The Magical Meeting of Flexibility and Strength
Some thoughts on mobility....
For those of you who practice yoga with me, you know that we are always exploring how to move into and out of our full range of motion with control, strength, breath and moment-to-moment awareness.
When I’m teaching movement, I often share that most injuries happen during the transitions, not in the middle of the hold. We tend to bring ourselves into our full expression of the pose and then just when we need it most, we make our way into another pose without finding the muscular energy to do so safely.
This generally happens for two reasons:
1. Our end range in the pose is often too deep to maintain strength. In other words, we have the flexibility to get into that shape but we lack the strength to hold ourselves there or to bring ourselves out safely.
Here are some examples of how that might play out in triangle pose:
You put a lot of weight on your hand because you want a deep stretch but you can't hold yourself there without transferring the weight of your torso into the floor.
You collapse or “noodle” out of the pose putting undue stress on your SI or hip joint.
You lock out your front knee instead of softening it and drawing the strength of your legs towards that invisible line down the center of your body.
These are all examples of little “cheats” we take in our yoga practice that make us think we’re "advancing" when actually, we’re putting our physical bodies at risk.
Of course, that’s not the only reason we get hurt in transitions. Which leads us to #2.
2. Our minds are already on the next pose. We aren’t holding our attention on the present moment because we’re rushing into the future. And so we make the transition with a lack of attention. And this future focus plays out it all kinds of ways.
How often do you fly from point a to point b in your life and arrive at point b, stressed, discombobulated, out of body, or unnerved.
How often do you let go of the physical and mental focus needed to stabilize and ground you as you make these transitions throughout the day?
Reason #967 why I love yoga so much. It gives us an opportunity to bring awareness to our habitual ways of moving and ask ourselves whether those habits are serving us!
Which brings me to my October workshop, Mobility: the Magic Meeting of Flexibility and Strength.
Mobility is the action of moving in and out of your full range with strength and control. This requires paying deep attention to both flexibility and strength and honoring where the two meet. This approach to movement will keep your body safe while reinforcing a more mindful, embodied approach to your practice.
We call yoga a practice for a reason. When we practice attending to our bodies and minds in a particular way, we are more likely to bring that same quality of attention to life off of the mat.
If you’d like to practice this together, join Jaclyn Arduini and me on Zoom, Sunday, October 24, 10am-12pm (MST). Jaclyn is an incredible athletic therapist and trainer and this is her wheelhouse! She’ll offer all kinds of tips to help you integrate these concepts into your movement practices. And we’ll explore how practicing these movements in yoga will influence and support the way you move throughout the day.
I hope you'll join us!
P.S. Your Yoga members get a 25% off discount. One of many reasons to join the Your Yoga community!
P.P.S. When you join Your Yoga now, you will get the workshop free!
Mobility: the Magic Meeting of Flexibility and Strength
October, 24 10am-12pm (MST) on Zoom
$30 - all registrants will receive the replay
Click to Register