and other yoga postures and breathing techniques, join us on Monday evenings for yoga classes, a benefit for members of the TCCP community. You will develop your own safe, enjoyable, and transformative practice – one that becomes part of your daily routine. We hope to see you on the mat soon!
Yoga classes are offered on Monday evenings in the TCCP yoga studio:
Intermediate Yoga (6:00 to 7:00 PM)
For those with some yoga experience.
Welcoming Yoga (7:00 to 8:00 PM)
For those who are new to yoga or who want to review basics.
Come join us and experience the benefits for yourself!
Betsy offers weekly yoga classes for TCCP members and JTCC parents and players. She feels right at home at TCCP, having spent much of her life around professional tennis in the Mayotte family. Her teaching reflects that experience and her love of tennis. Whatever their level, she encourages her yoga students with the words of Arthur Ashe: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Betsy is a regular contributor to the ALL ACES blog. You can contact her at betsy@yogaeducationservices.org.
