Leaderboard
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation since 01/16/2025 in all areas
-
(I wish there was an emoji for speaking kindly; just imagine I am speaking to you in a sweet voice): forget the shame, forever. You are making an effort to improve yourself – that's all. A day or two off or missing a session or two or three has no effect on that trajectory, whatsoever, unless you let it. Clearly, you are not letting it. My suggestion is just let that go. "Missing two days": that's an idea, only. I hear you. I had this too, for years. This is just an idea, too; let this one go, too. Breathe; relax; repeat. Big picture? Looking at your images, you are making excellent and really rapid progress. Keep going.4 points
-
Day 268 of stretching and flexibility Summary: Experimenting with foam rolling hamstrings (Gracilis, Semitendinosous) and Quads (Vasus Medialias) and (top of) calves Though I don't quite understand how to incorporate foam rolling into the long term, I do know that after foam rolling problematic areas, I feel relief in the crossed legged position and squat For example, I've shared on this forum that I've had pain around the knee but I've learned that with the foam roller, I can bring on the painful sensation and by doing so, helps me pinpoint the elusive, hard to reach tight muscles I'd like to do some light research / minor reading on foam rolling but my intuition tells me that I'm loosening up the fascia I find that I can hit certain spots that are stiff that I haven't quite been able to access with stretching I'd like to continue experimenting with both foam rolling and try to find some exercises that can target these same tender areas3 points
-
Oh a couple more observations about lying relaxation practice. The guided scripts that I like the most tend to have cues and reminders for: Pulling the chin back to lengthen the neck - didn't realize how much my chin protrudes out, probably causing unnecessary neck tension Tilt the pelvis and lightly contract glutes to relax lower back against the floor - I'm finding ... about 2 weeks into regularly performing lying relaxation practice that when I lay down and get into the starting position, my lower back is inching closer and closer to the ground whereas before there was a considerable gap between the mat an d lower back3 points
-
Day 265 of stretching and flexibility journey Summary Performed (2) two consecutive days of lying relaxation practice Seems as though every 5 or so days, my mind begins to race and I still struggle / resist relaxation practice despite being able to continue limbering I'm still focusing on my painful areas: (L) shoulder, (R) knee When I deliberate supinate my (R) ankle, I find that I can reproduce the sharp knee pain so I'm on to something here Sent a colleague of mine the popular foot sequence post by Kit and he asked me a solid question that I'm unsure of the answer: "If walking on uneven pebbles helps resolves plantar fasciitis by resetting the proprioceptors, is it not treating the underlying cause and if not, what's the long term solution cause surely it's not just continue walking barefoot on pebbles forever?' Though my plantar fasciitis is very close to being FULLY resolved (SO GRATEFUL), is foot strengthening exercises resolving the underlying root cause (i.e. weak feet)? I recall Kit sharing a story about one of his students who, despite performing foot strengthening exercises did not resolve her plantar fasciitis until a year of walking on pebbles Considering creating a new program since a bit of structure tends to help me stay consistent with the stretching practice Stretching and Flexibility Workshop in London (February 03, 2025) Took a 1 hour hip opening and hamstring exercise (received a targeted Instagram ad a few months ago) Though I really enjoyed a few of the hip opening exercises (similar to monkey gym) found the approach to hamstring stretching unsafe Wished that the instructor would've elaborated, qualified, and applied a bit more nuance when stating "just because something is painful doesn't mean it's bad" One take away from me was that I felt more confident listening to my own body and when I was asked to straighten my knee and felt sciatic nerve pain behind the knee, I acknowledged her request and at the same time, continued with bending my knee as much as possible to avoid sciatic nerve pain (much thanks to all the work and awareness gained from stretch therapy) One big take away is that during hip strengthening exercises, I noticed while I have the range of motion, I lack the strength (like when laterally lifting the leg to the side) in my glutes Another big take away is that my calves and/or ankles are really tight which was restricting me from performing the forward fold with straight legs At one point, I felt really concerned for another (and only other) man in the class who was forcing his body into certain positions that was not ready for and at one point, found himself stuck in hip flexor lunge position and could not get out of it and the teacher simply (to assist him) pushed him over which I felt was very dangerous given his body was tense and in a very compromising position In short, would not recommend this class and would not return3 points
-
Letting go is literally no different to relaxing deeply. Let everything go soft, and just let go. The more deeply you can relax, the less frequently 'pesky' ideas like "perfect" will come into your mind. Perfect is the enemy of good, remember. You know I have been singing this song for a very long time now – the mind assumes that progress will be linear: reality determines what actually happens. This, what you report above, is exactly how it has always happened to me. And Cossack squats are gold. Did some today myself. Let your body relax completely in the bottom position, if you can, and try rolling the outstretched leg inwards until the foot is horizontal, big toe pressed onto the floor. Marvellous. You are making sensational progress, Matt; keep going and let everything else go! BTW, you've probably already worked this out, but the advice I give anyone who is fixed on any idea (no matter how useful the idea is, at times) is to learn to experience daily life in a truly relaxed state. This is why the LRP is essential—until that state is embodied, this gateway is simply unavailable to you. One day you'll see this simple act of doing nothing, at all, was the greatest gift you have ever given yourself. This takes time; time is the only thing we have.3 points
-
Lying relaxation practice, limbering, and planks have been my focus since my last post. My wrist is back to normal--it's actually feeling a little better than usual at the moment so hopefully it stays that way. I've been doing light wrist work with the white elastic and yellow band. My left knee still isn't 100% and I'm not going to rush stretching it, but it's improving so I'll see where it's at in another week. I've started some strengthening exercises along with the general range of motion stuff I've been doing to work on rehabbing it. I did some shoulder stretches and the daily five today along with some general whole body limbering.3 points
-
Program 15: Fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms I’m amazed at how much more movement I’ve maintained and how much more natural it feels since the first time through this program. It’s particularly obvious to me in the finger exercises on my right hand which are much more mobile than they used to be. I still have a fair bit of asymmetry between my wrists (no surprise given the history on the one) but it’s less than it used to be. After doing this, I seem to have a little less clicking in the wrist I’m rehabbing than often, but the clicking is pretty fickle at the best of times so I’ll just enjoy it for what it is at the moment and try to notice if that pattern persists when I go through this program in the future. I was also able to spend a little more time sitting on my heels in seiza for the introduction in free space. I’m still not going to be sitting there for long periods of time, but I’m definitely getting better at it for 1-2 minutes here and there. Program 16: Hips, hip flexors, piriformis, rotation I really enjoyed this session today. We’ve had a fair bit of snow the last few days so the volume of shovelling has been higher than often (as well as having to shovel around the fences of some fruit shrubs to keep the rabbits from being able to hop in and eat all of the buds. I found the warmup hip stretch more comfortable with the swapped legs than the first time and made it quite a bit closer to the floor than the last time as well. I can feel the part of my pelvis and lower back opening up a little more. I’m still missing the hamstring flexibility to do it with legs straight, but there are a lot of muscles that are being stretched and strengthened with that opening going on. The hip flexor stretch felt wonderful today. It was a little more hamstring heavy than sometimes. I picked up on the cue to move my front leg forward to get my hips closer to level, and my hamstrings (today at least) are more limiting than my hip flexors for going lower. I did enjoy the twists from side to side to explore where my tight lines are and just to experience the stretch in a way. The piriformis stretch is lovely. My left one was a little tighter than the right one today. I was also able to relax on my elbows in the final position today after the contractions which I don’t recall doing before (or if I did as comfortably as I could today). I also really enjoyed the hip loosening movement afterwards. The rotation was a great way to finish the session. I’ve been moving enough snow in the last few days that my back had a few tighter spots (nothing compared to how it used to be) that this stretch relaxed wonderfully. LRP.2 points
-
May I add, one thing that is common in our culture is called "anterior dominance" - that is, too much activation of the muscles on the front of the body (tightness, etc, due to overuse, emotional tension and poor posture) and not enough activation of the muscles on the back of the body. The correction is to rebalance it - increase the exercises that use the muscles on the back of the body (glutes, hamstrings, back muscles - including the small stabiliser muscles of the spine, etc). I hope you agree Kit. Please let me know if you dont. I was put on to this when two of my students had reported pulled hamstrings from doing very simple things, and got me reading up why it might have happened. After that, my classes always included exercises for activating the posterior muscular chains of the body. Jim.2 points
-
Day 271 of stretching and flexibility Summary: It's been WEEKS since I've done a serious hamstring, quad, hip flexor, pirriformis and calves routine that includes C-R Observations During hamstring stretch, placed less emphasis on pushing front leg out and more focus on driving hips back (that seemed to bring on a very strong sensation in the hamstring) Discovered I can really feel the calve stretch by increasing the height of the block (in this case, my foam roller) to rest my toe on. I noticed that after this type of calf stretch, I feel a little bit more relief in my plantar fasciitis (we're still at about 90% recovery but not fully there yet) Can notice much more difficulty getting into right pirriformis stretch when compared to left side Felt EXHAUSTED (in a good way) not only that night, but the following day; properly sore in hamstrings and hip flexors so I definitely pushed pretty close to my limit Also, every day at the London underground station I take, there lives a whiteboard that contains a "thought of the day" and today's seem relevant not only to life, but especially to those who are on this stretching and flexibility journey2 points
-
Dear @Jim Pickles: I meant "un-moving", Corrected. If you have sufficient upper body strength, the version I suggest can be easier. It is also dependent on proportion. It is also dependent on where the student bends in the spine most easily: if in the lumbar spine, then the feet on floor version can be easier – but if in the middle and upper back, then the feet-higher version can be easier. Both must be tried. It is impossible to know this if only considering the position theoretically. And we always transition via resting on the head, as you suggest. See p. 239, both editions, S&F. In the case of our student, whose thread we are commenting on here, may I suggest that she try both versions – feet on the floor versus feet on a strong support, and report back please.2 points
-
I will video this tomorrow or later this week—I have been meaning to do this for quite some time. It will just be a phone video and I will put it up on YouTube but it's much easier to show how to do it than it is for me to type a thousand words to describe how to do it.2 points
-
This (psoas) is the hardest of the hip flexors to stretch. As well, the extra "raise your arms overhead and lean away from the hip you are stretching" direction Jim gives really emphasises the fascial dimension (32 layers between the abdominals and the spine; it's everywhere!).2 points
-
In relation to the lunge, as a preparation for the front splits, I strongly suggest that you clench up the glutes as much as possible (feel with your fingers, to check that all the muscles around the back of the buttock - inner as well as outer sides - are clenched as tightly as possible). This will help relax and open up the front of the hip. And hold it for a long time - at least 2 minutes, and then build up to longer. This will not only open up your front hip, but will strengthen and tone your glutes, a commonly underused muscle. I was taught this exercise by a practicing contortionist, and it transformed me - it changed my forward splits from something that I could only do occasionally and with a long warm up, to something that I could do as often as I liked, and with only a very very minimal preparation. I can now go into them cold if I want, but dont usually. It also helps if you raise your arms overhead and lean away from the hip you are stretching, as this will give an extra stretch to the psoas component (which runs from the front of the thigh bone onto the spine). Jim.2 points
-
In addition to a roller, try hard balls, too. We have found that the ones that are hard enough to resist deformation (like Lacrosse balls or anything similar) all work well.2 points
-
Program 18: ‘Tailor pose’, z-pose recovery, standing legs apart, bent-leg Cossack, floor legs-apart intro This particular session worked a lot of very tight lines for me. I noticed parts of it a little bit in my left knee today. Unlike the quad stretches in the last session where I think I was wise to refrain from going deeper on that side for the time being, the sensation today wasn't at all troubling or inhibiting. That gives me a better idea of what I need to work on generally. My tailor pose today felt quite tight in comparison to sometimes. But the contractions helped with that a lot. I’m also getting much lower into it than when I started with my legs much closer to my body. The recovery pose from this one was fine, easier than when I did it the last time for sure and both my knees could touch this floor this time. I don’t really expect to see a noticeable change from one session to another, but this one was pretty obvious. The elephant is a nice stretch. I felt a pretty intense burn in my quadriceps doing it again today. Which might be from an increasing range of motion, or maybe just from the length of the break since the last time I did it. The wide leg elephant walk, particularly with the torso over the legs was a very pleasant bunch of sensations. I’m definitely more flexible when warmed up than when I started, but until that range of movement happens when I’m not warmed up I know that I’m just kind of experiencing it as a temporary phenomena until the remapping happens. I enjoyed the bent leg Cossack squats. My left side was quite a bit looser than my right for some reason. I also experienced a significant relaxation on both sides where I’m sure I stretched my hamstrings quite a bit more than they’ve experienced in many years so I’m fully expecting to feel quite sore from that tomorrow or the day after. The stronger variation using the other arm on the foot is still beyond where I’m at now though. The floor legs-apart stretch is one of my tighter areas. I was amazed at how much addition depth the reaching gave. The pelvis movement warmup was pretty helpful in knowing a little bit more what to move and what muscles should be involved with it. I felt some of the usual pulling (I think from gracilis) on the inside of my knees in the straight leg variation. I’m going to have to release that at some point. The getting my body down onto my leg in the straight leg variation is still a ways beyond me, but doing it in the bent-legged version gives me a better sense of what’s involved in the position. LRP.2 points
-
Program 17 - Calves, hip flexors, quads, spinal flexion, squat I like this calf stretch. I felt it in the hamstrings about as strongly as the calves. I was a little bit shaky (not a balance thing, just a muscle not used to what I’m using it for) when straightening the leg held out behind me. The standing hip flexor stretch was quite strong. I couldn’t really do too much with my left leg without feeling it in my knee so I didn’t really stretch that side much. The right side had a very good stretch though. The quad stretch (and top of the ankle) were quite strong for me today. There’s also a significant difference between sides (left is tighter). My left knee also noticed this one a bit so I didn’t push it on that side either. But the right side had a very good stretch. The top of the ankle on both sides also had a nice stretch in the introductory part of this exercise. The spinal flexion is pleasant. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on different sides of my back from pulling my head towards one knee and then the other. I no longer feel particularly tight in my back. It's not perfectly relaxed by any means, but it's no longer an area that I find holds a significant amount of tension or tightness and much of what's there is very easy to release. The squat is, as usual, a pretty comfortable position for me. LRP.2 points
-
I stretched yesterday and wrote it up, but I didn't post it until today so I could include whether or not there were any effects on my knee as a result. There aren't any that I noticed. Generally, my knee seems pretty much back to normal except for a painless click coming from (I think) the bottom of my knee cap around 45 degrees when straightening it. I'm continuing the strengthening exercises for it. Program 16 - Hips, hip flexors, piriformis, rotation In the hip warmup, I experienced a significant difference in comfort and tightness between the left and right sides. I tend to sit in that posture in one direction only and had to stop to figure out how to do it (more) comfortably with my legs reversed. I like discovering that kind of asymmetry since it’s the beginning of dealing with it. I felt these ones more in the middle/upper back than the hips on the first side, and then in the hips more strongly on the other side. The hip flexor stretch felt tighter than the last few times I did it (no doubt in part from the time off). I liked the rotations to find the tightest line for me. It’s just nice to open up different positions a little more to see what’s tightest. The contractions and relaxations gave a little added depth, but not a whole lot. I probably could have pushed a little more, but my priority this session is mostly to see how the stretching feels and whether there are unexpected side effects for my knee or not. This piriformis stretch was quite strong today—especially after the contractions. I’m tighter on the left side than the right today, but not by a significant amount. I was surprised by the different that the position of the back leg had on the sensation of the stretch and experimented a little bit with that and rolling the hips to see how things changed. I also liked the releasing movement after this one. My left leg isn’t quite as flexible as my right one today, but that’s okay. The rotation was a nice way to end the session. It wasn’t particularly intense, but it was a nice awakening for parts of my back. LRP.2 points
-
Day 257 of stretching and flexibility journey Focus continues to be 1) Left shoulder rotator rehab 2) Eliminating pain in right knee when sitting crossed legged or squatting and 3) Loosening up neck when tilting head to the right Summary Reset the counter and now back at (2) days of consecutive lying relaxation practice (LRP) For the past week or so, been limbering almost daily with Cossack squats London Underground was empty last night so I took the opportunity to limber on the way home (video below) (R) Knee pain still present and sits in the top 3 of priority areas that I've been targeting Pain previously triggered by standing quad stretch no longer present Pain now triggered when trying to stretch the vastus medialias (had to very very very slowly come out of the stretch - video below) Neck pain triggered by tilting head to the right still present but significantly improved (limbering this area daily seems to be helping, even without C-R) (L) shoulder pain still very present but I am continuing to work it similar to how I repaired my right shoulder internal rotator cuff - leaning into the pain and breathing and relaxing First time tried to do some "ballistic" stretching on my hamstrings, inspired by this thread, the video in that post at first terrifying me Sciatic nerve pain that I used to feel behind my knees is surprisingly almost gone I have NOT been focusing on nerve flossing directly and so this was quite surprising when I bent over at the waist a couple days ago and was like "Hmmm. I didn't feel sciatic nerve pain. That's interesting."2 points
-
Day 251 of stretching and flexibility journey Victories 76 days later (since November 7, 2024) I'm pleased to say that the (R) plantar fasciitis is more or less a pain of the past. It's not lost on me how frustrated I was the first couple months when I first started experiencing the pain and in retrospect, as mentioned before, "too much volume and too much frequency" was (I'm certain) the root cause. Will write a lengthy blog post about recovering from this Less and less pain in (L) hip flexor when waking up in the morning. Still a bit stiff but exponentially less stiff than when I started on this journey I was surprised when I accidentally found myself in a squat, anticipating pain (yesterday) but didn't feel the same magnitude as I normally do. Loosening up the (R) quads has helped, same with the (R) hamstring. Will continue experimenting since the pain has shifted ever so slightly Notes Started recovering my left shoulder over past 2 weeks (using pose in video below) and I think I tweaked something given a muscle beneath the scapula, a deep one that I cannot reach with my finger, lights up with pain when I try lifting my (L) arm directly in front of me. Tried to rest for about a week but pain still lingering. Will lean into pain and experiment Tilting my head to the right causes my right trap to hurt so I'll likely be investing time over the next few weeks on loosening this up; will ask a friend to help with fascia release in this area Oh yea, did a lying relaxation practice (LRP) yesterday, followed 2018 London ITS2 Day 2. I missed a day (was on like a 7 day streak) so resetting counter back to day 1. One day ... one day I'll consistently LRP every day. But right now...much resistance. Finally, Last night, C-R on hamstrings and hip flexors after a 1.5 hour dance class2 points
-
Day 246 of stretching and flexibility journey I had skipped lying relaxation practice on the 16th and 15th so I just reset the counter of consecutively performing the lying relaxation practice - experienced some unjustified shame for missing two days and practicing self compassion and recognize that I am also building determination and persistence Yesterday night, followed the 14 minute 2019-ITS-day1.mp3 script After dance class last night, I performed the standing quad stretch, flexing the knee, tilting the pelvis, breathing, then slowly driving leg back These quad stretches are truly relieving right knee pain. As I sit here crossed legged, I recognize a little tension still in my right leg but even just a week later from starting quad stretches, I can perceive less tension Recap of stretching session (C-R) on Tuesday (3 days ago) Targeted hamstrings, quads, and hip flexors Observable increase in ROM for hip flexor lunge position (more details below — see 20 second recap video below) Some positive changes happening in my left hip flexor - I almost always feel left hip flexor pain when I first wake up (similar to what Kit had reported about crawling out of bed with back pain for years) Though still feel pain, the intensity is much less and the pain duration is much shorter During the stretch session (243 days since first starting this journey), the left (L) hip flexor stretch FELT different During the C-R portion of hip flexor stretch (lunge), I very very very slowly drove the left heel back and inside my body, best way to describe it was, like my left hip flexor felt like dough that you stretch while making bread (or similar to like slime that kids play with) In other words, sort of felt like fascia was moving instead of the muscle itself - I hesitate to say this because I cannot see what's going on inside my body but the sensation was similar to when my left hip had popped weeks ago which I too think was fascia release2 points
-
Yes, they can. They are ordinary MP3 files. How you get them onto your phone will depend on your model, technological prowess, etc. If nothing else, you can play them in your mobile browser, but downloading them would be preferred, since that will save bandwidth (which is good not only for Kit, but for you and the environment). If you are not sure how to download files to your phone, or play them, perhaps it would be easiest to install VLC media player, which is free and available for all devices. VLC can open and save the MP3s for you. Let us know if you need help figuring it out.2 points
-
I should add that the long lunge does not have to be done while balancing, as Elise is. One finger vertically on a picnic table alongside me to keep balance is what I do, and holding for time in the deepest position is the way to progress this. All adjustments to squareness and tail tuck must be done before the deepest position is reached (you will not be able to make these adjustments once there). There is a lot of work that can be done in the position, too; I will make a video of my own on this, soon.2 points
-
Well, consider reading this: https://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1570-the-secrets-of-stretching/ And, of all the attributes needed to "achieve my middle, front splits and pancake, as well as improve my backbend", consistency is #1. Procrastination is self-sabotage, that's all. And there's no problem with that, either. This is why in my reply to you, I asked you, "What do you want?" If you understand this question at a deep level, you're on your way. No other advice will be needed, or helpful. Re. front splits: do the long lunge twice a week; I will link you to Emmet Louis's explanation (he was a student of mine for a long while, and we talk regularly) below. In the bigger picture, the hip flexors are the key to both the front splits and all backward bending. Go to our YouTube channel (kit laughlin) and search on "quads and hip flexors". All the best ones are there, free. Do only twice a week. Keep the hips square, and tuck your tail, flexing the glute on the back leg to do this.2 points
-
I won’t take up too much space on this vital thread, other than to say thank you @Jason for re-organising this list. (Thanks you also and primarily to @Kit_L for the generosity in recording and sharing in the first place). I have used these recordings on and off for a couple of years. I need to commit to the three lunar cycles Kit speaks of and really ingrain the habit. Can you also advise, can these files be downloaded to my phone to play offline too? This is something that I have wanted for a while. Cheers Simon2 points
-
Hey @Kit_L not hanging on it every day however I recently started using it (about twice a week) to rehab my left shoulder. Although I have some intuition about what you mean by active hanging — perhaps using legs mounted on the ground so that I can fully relax my shoulders — I'm hoping you could describe it and/or point me to an existing video if you already have one! Thank you1 point
-
Fundamentally, this is nonsense, @DeclanJ. I agree that one does see this a lot. I don't want to comment on the professions that take this line except to say that an anterior pelvic tilt is very common in our culture, and that an anteriorly tilted pelvis can inhibit the glutes, not the hamstrings. So, part of any glute activation program must include serious hip flexor work (hip flexors are the #1 cause of APT). The only way to completely rehab. a hamstring is to make it stronger than it was in the ROM where it was strained. The single-leg Romanian deadlift is, in my experience, the best way to do this. Perhaps you could tell us how you strained your hamstring.1 point
-
People often find it difficult to get going on this, unless they already have quite a lot of flexibility and strength. When I try to teach it to my students, I have been finding it difficult to explain exactly what to do, except there is a rapid 1-2-3 of lifting hips, lifting shoulders, and pushing up. But a bit more thought and looking at videos suggests the solution. We know we are are very strong when straightening our arms and legs (straightening the knees and elbows). We are much less strong when pushing the arms and legs behind the body, at least when doing it by more than a small amount. For my explanation, see the attached diagram. The starting position (1) is with knees and elbows bent up. I hope you can understand my crudely-drawn stick figure. The knees are supported a (fairly) fixed distance from the floor by the lower leg, and the hands are supported by the floor. The dotted line connects these two points of support. 2. The next stage is to lift the hips. This is fairly easy. They may go just above the dotted line. 3. The next stage is to lift the shoulders by using the arms. This is much more difficult, because we are weak doing this. BUT to go to the next stage, the shoulders and hips must be lifted to above the dotted line. This is the stage at which people often get stuck through lack of strength and flexibility. 4. When the body is bowed above the dotted line, which connects the two points of support, then it can relatively easily be bowed up further by straightening the arms and legs (a strong action). I suggest it is best to push with the arms first, because the legs are much stronger than the arms, and if the legs are pushed first, the arms will collapse. 5. Now the body is strongly bowed upwards, and a the backbend can be further increased by straightening both arms and legs, which is relatively easy. Jim.1 point
-
@Kit_L Actually, for me, I find that makes it more difficult. And the diagram explains why - the shoulders have to go further to raise the body above the dotted line if the feet are higher. On the other hand, I find it much easier if the upper body is raised (e.g. if it is done on sloping ground with the head higher than the feet). I presume then that it needs less strength in the shoulders. Maybe which is easier, depends on one's personal pattern of strength - you (and probably many of your students) are likely to be much stronger in the upper body than I am. About the "in-moving" - I guess you mean the feet closer in under the body. I get them as close to the hips as they will go, anyway. Do you have a picture of your best starting position?1 point
-
Dear @Matt Chung: this thread is so long now that I can't remember! Are you hanging from that bar for time every day? It only needs to be 30 seconds to a minute. A great many mystery shoulder pains disappear once you're strong enough to actually be able to relax completely in that hanging position for at least 30 seconds. Before you get to that point though, you need to do active hanging. If you're not sure what that is, just ask and I'll describe it. Great work, great insights, keep going.1 point
-
Day 271 of stretching and flexibility Yesterday, focused on repairing different parts of both shoulders Extended Puppy targets my left shoulder pain Strap targets my right shoulder pain With stretching (and other parts of life) I'm constantly learning and relearning the same lesson, repeatedly. There's this delicate balance between focusing on healing a particular muscles with targeted exercises that induce the pain/sensation to an uncomfortable yet tolerable level. At the same time, I recognize that healing takes place during periods of rest. So often, I get laser focused on "solving the problem" — obsession if you will — and recognize that — like other parts healed with my body over the last year — there will be a day when I get myself into a position for the nth time, only to experience less or no pain. So this is more or less a reminder for self: just keep going and trust the process. I'm gaining more and more confidence in my ability to repair my body.1 point
-
Was watching comedy show "The Office" and thought this clip was both hilarious and reminded me of ST forum given how much emphasis there is on flexing the glutes, especially after reading Jim Pickle's comment: "...I strongly suggest that you clench up the glutes as much as possible (feel with your fingers, to check that all the muscles around the back of the buttock - inner as well as outer sides - are clenched as tightly as possible). This will help relax and open up the front of the hip"1 point
-
I'm quite tired this evening, so just a brief write up. I probably also should have taken another day off before this session though. I was recovered from the last program, but just and I noticed that when I was going through today's so if I'm in a similar place in the future I'll know to just take an extra day or two. Program 21: Hamstrings, adductors, Q-L, hip flexors, toe-touch The toe touch feels much more pleasant than when I started the course. It was quite a bit stiffer when I started today's session than when I ended it. I quite enjoyed the wide-leg elephant walk today. The Q-L stretch was nice too. It was fairly intense in the side with the arm reached out overhead. [Added later: I also quite enjoyed the toe stretch before the hip flexor one. I was able to sit vertically on the right side but not the left which was unexpected since my left foot generally tends to be a little more flexible than the right one.] This hip flexor stretch is intense. I'm not quite strong enough to hold myself still when I do it (leg shakes like when I first did the elephant walk). The toe touch was quite nice in my lower back, but my legs weren't straightening out much. I was working on a yoga mat and I think there was too much friction to slide them forward. When I work this one again I'll do it on a sheet so my heels can slide a little more easily. I'm planning to go through module 3 again. LRP, I had a hard time staying awake today.1 point
-
In relation to straddle splits - "How do you pick which type to train for?" I go for the one that feels best for me - which for me means feet flat on the floor for support, feet pointing outwards as much as possible, knees rotated forward but upwards as much as possible (i.e. about 45 degrees upwards), and pelvis tilted forward a bit. It is said to vary between individuals, but I get the impression that a turnout rotation of 45 degrees (of the thigh bone on the pelvis) or so is enough to release the mobility of the hip bones (stopping the greater trochanter hitting the socket of the hip joint). Another factor is minimising the sideways force on the knees, as any stretching of the ligaments at the side of the knee can destabilise the knee joint - one of the most vulnerable joints in the body. The more the knees point up, the less the sideways force on the knees will be. But I think in the end, it depends on your own pattern of flexibility and strength.1 point
-
Basically, there are two ways to get into side splits: if the feet are parallel, as yours are here, most people will need a massive hyperextension in the lumbar spine to get the legs apart. Having said this, though, there is also a strength dimension: the stronger you adductors get (and we have to include gracilis and the inner hamstring in this list), the further apart you will be able to get your legs. You will get to a point where in order to go further, though, you will have to anteriorly tilt the pelvis significantly. Study this image: Here, the famous gymnast Mary Lou Retton is over 90° extended in the lumbar spine. This is one way. The other way, as you demonstrate in the first image at https://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1858-procrastination-consistency-motivation/#findComment-24753, you externally rotate the thighs to the maximum, and get into side splits via gracilis and the hamstrings. In this approach, it's mainly the muscles at the back of the legs that limit you (the closer you get to full SS, of course, the adductors all get stretched, too.) And with this approach as well, strength plays a significant role. If you practice this position and hold yourself up for time using the muscles at the back of your legs, while the legs are externally rotated to the maximum amount you can, then as the hamstrings, gracilis and the adductors get stronger, you will get lower and lower. This latter approach is what gave me the side splits you see in the book Stretching & flexibility. One is not better than the other – it all depends on the structure of your hip joint. HTH, KL1 point
-
Can I add my views on partner stretching? I’ve been using and teaching the ST system for a couple of decades now. In some places I find partner stretching useful, in others not. As Kit says, “because all of our modern partner exercises, without exception, the stretchee (person being stretched) 100% controls of the depth of the stretch.” Yes, entirely, but it is not always possible to be confident that this happens. One reason for using partner stretching, is that it is fun. It makes social contact, and also allows the person applying the stretch (the stretcher) to feel through tactile feedback what is going on in the stretchee’s body – and this is very educational, because the stretchee (the person being stretched) may be getting so many sensations at once, that they find it difficult to sort out exactly what is going on. The excercises that I find NOT useful for partner stretches can I think be summarised as being the simple stretch of a single muscle or associated group of muscles. For instance, hamstring stretches. The stretchee on their own can apply as much force as needed (and indeed, easily too much) in these stretches. I find partner stretching counterproductive in these types of stretches. One issue is that the stretchee may worry about too much force being applied, no matter how good the partner feedback is. The exercises where I find partner stretching USEFUL, seem to be those that involve complex joints, many muscles, and probably have a large fascia component. A great example is the hip flexor stretch – a complex joint, many muscles, a large fascia component. Also backbends (ALWAYS supported, so stop the spine crunching). This stretches the whole of the front of the body in a way that you cannot do on your own. And many more. When we do these types of stretches in class, the members always enjoy them. Jim.1 point
-
Program 20: Thoracic extension and flexion, lats, side bend, and lunge hamstring I like this thoracic extension. There is a kneeling version on a chair that relaxed a part of my back and this one hits a similar spot a little bit deeper. The thoracic flexion exercise here is a much more effective version of a movement I’ve done for years to loosen up that area of my upper back. I like the rotations a lot too, it just feels fantastic to do. The lat stretch stretch was very pleasant as well. I spent some time exploring it to find the right position to get the intensity I wanted in the spot I wanted it. I often use bar hangs to stretch the lats, but the things I can hang from are outside and tend to cover me in snow this time of year so I haven’t done any in a while. Lots of intensity with the breathing into the spot as well. The kneeling side bend is my favourite variation I think. The ease of keeping shoulder and hip alignment and my tail tucked is what does it, although the challenge in the standing version probably means I should practice that one some more. I particularly enjoyed it today after the lat stretch just before. The stretch felt like it was more even in intensity through my sides than it has before. The lunge hamstring was a pretty intense stretch today. I have a giant sheet that I put on top of my yoga mat so I can slide and it seems to work pretty well. I like this variation a lot and the contractions (both the agonist-antagonist technique and the C&R) increased the depth pretty significantly. I looked back at my back leg at one point and was surprised at how much closer to the floor it was than when I started this course. In the rest time here I had a few moments on each side where the hip flexors of the back leg softened up as well as the hamstrings in my front legs. It’s interesting to me how the sensation of stretching is changing and how much more I’m able to relax during pretty intense stretching sensations compared to when I started. LRP.1 point
-
I would very much appreciate being linked to this quote (which program and time stamp, if you can); because all of our modern partner exercises, without exception, the stretchee (person being stretched) 100% controls of the depth of the stretch. For example, in the partner hip flexor stretch we are talking about, your partner is sitting passively on your back leg holding the ankle and you are supporting all of your weight on both arms on the inside of your front leg; your arms control the stretch completely. What we do on workshops is we ask the partner to sit on the back leg, gently and slowly while you are holding yourself away from the floor with your arms. Then we ask the person being stretched to press back with the arms to show the body that the stretch can be unloaded instantly – and this means that you are completely in control of the stretch. Then you relax some of the arm effort to get a sense of what the stretch will feel like. And conversely, if you want more intensity, you pull your hands back towards your hips against the friction of the floor – here you are using your lats to add to your partner's weight to increase the intensity of the hip flexor stretch. You won't be doing that on the first repetition of course! The paradox here is that you will be looking for a heavier partner much more quickly than you think you will before you try it. Using someone's passive weight in this way (when you have just shown the brain that the stretch itself is safe because you can press yourself out of it so easily), completely changes the dynamic of it. All of our modern partner stretches use similar techniques. The partner HF stretch is one of the safest. You and only you will be in control of the intensity of the stretch. The last and perhaps most important point is that none of the solo stretches can come close to the intensity and effectiveness of the partner version, just because once you have done the contractions, apart from the small effort in your arms, you can relax the whole of the rest of the body completely.1 point
-
Thank you for the clarity on the differences with the LL! Totally understand you are going in blind with not much info from me! I did the session 1 today and have attached photos of where I am at (deepest stretch at the moment in all the photos)... Quad hip flexor stretch I don't feel much, same with the half bridge (maybe because my arms are shorter and the logistics feel different in my body!) Will try the session 2 in a few days and will send photos - I also attached one of tailor pose as this is super open for me (again I don't feel much stretch!) Would love your feedback and advice re the photos and plan!1 point
-
This is what our colleague Emmet Louis calls "active compression"—the deliberately reaching (with all the muscles that uses) activates something called the "reciprocal inhibition reflex" (activating one half of any pair of muscles inhibits the other half). This reduces the tension in the muscles we are stretching; sometimes a small effect; sometimes a large efect. It's one of the three great neural reflexes our work uses. Great observation.1 point
-
You are (asleep and awake at the same time). When you become aware of someone near you snoring, that will be the first disassociation. As the first time I heard myself snoring during a practice I was so shocked I woke up, because I knew I was alone in the room! This happens every time I practice now, within 30" or so of starting. Deep relaxation is learned and in time is simply a new habit. I don't want to analyse this too much*, but it is perfectly possible for the body to fall asleep and the mind to stay awake and clear. That is desirable, and many things can happen in this state. When the body falls asleep, and the mind is awake, the body is repairing itself, and faster than normal sleep, we think, too. [*because the essence is found in the practise, not conversations about it—and only the one practising can experience these insights.]1 point
-
1 point
-
> Yes, they can. They are ordinary MP3 files. How you get them onto your phone will depend on your model, technological prowess, etc. If nothing else, you can play them in your mobile browser, but downloading them would be preferred, since that will save bandwidth (which is good not only for Kit, but for you and the environment). If you are not sure how to download files to your phone, or play them, perhaps it would be easiest to install VLC media player, which is free and available for all devices. VLC can open and save the MP3s for you. Let us know if you need help figuring it out. Though I work in tech, I'm probably the last person to suggest building an (mobile) app. But sometimes, I have the thought that having an app for ST could expand its reach and just be overall more convenient if the app contained all the LRP (lying relaxation practice) scripts and easy way to navigate/view the stretching follow along. Personally, I don't necessarily "need it" (along with many other tech savvy people on the forum) but for others, can see benefit.1 point
-
Thanks Nathan. Will look into it and let you know if help required.1 point
-
I tweaked the outside of my left knee skiing a couple days ago. It's feeling pretty good, but I’m giving it some more time before I do any leg stretches since it isn’t quite 100% yet. I've been doing some gentle limbering and exploring the range of movements with it including resting squats. My unstable wrist (old scapholunate ligament injury that causes some instability but thankfully no issues with typing) is also not real thrilled at the moment--unrelated to the last stretch session--I caught some cast-iron on a weird angle the other morning. I'm going to see if I can find a spot indoors that I can attach a band to and look at doing some of the shoulder mastery course until I’m in a spot to finish off the starter course. Until then, I'm just exploring movement, relaxation, and staying open and connected to bodily sensation. That internal work to me is in a lot of ways more significant than the development of particular external forms. As much as I want to become more flexible, it strikes me that grace and ease in the body require (among other things I’m sure) inhabiting and accepting the body as it is now rather than how I would like it to be. I’m experiencing in real time that the distance between the ought and the is inhibits grace and ease in the body and watching tensions come and go and how my whole experience of being changes as they do is providing me with insight into patterns of mind, body, and mind-body and some subtleties of sensation and experience I've missed in the past. Lying relaxation practice.1 point
-
Program 15 - Fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms Kit said: “In the beginning you’re going to feel as though every stretch is just painful, but then something strange and miraculous happens. At some point, the sensation of the stretch itself turns into a pleasure.” It's a perfect description of my experience with pretty well every new stretch I've encountered in a tight area. Usually, "some point" is after I've done the stretches a few times. This particular area is one that needs a lot of work for me. There are muscles in my forearms that I don’t ever remember being anything other than tight (even as a kid). As I'm prodding at some of them after this a few of them do seem very slightly softer than when I started, and that's something at least. When I was doing the stretches, I kept waiting for the point where the muscles would relax and they didn’t. Even spending a few minutes in a position often brought no noticeable relaxation. So it’s probably going to be a while before I experience the stretches as enjoyable. I've experienced similar with pretty well everything else that I found tight, so I know the process works as long as I'm patient with myself and just enjoy discovering tension that I know will relax eventually. My right side is quite a bit tighter than my left, which isn’t a surprise since that’s the one that I’m rehabbing. I appreciate the contractions though since they bring a little more awareness. I was also expecting this session might go much worse than it did (especially on the right side), so being able to do all of the positions and just spend some time getting used to the different them while appreciating that I can feel where I'm tense even if I don't know how to relax that tension is a win. I could at least keep my belly soft and my shoulders and upper back from tightening up throughout. LRP.1 point
-
Day 241 of stretching and flexibility journey Yesterday, I had stretched my (R) quad — key for me is square hips, tail tuck, drive knee back to replicate the "knee" pain — and today, well just a few minutes ago, I squatted down, anticipating the knee pain (as I normally do) but today, noticeably less pain. We're on the right path. Also, on a topic that stretching adjacent, yesterday I took a workshop that combined both yoga and (house) dance. Because it was my friend's workshop, I was able to bring my daughter and made a little recap clip below; I alternate every other weekend with her om and as such, on the weekends I do have my little one, I often skip out on these sort of events. However, having her tag along yesterday filled my heart and soul up and I love being able to integrate her my own practices like stretching and dancing. And last night, her and I did a lying relaxation practice together, her first one. It was so beautiful and full of laughter because I would use my voice to guide her and prompt her to flex a certain muscle — say her arms — and then cue her to relax and immediately following, she would burst out saying "THIS FEELS SO GOOD!". She's right, relaxing after muscle tension does feel good and I hope to get the same kick out of it as her someday! Finally, last night I did not put myself through conscious suffering and I had a worry thought (but let it go), some anxiety, that if I didn't, that I would be regressing. I know these are just thoughts and I'm conscious of growth and recovery happening ONLY during periods of rest. These types of thoughts are just that, thoughts, and though some guilt comes up when I "skip" a session, I extend self-compassion and practice being non-obsessive about this area (and others) of my life.1 point
-
> Try this: get into the position you show above, then (for L thigh) keep foot pointed backward, and put glutes as far to the left as you can (so over the foot) and try to put the L glute on the floor. Watch the L thigh externally rotate; that should put medialis as the muscle closest the ceiling. Then tuck your tail slowly, and lean back onto your arms, with a straight back, and then onto your elbows, if you can. If vastus medialis is tight, you should feel it (that and rec. fem). It might not be tight, and that may be why you don't feel it. This worked and hit the spot! Thanks @Kit_L. Key for me was to Get the left G placed on the floor Let the (L) ankle roll Tuck the tail (this movement has been so key for SO MANY movements, I realize, even during the lying relaxation practices) Was able to feel the sensation when getting on the elbow. Definitely feel sensation in both rectus femoris too but most importantly, hitting the vastus medialis, a muscle that's been so elusive lately. Silver lining in all of this: the vastus medialis is not only tight in my L side, but it's been particularly tight on my R side as well and I suspect what's been causing pain that I've mentioned when sitting crossed legged, a position similar to one describe above.1 point
-
Bodyweight squats, wrist work (white elastic, yellow band), bar hangs, stick walks. Program 9 – Hip flexors + quads, back bend, seated rotation, neck flexion extension The lunge today felt very good. That’s still a tight area for me, but it’s loosened up a huge amount from where it was when I started. I’m contracting more strongly now as well. I find that feels better for me. The leg straightening contraction also seemed to open up (just a touch) something there that hasn’t moved in that way in a long time. I also feel a lot stronger in that contraction than the first time I did it, I could just lift the knee off the mat without moving my hips instead of only taking a little of the weight off of it. It was more noticeable on the right side than the left. But ti felt lovely to stretch both sides today. There wasn’t quite as much intensity in the quad part of the stretch today as sometimes but the hip flexor intensity was fairly high. The back bends today both felt pleasant. I’m getting much better at relaxing in those positions than when I first started, and even since the last time I did them. The straight arm variant is a little more intense than the bent arm one for me but I just focused on relaxing and breathing and letting the belly soften onto the floor. The seated rotations were free of knots today, and I’m finding a much greater awareness of my shoulders during this stretch than I had before and I found a little bit of tension there that I could relax as I did it. My range of motion is also much greater than when I started, and in some spots where I’d noticed knots previously I just felt a pleasant stretch. The neck work is pleasant, as usual, but not an especially tight area for me at this point. I also worked through program 7. The right little toe is still the stubborn one as far as spreading them goes. But it's getting easier as time goes on, and I'm able to work my fingers deeper between my toes during the interlacing exercise. I finished the session feeling much more relaxed and joy filled than when I started it. LRP.1 point
-
This is Dick Hartzell from the jump stretch band company. I had the pleasure of seeing a demo at some convention in the Uk a while back. One highlight Included jumping off a chair landing on one foot with the ankle in inversion. Take that Ido . According to him he didn't develop his flexibility til he was 50+ A great demonstration on what is possible with correct training.1 point
-
Because Miss O was not feeling well, I ran the advanced Monkey Gym circuit on Tuesday last. I wanted to try out a new variation on the speedskater squat I had thought of and also to do some weighted Cossack squats: this is the workout. Miss O and I will be filming this new speedskater squat variation, hopefully tomorrow. As a bit of a tease though, imagine you are holding one of the short sticks (2', 600mm long) at arms length and overhead (handstand alignment). Now keep that alignment and drop down in your full speed skater squat, trunk and arms parallel to the floor,with your arms outstretched, and with the folded leg's knee as close as possible to the floor. This is the new version. Hold for 45", change legs without rising, and 45" more on the second leg, then rest for 30". Do twice. I have had a look at all the Cossack squat YouTube videos and I find fault in almost all of them. When Miss O and I shoot the new speedskater squat clip we will do the Cossack squat at the same time. We are using kettle bells held in the goblet squad configuration as additional resistance. Here's my workout: Five reps on the L leg, followed by five on the R leg. I do them this way so the intensity of sensation builds as fast as possible in each leg; the experience of going side to side for me gives each leg too much rest. 5 x 6kg, 5 x 16Kg, 5 x 28Kg We then did three sets of five chins, any grip, but with the legs pressed together, quads and hamstrings tightened, toes pointed and core fully engaged AND the five chins were done slowly, with zero jerking out of the bottom position. We then went next door for a series of wall handstands held for alignment and form. Most of the students were feeling fried by then. John and I finished with a 15 second one-arm handstand against the wall, both sides. For the first time in this handstand variation I could actually tuck my tail, tighten quads and hamstrings, and point the toes AND and pull the ribs down. It's a huge amount of work and my lats have been sore since then. This is the first time I have felt the lats cramp while doing a hand stand. There were some other exercises but I can't bring them to mind right now. Following this was the Advanced stretching class and I think as a result of the leg work, I had the absolute all time best hip flexor stretch. But that is not all. I also had the best side splits I have had in 10 years; I was down on a single Aerobic step and a single support, so about 4 inches off the floor and my legs were hard down on it, without a mat. I am convinced that the speedskater squad is the greatest glute activation exercise on the planet. I am also sure that the Cossack squat is the best and fastest way to rehabilitate gracilis and the inner hamstring. And for a stretching session there is simply no better warmup. I have barely been able to sit down since then! I want to add a photo here (courtesy Louise R); John T had a breakthrough in his side splits the same night: OK; the smile might be a bit tight, but that's getting down.1 point