The Autistic Yogi Reflects on Day 1 of Teaching the Wrestling Team

I got through day 1 of teaching yoga'esque movement to the local high school wrestling team.
Like usual I am always nervous before and during teaching to a new group, no matter how confident I end up feeling about my knowledge I am always nervous presenting to people.

 I always end up loving it though. Every time people show interest and then I observe them using things that I have taught.

This was and is such a great opportunity to teach a less conventional yoga type class and play on the periphery of yoga movements and incorporate some of my other practiced skill sets in. With years of observing my movement heroes, Simon Borg-Olivier, Scott Sonnon, Christopher Sommers and his students I am empowered to offer dynamic stretching with some considerations when we do long held stretches. And this wrestling team and the coaches seam desirous of the skills that I can offer. Maybe after just one day I speak to soon.

Forearm stretches
Joint Rotations
Wrist strength drills

Sun Salutations with a minor focus on the shoulder rhythm (trying to eliminate the cue of drop shoulders down and back or away from the ears, as I think this cue is more injurious than beneficial) I prefer to get them to lift the arms to get a side stretch and then protract the shoulder blades or press their shoulders towards the direction their armpit muscles point (Latissumus Dorsi and Pectoralis Major), this than facilitates a little better shoulder rhythm. (This is a combination of Simon Borg-Olivier and Leslie Kaminoff thoughts that inspired me to analyze scapular rhythm a little more.)

Sun Salutation B modified chair posture. I want to slowly get these athletes into knowing more about their hips and why they either can do a narrow squat or not, while getting into the anatomy of the hip bones may not be beneficial for the majority of them but allowing them to explore sensation and being able to differentiate why some of them can not hardly get low in a narrow squat because of either hip or ankle flexibility issues.

Knee Flexion ideas in seated postures and movements and to connect with keeping the hamstring activated in Flexion movements to help keep the knee better protected, especially in the demands that wrestling has on the knees, getting them mindful and cerebral of their knee activation is vital in my perception.

Mobility drills. I worked on analyzing shoulder rolls both forward and back and getting into some arm balances from spinal rolls.

It's going to be a journey and I will slowly try to get a more concise program down that benefits them and help these youth and coaches to attain their best. I can already see how some of the skills they practice are going to help my Acro and my yoga practice.  I can keep writing and writing but I will not try and write a whole chapter here and slowly get more knowledge down about my experiences.

I am wondering if there are some muscles best not stretched prior to practice and some best not stretched afterwards?