In the fast-paced world of junior hockey, it can be hard for players to catch their breath.
Between games, practices and workouts, it’s not always easy to find time to unwind and let the body relax.
But the Medicine Hat Tigers are finding time for those moments, laying it all out on the mat.
Weekly yoga sessions are helping them relax and focus on their breathing and they say being able to find those moments of quiet is helping their overall game.
“They work hard, they play hard, so just being able to, when they feel those moments of tiredness or overwhelmed or stressed, how they can just pause, take a moment in their day, take a deep breath and shift that energy,” said instructor Salli Siewert.
Siewert, owner of Yoga You4ia, has been guiding the team through their yoga practice since the regular season began.
The team practices yin yoga, a style that focuses on holding the poses for longer, letting the muscles relax.
But it’s not easy.
“Especially when you get into the hamstring stuff, it’s really painful,” said forward Zach Fischer.
Fischer knows about pain.
The 20-year-old leads the team in penalty minutes.
“I’ve noticed that throughout the year some bodies get more tried than others, so I think, especially with this group, we practise hard, we go hard every day, so I think this kind of loosens us up, lets us relax a little bit and saves us from injuries,” he said.
“We’re not really going through the power flow or any invigorating moves,” said captain Clayton Kirichenko. “It’s more just about being with our breath, which helps translate onto the ice and stretching out our muscles.”
Kirichenko said he finds it relaxing, being able to tune everything out and tune in on his breathing.
“It’s supposed to be relaxing, it’s supposed to be more focusing on your breathing and, kind of, going more in depth with that and getting deeper into the stretches,” he said.
“Once they start breathing, you feel the shift within them and you feel that shift in their energy and they start to settle into their bodies,” said Siewert.
That focus translates onto the ice, as the energy of the crowd vibrates throughout the Canalta Centre.
But Fischer said the rink and yoga studio do have something in common.
“You don’t really hear much,” he said, thinking about the game. “You don’t hear the fans very often, it’s kind of focused on the game. It’s peaceful in class. It’s quiet so it lets you do a lot of internal breathing, focus on yourself, like, that little in your head kind of thinking. It helps with that, that’s what I notice.”
“It’s just powerful because then they have those tools to just choose what they want for their life rather than letting their emotions choose for them,” Siewert added.
