Also known as Yoga for the Construction Industry

Was founded by Allan Nett, a Certified Iyengar Yoga instructor for 25 years, and a construction contractor for 29 years. Nett is available to visit individual job sites to provide consultations regarding the designing of yoga classes for the entire crew.

The construction industry is known for sore hands and knees, bad backs and hurt shoulders. Yoga for the Construction Industry (YCI) was developed to help workers recover from these injuries, gain mobility, and much more. YCI is a program of an initial “body posture and pain assessment”, followed by a tailored program of guided yoga stretches and positions. YCI’s yoga instructor Allan Nett, not only helps workers to help themselves to heal their workplace injuries, but his method also assists workers in aligning their attention with their awareness of their body, which in turn prevents future injuries, and reduces medical injury costs.

YCI’s techniques are designed for construction workers who spend much of their day bending, kneeling and carrying. Nett has developed several key construction yoga stretches (named after typical construction tools): Plumb Bob, Re-Bar Tie, T-Square, Framing Square, Speed Square, 1/4 Round, Transit, Auger, Bevel Square, and Rt. Angle to maximize body strength. Nett, an active construction contractor, believes injuries on the job can be prevented with aware body movement.

The construction field puts physical stressors on the body that can cause debilitating injury due to heavy lifting and repetitive movements. In YCI workshops, students learn simple, applicable yoga stretches to counter the “wear and tear” that construction work often causes. In Allan’s yoga workshops, students gain an understanding of how to use postures to get relief from their aches and pains, on and off the job.

YCI classes focus on shoulder stiffness, hip mobility, problem knees, and hand and neck pain, as well as relieving back pain caused by heavy lifting. With practice, the body begins to repair itself and at the same time personal health, posture, mood and self-image are enhanced.

Yoga is a tool that eliminates toxins from the body, one muscle and one organ at a time. It also stimulates the brain and improves thinking patterns. Through poses specifically designed for construction workers’ body issues, a change occurs in a worker’s body awareness and a change in lifestyle can occur. Practicing Yoga, changes a person’s physical body, as well as mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Alignment of the body and awareness of the mind create balance in human beings.

Here are some of the stories of workers who have attended Allan’s Yoga for the Construction Industry classes:

Richard Sheehe, 55, is a contractor and owner of Napa Valley Construction; he had a “dropped shoulder” so bad he couldn’t even bend over to tie his shoes. Now after 6 months with YCI’s classes, he stands erect, feels at least 10 years younger, and has even lost 40lbs. as an added benefit.

Larry Rhoades, 54, owner of Napa Valley Door and Trim, has scar tissue in a knot on the lower right side of his back from lifting doors for over 35 years. He used to go to a chiropractor, ice and lay up for a couple of days, and now thru YCI’s stretch and strength instruction, he is “pain free for the rest of my life,” Larry said regarding his injury.

As you can see, the headstand came first; the tool belt came later!