Flexibility and yoga practice

We often think of muscles like a rubber band; pull them harder and they will stretch longer. The problem is that most of our muscles are old, rigid rubber bands that will snap the minute you pull them too far. Another problem is that our muscles don’t work exactly like rubber bands. So how do our muscles function and how do they stretch longer? Enter flexibility: range of body motion that loosens us up.

What flexibility is… and what it is not

Before we can pull our muscles every which way in our yoga poses, we have to loosen them up.

Believe it or not, our flexibility is not determined by our muscles; the nervous system determines our flexibility. Take tight hamstrings as an example. Say you have tight hamstrings and you do a deep forward fold. Your brain will send the flashing red “danger” signal to your hamstrings (via your nervous system) and your hamstrings will respond by contracting. They do this as a survival mechanism; when they contract they may lose flexibility, but they gain strength, which they use to protect you.

Your first instinct might be to push past this feeling into a deeper stretch. But pulling yourself deeper won’t improve your flexibility and could actually cause you to get injured. Yoga for flexibility is not about pulling on our muscles until they grow longer, it’s about teaching our muscles to relax when we hit our limits. A relaxed muscle is a loose muscle, and that is where you find flexibility.

Why flexibility is important

Regularly practicing Yoga poses for flexibility have many health benefits. Stretching is a great way to increase your mobility, improve your range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. Flexible exercises are an important part of any workout routine. They help you avoid injury and keep your body limber. You should also stretch before and after workouts to prevent soreness and muscle fatigue. Stretching helps increase blood flow, improves circulation, and increases joint mobility. Flexibility is essential for maintaining a healthy spine and avoiding back problems.

Stretching helps us release tension and stress. It improves overall physical health and mental health. Yoga poses are great for correcting poor posture, improving sleep quality, cultivating body awareness and boosting mood.

How to improve your flexibility

I constantly remind my students that flexibility does not come from pushing past your limits, but from reaching your edge and staying there. The number one way to improve your flexibility is to keep practicing. Keep these flexibility tips in mind during your next yoga practice.

• Play with your limits—While you do not want to force yourself beyond your limit, you also do not want to stay too far on the other side. The only way to learn (and expand) your body’s limits is to play along the edge.

• Use your breath—With every inhale, focus on alignment and check on the integrity of your posture. With every exhale, think about letting go and sinking a little deeper into the posture.

• Remain calm—A lot of our muscle tension comes from a fearful brain. This turns on the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers muscle contraction. Keep your breath long and smooth and remind yourself that you are safe so your brain and nervous system can relax. This will inevitably lead to your muscles relaxing.

• Stay awhile—Maybe yin yoga is not your thing, but there is quite a bit of science that supports the argument that your muscles need time to relax. Staying in a pose for five breaths is good for your muscles, but stay for five minutes and you might be amazed by how much deeper your muscles relaxed at the end compared to when you started.

Whether your regular practice consists of intense vinyasa classes or relaxing yin classes, if you follow these tips you will see shifts in your flexibility. Just remember—stop worrying about lengthening and focus on relaxing!

How does yoga help improve flexibility?

Yoga isn’t just about stretching. Yoga is an ancient practice that combines physical movement, breathing techniques, meditation, and philosophy. Yoga differs from just stretching because it focuses on safety, form, and the variety of poses that target both major muscle groups and deeper-seated stealth muscles. Yoga emphasizes proper alignment, attention, and the awareness of your body.

It helps us to understand our bodies and minds better. It teaches us to focus on our breath and body while we move. It teaches us to calm down and relax. And it teaches us to become aware of what we’re doing and why.

12 yoga postures for flexibility

Most asanas have a balance of both strength and flexibility, but there are a handful of positions that will be most helpful to increase your flexibility. These poses require minimal effort so you can focus on relaxing, breathing and relaxing into the stretch. Start with just a few of these poses each week until you feel comfortable enough to add more.

Bound Angle pose

Baddha Konasana is a great pose for beginners because you get to stretch your hips while opening your chest. Holding this asana for several deep breaths will stretch the adductors, inner quadriceps, and hamstrings. Feel your heart expand as. you let your shoulders drop down and your spine lengthen. This pose helps you release any tension and stress in your body and stimulates the reproductive, nervous and respiratory systems. It also helps you prepare for meditation and other seated yoga postures.

Wide Legged Seated Angle pose

This hip opening pose is perfect for those who struggle with tight hamstrings. Upavistha Konasana opens up and stretches out your inner thighs while stretching the entire back side of the body: legs, back, and arms. It also helps Strengthens the calves, ankle, hamstrings, glutes, abdomen, and spine. If you find this pose difficult, try placing a folded blanket under your hip bones or use a bolster under your chest.

Triangle pose

Utthita Trikonasana is a great pose for stretching out your muscles in your legs and in the sides of your body. Triangle pose can increase stability by activating your core muscles. Keeping the lower hand lightly touching the floor engages your core strength which helps you gain confidence and feel stronger. Triangle pose stimulates your organs, including your digestive system, which can improve your metabolism. It reduces stress by targeting the lower back, which can cause tension and pain. It can also help relieve stress, anxiety and help stabilize emotions.

Child’s Pose

Balasana is a great pose to relax the entire body, and it’s a great resting pose after practicing a challenging asana. Child’s pose is a simple yet effective position that gently stretches the low back muscles. Breathing deeply in this pose also massages and tones the abdominal organs to help them function properly. It also helps reduce stress by calming the mind and soothing the nervous system.

Supine Pigeon pose

Supta Kapotasana is a great pose for beginner students or for people with tight hips. Reclined pigeon pose provides an opportunity for us to gently stretch the hips, thighs, and low back. It helps prepare us for backbends, as well as for sitting meditation. It allows us to open the front side of the pelvis, which is often tight and contracted when we sit still for extended periods of time. Reclined pigeon pose provides us with a great opportunity to practice patience and surrender.

Standing Forward Bend

Uttanasana is a great pose to lengthen your hamstrings. Standing Forward Fold stretches the hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves. It stretches the backside of the body, which improves posture and spinal alignment. It calms the mind and relieves stress. It also stimulates the liver and kidneys and helps improve digestion.

If you’re feeling your legs or low back extra tight, bend your knees slightly. To relax deeper into the stretch, grab opposite elbows and let yourself hang upside down.

Seated Head to Knee pose

Janu Sirsasana improves flexibility in your back, hip, and thigh muscles. It also increases blood circulation in the lower abdomen and relieves stress. Seated Head to Knee is a great pose to stretch the hamstrings, the muscles of the inner thigh and groin. It helps to calm the nervous system, eliminate mild depression, and improve digestion. Janu Shirshasana helps us release tension in the hips, knees, and lower back. It’s a great pose to practice when you feel stressed out, anxious, or depressed. Use a yoga strap around the foot of the straight leg if you cannot reach your toes.

Half Lord of the Fishes pose

Ardha Matsyendrasana elongates and aligns the spine and strengthens the core muscles. This seated twist provides a great stretch for the back muscles along the spine. It improves posture and provides relief from lower back pain. It can help with digestion, constipation, and indigestion. This asanas’ twisting action is said to stimulate heart, kidneys, liver, spleen and lungs.

Cat-Cow pose

Bitilasana and Marjaryasana is an easy movement for beginners to warm up the spine and stretch the hip flexors, abdominals and back muscles. It creates coordination, improves focus, and invigorates prana by activating the diaphragm and breathing deeply into the belly. It improves digestion, relieves stress, and calms the brain. Flowing with the breath between arching and rounding the spine creates emotional balance by helping us release pent-up emotions and feelings.

Pyramid pose

Parsvottanasana is a great pose for stretching the hamstrings, calves, quads, hips, glutes and back muscles. It strengthening the legs, hips, ankles and the feet to maintain the stability of the body. Parsvottanasana improves blood circulation in the head, which calms the nervous system and improves brain function. Deep conscious breathing in this asana further encourages the release of tension in the lower back, legs and hips, as well as in the shoulders and upper back. This asana opens the throat chakra, which is associated with communication and expression. It also activates the sacral chakra, which is related to creativity, sexuality, and self-expression.

Cobra pose

Bhujangasana stretches the entire front side of the body, including the hips, abdominals, chest and the tops of the feet. Cobra Pose has been shown to improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and increase energy. It’s a great posture to practice before bedtime, as well as during the day if you need some extra energy. It can help reduce back pain and inflammation. It also builds muscle strength in the arms, core, and upper body. In addition, there’s evidence that practicing Cobra Pose regularly improves posture, self-esteem, and symptoms of depression.

One Legged King Pigeon pose

Eka pada rajakapotasana is a deep hip opener that improves flexibility in hips, legs, pelvis and groin. It stretches the thighs, psoas, glutes, hip flexors, and piriformis muscles. This asana helps to release tension in your hips, lower back, shoulders, and chest. If your hips are tight, you can place blocks or blankets under your hip bones for support.

Breathing deeply in Pigeon Pose improves nervous imbalances and stimulates the internal abdominal organs. According to Ayurveda, stress, sadness, and worry are stored in the hips, so this asana encourages an emotional release and regulation. Regular practice of this pose may help relieve anxiety or stress.

Yoga poses for the modern day office worker

Whether you started working from home, started an online business, got your Uber license, had a baby or have been sitting for prolonged periods for any other reason (Netflix, anyone?) – you may have noticed yourself sitting a lot more over the past couple of years! In other words, moving your body less and stressing your mind more.

If your home office (or the equivalent) set-up is less than ideal, you’re probably familiar with stiff shoulders, back discomfort, pinchy hips, overworked eyes, the merging of work and personal life into one neverending sit-a-thon…Many of us are aware of the quote, ‘sitting is the new smoking’ and while we’re not fans of sensationalist headlines, there’s no doubt that sitting for prolonged periods can have a detrimental effect on our health.

So we’ve put together a survival guide for preventing and dealing with working-from-home aches and pains – including yoga poses and exercises to ease tension in your body and mind!

Hip flexors

Sitting for long periods of time is the first suspect when it comes to tight hip flexors. Whether your posture is perfect or you’re slouched over, extended sitting sessions will shorten your hip flexors.

The ‘hip flexors’ include multiple muscles which support the pelvis in balancing over the legs. The main ones are the iliopsoas (the psoas major and the iliacus together), the rectus femoris (one of the quadriceps) and the sartorius.

Simple actions can help improve balance between the legs, pelvis and back, which relieve and release the hip flexors, including:

• Low Lunge

• Bridge

• Happy Baby

Psoas-specific

Sensations of the psoas are subtle. This hip flexor (which most of us had never even heard of until a yoga teacher mentioned it) is buried in the lower lumbar region, extends through the pelvis to the femur and tends to engage in habitual holding patterns – especially when sitting a lot.

The psoas flexes the hip joint and lifts the upper leg towards the body – it’s in action when you’re walking.

Deeply linked to emotions, the psoas responds best to quiet attention, patience, and perseverance. And here are some yoga poses to nurture that:

• Pigeon

• Tree

• Reclined Butterfly

Shoulders

Shoulders have a leading role in almost every yoga pose, and much of life in general. Their mobility and flexibility, or lack thereof, affects us constantly – especially while many of us are relentlessly hunched over phones, computers and steering wheels, which means our shoulders are in protraction for long periods.

Strength is important, but so are flexibility and mobility. These yoga poses will provide a stretch to open the smallest fibres between your joints:

• Cow Face pose

• Melting Heart Pose

• Melting Heart

Back

The spine moves forward and backward (flexion and extension), side to side (lateral flexion), and twists too. Sitting loads, especially if slumping over a computer, encourages flexion but misses out all the other movements.

Adding side bending, back bending and twisting to the natural forward motion of sitting helps improve posture and reduce back pain by bringing strength and flexibility to the muscles that stabilise the spine. These yoga poses do just that:

• Extended Side Angle

• Revolved Head to Knee Pose

• Reclined Twist

Eyes

Are your eyes dry, scratchy, burning or tired? Is your vision blurry? Screen time strains the eyes – whether you’re working from home or binging on Netflix, most of our oculus uterque are suffering. Tired eyes can lead to headaches and difficulty concentration, as well as physical ailments such as tight shoulders and back pain.

We can remedy eye strain with care, rest and yoga. Try these eye strengthening exercises:

• Move. Without moving your head, look up and down, left and right, and diagonally a few times each way.

• Close/Blink. Keep your eyes moist by lowering your lids regularly.

• Warm. Rub your palms together, then place your warm hands gently over closed eyes.

• Stare. Focus your eyes and stare at an object without blinking.

And a few yoga poses to sort out your sore eyes:

• Child’s Pose

• Downward Facing Dog

• Forward Fold

So…

Whether you’ve got a minute or an hour – treat yourself to a break from sitting! Try some of our yoga suggestions, or just stand up, shake it off (literally!) or have a mini dance-off! “You put your whole self in, you take your whole self out, you put your whole self in and you shake it all about…”

The Art Of Allowing: Why You Need To Stretch More

The benefits of stretching go beyond the physical side. Explore why allowing the body and mind to loosen and melt can also become an emotional and spiritual practice on its own.

We Are Our Bodies

Perhaps one of the most pervasive modern beliefs is that we merely inhabit our bodies, rather than being them, as though our physical forms were mere vehicles to carry our more important souls, minds or personalities. A consequence is that we treat our bodies like any other material object in the world—something to be manipulated, changed or handled in just the same way as a car or kitchen appliance.

And so we find ourselves with the “no pain no gain” mantra—or more generally, a relationship to our bodies that’s based on force. We assume that the body needs to be whipped into shape, controlled, or molded into the correct form through discipline and effort. We prize the mental toughness needed to foster strength and physical fitness, associating active vigor with goodness, and relaxation and release with being weak or lazy.

Nobody can deny the beauty of a strong, resilient physique. And physical prowess is an undeniably wonderful thing. But what about the other side of the coin? The silences are as important to music as the played notes; in the same way, the passive, still and yielding body is as important to our wellbeing as active effort—maybe even more so.

The Benefits Of Stretching

Rather than simply tacking on a random stretch before or after a workout, the patient and deliberate relaxing of the body can be art all on its own. To balance an overly active, forceful attitude to the body, we can make room for a completely different approach: one of complete allowing.

Instead of tightening, the body is loosened to let go of tension. Instead of focused, effortful action towards a goal, the body is allowed to melt, to simply be what it is. Sadly, many health-conscious people deplore the idea of softness in the body—we want to be toned and controlled. Even when we stretch we might be tempted to rush the process and yank and pull ourselves through it, competing with the person on the yoga mat beside us to see who’s winning the flexibility competition!

But the benefits of stretching are not limited to the physical. Rather, stretching encourages a fuller, more balanced relationship with the body based on awareness and receptivity. Stretching can be a gentle emotional and even spiritual practice, right in the here and now.

Why Stretching Is So Good For You

In the following, we will be delving into the diverse benefits of stretching for body, mind and soul.

1. Stretching encourages you to listen to your body

Unless you’re in pain or ill, how often do you pay your body careful, compassionate attention? Are you tuned into all the little flutters of your senses, your heartbeat and breath, your posture? In an abstract, mechanised world, it’s easy to dismiss the body, taking for granted that it will tick along regardless of the punishment we throw its way, or the demands we place on it despite its fatigue.

One of the benefits of stretching, however, is that you start a conversation with your body. No longer just commanding it, you consciously listen, respecting what your physical being is asking for. Stretching fosters more masterful bodily awareness and integrity, alerting you to small problems before they become big ones.

2. Stretching reminds you to take joy in your physical form

How much of the day is spent lugging the body to and fro, pushing it into one activity after the other, like it’s nothing more than a pack mule meant to serve? But the body is an exquisite gift—and you’re meant to enjoy being alive in it! It’s easy: when you stretch, you feel good.

Doesn’t it feel marvellous to release and let go? Isn’t it delicious to fully own your arms and legs, to savour a stretch right from the base of your spine to the tips of your fingers? We are not machines. Stretching reminds us to enjoy the sensation of life, relishing every living, breathing inch of our physical experience.

3. Stretching releases blocks and tensions

The next time you’re in a bad mood, notice whether you’re unconsciously holding your breath. Are you also clenching some other parts of your body?

Deliberately loosening and inviting yourself to open has the remarkable ability of letting a negative mood flow on. Many of us are chronically tight and anxious, clinging to resentments and worries just as we hold onto stiffness and rigidity in the shoulders, neck and back. You could talk about trauma, anxiety or sadness in therapy for years—but physically stretching out permits your body to process these emotions, too.

Stretching Is Always Available To You

Unfortunately, the body sometimes gets a raw deal, being demoted to the last place on life’s priority list. Even those who cherish their health and wellness may nevertheless take a harsh and punishing stance to their physical form, only engaging in order to contain, constrict or control the body.

Thankfully, stretching is an antidote. And it’s available to you right now and in every moment. To have a body is beautiful—be calm, accepting and maybe even celebratory of this fact! Practice the art of allowing. Gracefully let the body be. You are always invited to open up and let suppleness and ease take the focus for a while.

Daily stretching can be a profound spiritual practice that teaches us to let go, to loosen up (physically and figuratively!) and humbly soften to our experience, without force and without expectation.

Article Author: Isabelle Pikörn

Article Source: https://insighttimer.com/blog/benefits-of-stretching/

Interview: Exploring Fascia Release with Vicky Chapman

Vicky is our go-to yogi for all things fascia and connective tissue! Out of passion, she has cultivated her knowledge and skill in the area over several years and is a huge advocate for fascia release techniques. We interviewed Vicky on the benefits of fascia release - read more below!

For people who may be new to the concept of fascia release, can you give us a basic insight into what this is?

Fascia is our connective tissues, its job is to connect everything in the body. When we release the fascia with tools like self massage with balls/rollers and props, it helps us move more freely. It hydrates those tissues, making us feel less stiff. By using fascia release balls and props we can access the really hard to reach tight spots in the body and spend some time exploring to create more freedom in range of movement, better posture, more resilient tissues to help with injury treatment and prevention.

Can you explain to us why fascia release is beneficial to yoga practice?

Fascia release is for everybody, whether you do yoga, running, crossfit or nothing at all. It’s a tool you can use whenever you need to target and release your tight or problematic areas. It releases the stuck parts of the body, allowing you to move better, stand taller and be more comfortable. Incorporating it into my yoga practice has been life changing. I use my balls everyday somewhere on my body to prepare me for movement or release headaches or just create space where I’m feeling stuck. I take them everywhere with me.

What piqued your interest in working with fascia and connective tissue? Have you done extra training in this area? 

I’ve been teaching fascia release workshops with rollers for about 7 years now, but a few years ago my teacher Tiffany Cruikshank, founder of Yoga medicine, taught a 5 day training on all things fascia and it blew my mind…the way the chinese medicine Meridians blend beautifully into this practice compliments my yin yoga teaching. I learnt so much and have been teaching workshops with the balls instead now for the last few years as they’re a much more versatile tool.

I love learning and have done an additional fascia training this year, and will be doing another on fascia trains in August. The more I learn about connective tissue the more I’m fascinated in how it works.

Can we expect much discomfort as we work into the fascia? 

There will be parts of your body that individually you’ll feel A LOT, and there will be others that you barely notice. It’s the areas that are uncomfortable that usually need the attention so it’s our bodies way of telling us where to focus. I don’t believe harder is better, self-massage is how I think of it… if you like your massage firm or soft you do you :) I’ll always give you lots of options.

Do you incorporate any of these techniques into the yoga classes you teach?

Yes I incorporate fascia release into my yin yoga classes. In yin we are stressing the connective tissue and looking at finding full range of movement in the joints, so by releasing tight muscles with the balls & props, your body will be able to find it’s full range much easier. I also use them on my yoga retreats in every class like prepping the feet for standing poses or releasing the shoulders for Handstands. They can be added in everywhere to elevate your yoga practice but also these tools will help you off the mat, treating headaches, releasing tight necks from long days at the computer, softening overused quads after a long run/cycle. I take them everywhere and use them everyday, they’re the most versatile tool to have in your tool box.

Author: This is Yoga

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The Benefits of Yin Yoga and Surrendering to Your Mat

Many people are drawn to the strong, flowing nature of a vinyasa class. Some poses may be held for a longer period of time but even still, the class remains relatively fluid. This type of class is beneficial for both strengthening and stretching and it also demands a lot of focus in order to follow the alignment and transition cues as you flow through. That being said, many of us lovers of a flow can neglect yin – a practice with longer, more passive holds. So should we make an effort to complement our stronger asana practice with a yin class from time to time? Below, Jade Lizzie explains some of the benefits a yin yoga class can add to your current routine, not just physically but mentally and emotionally.

In yoga, I hear a lot of talk about surrender and letting go. However, having been brought up to believe that happiness comes as a reward for ambition, striving and hard work, surrender can be a foreign concept. So in a goal-orientated, success-obsessed culture, how can I learn to surrender and, frankly, why should I bother? 

Overcoming Discomfort

Contrary to popular belief, yin yoga is not the same as restorative yoga. One of the first things many people notice about yin yoga is how uncomfortable it can be. Yet, despite the discomfort of some of the postures, the intention is still that you surrender and relax into the sensations. There is a life lesson there. It’s tempting to get trapped into patterns of thinking where you believe, “I’ll relax when…” or “I’ll be happy once…”. There will always be difficult times, unexpected discomfort and challenging situations. Learning to surrender to the postures on the mat can help teach you to let go of all that may be holding you back off the mat as well.

When you practice yin yoga, you learn to sit with discomfort and accept it without resistance. Although yin should not be painful, it’s a good place to explore the saying that "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional."

Releasing Expectations

So much of what we do is because we want to reach a certain level, status or position. Even in yoga, there can  be a temptation to strive for a certain yoga posture or level of flexibility. With yin yoga, there are no “fancy” or deep poses, the focus is very much so on on how it feels.

As Bernie Clark puts it when referring to Yin yoga, “We don’t use our body to get into a pose; we use the pose to get into our body.” Each day you do yin yoga, your body will feel different, so learning to let go of the expectation that you should be anywhere is essential.

Gaining presence of mind

How much of your life do you actually spend being present? Not thinking about yesterday, or tomorrow or next month, but actually being present with what is?

Yin yoga is a powerful mindfulness practice. The reason for this is that the physical sensations you experience help to anchor the mind and keep you focused. Instead of distracting yourself with what has been and what could be, you surrender to what actually is right now.

When you surrender, and allow yourself to experience what the present moment has to offer, you find what is called ‘sukha’, the deep happiness and pleasure that already exists without you having to strive for something.

Relaxing your body

On a physical level, the surrendering of yin yoga lets the nervous system relax and believe it is safe to let the muscles release, thus permitting your body to open up and move deeper into the postures. Paradoxically, when it comes to increasing flexibility, you can find that by striving less, you may actually achieve more.

The same applies for anything you want to manifest. When you want something, there is a temptation to chase it and pursue it. In return, this dissatisfied state of wanting becomes your norm and more often than not, your goal seems to get further away. Even if you do reach it, you may immediately fixate on something else. So….

Let go

Yes, it is good to know what you want, but it is also good to surrender to it. Maybe by letting go you’ll find that it comes to you, or maybe you’ll discover that it wasn’t quite right for you anyway. In the words of Sonia Ricotti:

Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.

As with yoga in general, there is a lot more to the practice of yin than meets the eye. It may just be worth substituting one of your other asana practices for a yin and sticking with it for a while, to see what it brings not only to your practice but your life.

Check out our Timetables to see when and where you can get your Yin practice in at TIY!