"I never in a million years thought I would be into yoga," Branden Collinsworth, Nike master trainer, 200HR RYT, told POPSUGAR. He described himself as "that swole dude" who was into bench press and running fast 40-yard sprints. But in 2014, at the peak of his performance career, he realized he was miserable. "I was so unhappy. I was depressed," he said. This shocked him because "coming from the streets of Vegas, coming from being homeless, coming from growing up in housing projects, I thought once I got to that level of success, I'd be happy."
He knew he needed to do something to "change things up," explaining that something told him to travel, so he went on a solo trip to Bali. He began to practice yoga and noticed a shift in his mindset, gratitude, and levels of happiness, fulfillment, connection, awareness, and presence. In 2015, Collinsworth began to study yoga and fusing it with sports performance, creating the Primal Flow, which is available on the Nike Training app.
His flows explore playing with movement, and allows people to break out of the linear expression of yoga and move in three dimensions, with movements like hops, crawls, and spiraling squats, Collinsworth said. "My inspiration from it was to get people to step outside of the box, move, and explore aspects of their body that they may have not touched before." It's challenging, but it's an accessible flow for all levels.
One of Collinsworth's yoga goals is for people to "step into spaces that we may have not stepped into before," especially during the coronavirus pandemic. No matter your level, he emphasized that "it's about doing the best you can with where you're at and finding that edge." And once you've found your edge, breathing into it and expanding it every time you return to the mat.
He also wants people to think about inner intimacy as it pertains to their practice and existence. "When we start to align our inner world, the outer world becomes amplified," he said. "Yoga is an opportunity to get to know yourself and tune into the most valuable tool, which is breath," he continued. Focusing on your breath can help you relax, destress, feel more grounded, and be more present.
To help you start feeling the physical, emotional, and mental benefits of yoga, Collinsworth recommends focusing on standing and balancing poses to feel more grounded; backbends to open your heart and help you feel joyful; twists and heavy breathing, like Pranayama, to restore your body; and passive positions, like Savasana, "to drop us into deeper states of relaxation." If you're in need of pose inspiration, ahead you'll find poses you can begin implementing into your daily routine to feel more open, grounded, and relaxed.
Sanskrit Name: Tadasana or Samasthiti
English Translation: Mountain Pose or Equal Standing Pose
Sanskrit Name: Virabhadrasana 1
English Translation: Warrior 1 Pose
Sanskrit Name: Virabhadrasana 2
English Translation: Warrior 2 Pose
Here are more tips on how to do Warrior 2.
Sanskrit Name: Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
English Translation: Upward Facing Dog Pose
Also Called: Up Dog
Learn details about Upward Facing Dog Pose here.
Read on for more details about correct alignment in Camel Pose.
Sanskrit Name: Bada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
English Translation: Bound Bridge Pose
Also Called: Bound Half Wheel
Set up for Bow Pose by lying on your belly, bending the knees to bring feet close to your glutes. Lifting the head and shoulders, reach arms back to grab feet with your hands, kicking into your grip until your belly is your primary point of contact with the ground. As you take five deep breaths, allow the movement of your breath to create a slight rocking motion, which in turn causes the ground to massage your internal organs and promote lymphatic drainage. Repeat two to three times, taking a brief Child's Pose in between each rep.
Sanskrit Name: Balasana
English Translation: Child's Pose
The ultimate hip stretch, this pose will also relieve tightness in your lower back. You can even do this one in bed!
This hip opening pose is truly relaxing when you rest your torso over your front leg.