Stabilize your sauce.
Are you curious? Let me explain.
I get frequent questions around YIN yoga from the folks who love love love it. Most are surprised to hear that I don’t love love love it back. If you’re unfamiliar, YIN yoga is a style of yoga that holds postures 2-10 min at a time and many of those postures (poses) are meant to lengthen the back body or posterior chain.
A common complaint from those who are sedentary is tightness along the front of the body.
If you sit in a desk 6-8 hours a day Monday through Friday, the idea of passively stretching for 10 minutes might sound like a deliciously logical choice.
You’re not entirely wrong. Getting still, breathing deeply, along with gentle stretching can be incredibly helpful for the mind but when it comes to the body, the ingredients really matter.
Your body is like sauce. In order for it to be “just right” the ingredients make it or break it.
A person who claims to be chronically ‘tight’ and seeks out YIN yoga because it feels good has identified the issue - which is the equivalent of getting out the right sauce pan. What happens next is where we lose some folks. I’m all for practices that support your mental, physical, and spiritual well being however a chronically tight physical body is often signaling that the tissue is weak.
Most often weak tissue needs strength, not stretching.
So it’s likely your hip flexors aren’t tight, they’re weak.
Counter intuitive, I know.
When it comes to strength, we are all strongest in our mid ranges of motion but when you are in say, a straddle stretch, your groin won’t let you go into a position that you can’t get yourself out of. When you’re in a stretched position your joints are at their weakest. What stops you from going too far is your stretch reflex. A neuromuscular barrier to keep you from going further because your body doesn’t trust you past this particular range of motion.
In Kinstretch we perform something called PAILS/RAILS (progressive angular isometric loading and regressive angular isometric loading). An isometric (a contraction) of tissue in a stretched position will temporarily override the stretch reflex. This is where the magic happens. When you train the front and back side of a joint you create more overall work space for this joint and your CNS can download this information as safe and effective. You can, in time, improve your range of motion and the coooooooolest part is that it often relieves the sensation of ‘tightness’.
Your body is like Bolognese. Have you tried to make traditional bolognese? It’s a process. I know this because I foolishly decided to make it for dinner one night. Bought the ingredients, started the process, THEN READ THAT I NEEDED TO LET IT SIT OVERNIGHT. I’m sure there are many ways to make Bolognese so if you wanna share your hot tip, I’m here for it.
As I was saying, the body is a complex self regulatory system. It’s an ecosystem. Everything works together. If you stretch a weak thing, your brain says stop. When you stretch weak muscles your brain gives that region signals to stiffen up and add protection. Even worse, they’ll likely get tighter over time. If you identify weak muscle tissue and you strengthen it first then that tissue becomes more receptive to stretching and lengthening in time.
Overstretching is a sure fire way to injury. How many injury-free dancers do you know? I know two and I’ve met hundreds. Dancers can harness isometric control of their ranges of motion but they also push and stretch ligaments to and past the extra 10% of their natural length…then viola…injury.
If Load exceeds Capacity, injury is inevitable.
I once heard a yoga teacher say “you don’t hurt yourself because you haven’t gone far enough into a pose or become TOO stable. It’s always the inverse.”
I like that.
The meat in your sauce is stability. Create stability then add in the other ingredients as desired.
And come to Kinstretch. If you come THIS SUNDAY 9am pst and BRING YOUR MOM, you both can attend for free!! Reply here and I’ll hook you up.
Stay saucy.
Actually stabilize…then get saucy.
OKAYILOVEYOUBYEEE,
xx
Nic.
ps. Classes this week:
* Tuesday (today) QUICKIE YOGA 12-12:30pm pst. $10. All levels yoga...this is a feel good, mobility based sesh…you might sweat a little but overall it’s just a great break in the day. This class has always been $10 as it began as a community class. If you need financial assistance with any of my classes, just ask - we'll make it work. Sign up here.
* Saturday FULL BODY STRENGTH 7:30-8am pst. $20. This is part of my May Fit program but open for anyone to drop in. The group energy is excellent and we begin with CARs, strength train and sweat it out with friends. Bring a glute loop/resistance band, lighter and heavier weights. Sign up here.
* Saturday AVIATOR NATION YOGA FLOW 9-10am, 10:15-11:15am.
In person, in Santa Monica. Come on out. Sign up here.
* Sunday KINSTRETCH 9-10am pst. $20. This is a 60 minute joint specific training that acts as the flossing of your joints, the veggies of all healthy movement. We do the CARS routine, strength train different joints each week, and end with breathwork. Sign up here.
* Sunday AVIATOR NATION YOGA FLOW. 10:45-11:45am. In person, in Santa Monica. Come on out. Sign up here.
pps. I have gotten more questions about the Neurohacker Qualia Mind supplement and if you haven’t heard this enough…its next level. Do you have mom brain, brain fog, a sense of disconnect and hard time staying on task? These supplements (and I only take 3 at a time. A serving is up to 7) keep my mind sharp, focused, joyful, dialed in and the best part is that it improves cognitive function over time. The hype is real. Use my code NICOLE and grab a bottle here.
ppps. YOLKED is plugging along. I’m available for book signings, readings, and I’d love to discuss fun collaborations to get this story into the hands of younger generations. Reach out at nicole@sweatandstillness.com.
pppps. My scary announcement is coming. Ughhhh. and Yayyyy. Both and.