oliviaa

Hi there, Olivia here Kit asked me to post to say that his computer is out of action (drowned by salt water coming in a window of the boat in big seas – the computer that is, not Kit) and he cannot respond, but if he could, he would say great work! Cheers, Olivia

Hi Matt Kit asked me to post to say that his computer is out of action (drowned by salt water coming in a window of the boat in big seas – the computer that is, not Kit) and he cannot respond, but if he could, he would say great work! Cheers, Olivia

Hi Alexander A few comments for you, from my personal experience. I came to Stretch Therapy at age 20. I had been involved in several sports from a young age, with the main one being artistic gymnastics. As with many athletic endeavours, the doing of the sport confers a particular pattern of flexibility and strength. Gymnastics is very unilateral – almost no gymnast performs skills on both sides; everyone has a preferred side and that is the one that gets trained to do skills. [You mention your handstand training – when you do a lunge entry, do you always kick up by leading with the same leg? I am sure the answer is yes.] One of the principles of Stretch Therapy is to pay attention to any left/right differences in your body. For the first few years I was involved, all I did was identify the left/right differences in my body – first focussing on flexibility, and then on strength – and work to redress these differences. Next, I focussed on individual parts of the body and identified any significant disparities in range of movement and activation. For example, shoulder function. My shoulder flexion was epic (if I say so!), but extension was limited. Again, I identified the restrictions and redressed these, first in range of motion, and next, I did the same for strength. The reason for starting with range of motion is because if you try to work on strength when there is restricted range of motion/lack of connection to how to activate a muscle, you are liable to 1) recruit muscles other than what you are wanting to target to do the work, and/or 2) injure yourself. The flexibility work also enables you to feel individual muscles: once that has happened, then you can recruit them for the strength work. Kit has recommended above that you incorporate unilateral lower body strength training. This is fundamental to physical function in humans – we move around on our legs. As we get older, maintaining strength, in particular in the lower body, is essential. Kit’s recommendation is in response to what you have written about your own body – now is the time for you to action this. Kit has also stressed the importance of relaxation practice. You write: "At some point I know I will budge once energy and time allows for creating some lasting habits with regards to this." [My emphasis.] It doesn’t take any energy to lie down! With regard ’time’, how much time did it take you to write your posts above? Next time you sit down to craft a forum post, instead choose to put your time into the relaxation practice. It’s all about choices. Side note: unlike many of the girls I did gymnastics with for over 10 years, I do not have any back or other pain. I truly believe that that is because I did what I have described above, all those years ago, and have continued this approach thereafter. Cheers Olivia

Hi there. I get the same sensation on one side, but only when the partner is holding the calf of the back leg. I ask the partner to instead hold the ankle, with both a downwards (into floor) pressure and a slight lengthening (away from our bodies) force, and then I don't feel the nerve-type stretch in the calf. Cheers, Olivia

Hi Andi. Have a look at the following: https://stretchtherapy.net/the-pancake-reflections-on-mastering-the-essential-anterior-pelvic-tilt/ and https://stretchtherapy.net/pancake-moving-sequence/ Cheers, Olivia

Hello there, Olivia here. Calves and ankles were seriously tight in my body for a very long time, and I could not squat flat-footed, only with heel lifts. Three things 'unlocked' the movement for my body. The first was a super-duper strong stretching sequence that is part of a series/approach we now call SledgeHammer Stretching: the calf sequence can be viewed on the ST site at https://stretchtherapy.net/sledgehammer-stretching-calf-sequence-full-demonstration/: the video page has a link to an article, too. Along with what you called the rod of correction (above), I found doing that softening technique while the soleus muscle and Achille's tendon were under stretch was very effective: find that video at https://stretchtherapy.net/rollstretch-techniques-for-soleus/. And, spending time in the full squat but not static, rather adding movements: see a video of that at https://stretchtherapy.net/olivia-squat-movements/. One further thing. My feet used to be rigid, so softening them has been hugely beneficial. Here are some things to try for your feet: - https://stretchtherapy.net/foot-awakening-sequence-suitable-for-pronation-overly-high-arches-foot-and-ankle-mobility/ - https://stretchtherapy.net/foot-and-ankle-mobilisation-and-stretching/ Cheers Olivia

Hi Olga Happy New Year (it's almost February!) and best wishes for 2022. Kit and I were talking about you on Tuesday, to a local resident here who has been suffering with plantar fasciitis for two years – we told him about you going barefoot in Hong Kong! Re. me and relaxation practice, I wrote a little article about that last year, find it at https://stretchtherapy.net/relaxing-is-letting-go/. With love Olivia

@jaja. are you okay? We can phone you if you'd like to talk? Please send us your number. Cheers, Olivia

Jak, I'm not offended by anything you wrote. And, you are welcome for the advice; no thanks is required. My reflection back to you is that rather than follow the advice, you continue to write back about why you can't, and more, how you've moved on to another system. Good luck with that; I hope it works for you. My observation about the child was about behaviour, which you, as an adult, can choose to change in yourself if you want to. I did in myself, a long time ago, and I have excellent flexibility, something you claim you want in your own body – I wish you well in that endeavour. Olivia

Hi Jak I was in the supermarket yesterday and there was a little dude, probably four years old, having an epic tantrum – LOUD – because his mother wouldn't let him have a lolly he wanted. His mum and three siblings were trying to console him, but he was committed! Reading your posts in this thread brought that dude to my mind. You are committed to the *idea* that you want a pre-set structure. Above, I gave you the suggestion to start with the ABSS programs; your response ("How 'beginner' are we talking?") is, well, silly. You are a beginner, Jak, so begin, or don't – it's your choice. Kit has given you extensive advice about how to use the MTS program; follow his advice, or don't – this is also your choice. Finally, consider this: Kit is 67 years old and moves and functions better than many many people in their 20s, and he started with very poor flexibility coupled with crippling lower back pain – he is the testament to the advice he has given you. It's your choice now: you can get started, or like the child* in the supermarket, you can choose* to put your energy into just making lots of noise. [* Big difference, of course; you are an adult.] Cheers Olivia

Hi Jak. Another option is to use the Absolute Beginner's Stretching Series. These are all follow-along sessions. No thinking required (!), rather the focus is on pressing play and doing the exercises with the presenter. The series covers the whole body. There are 21 programs across the three Parts that comprise the series, and they are each between 15 and 25 minutes. You could do them all in three weeks, one per day. The 'program' you are looking for on is built in, with the focus on trying out exercises for the whole body, as compared to the Mastery programs which focus on a particular end position. Just a thought. Cheers Olivia

Hi to all. The two Monkey Gym Bodyline videos are now available free on Vimeo: links below. BodyLine circuit – 39 minutes: https://vimeo.com/399369743 BodyLine circuit – 39 minutes: https://vimeo.com/399374687 Cheers Liv

Hi @mytype1collagenis2tight! It was lovely to meet you in Vancouver, and thank you for your comments about the workshop. See you next time ... perhaps in Portland ... Cheers Olivia

A comment about the pancake/pike, and then some observations about working with children as compared to adults, most particularly in a gymnastics setting. I've long argued that being able to move the pelvis – particularly in anterior tilt, but not only in this direction – is the key to being able to do the pancake. I do think that all of the techniques canvassed above will help 'get you further down', but, what I observe when I see people doing them is that the pelvis does not move anteriorly. Yes, with each effort they can reach further or compress more. And, yes, with the force and/or speed of the movements involved there is very likely a momentary pelvic movement, but I don't think this is sufficient for the feeling of the pelvic movement to be experienced. Even with maximum reaching effort to hold your end reach, if the pelvis didn't move then mostly (all?) you're doing is working hard to hold your reach. Practising pelvic movements well out of a stretch position, so that movement is possible, is gold, and once available, the pelvic movement can be used in conjunction with all the excellent techniques canvassed above. Next topic! Kit has written extensively on the these forums and elsewhere about the differences in working with children's versus adults' bodies in the pursuit of increasing flexibility, all of which I agree with fully. A few years ago we spent a bunch of time working closely with a now well-known gymnastics coach who argued to us strongly that no-one needs to stretch because doing mobility training is all you need to become flexible. This has not been our experience in ST, hence the ensuing discussion about differences between children and adults (this coach worked with gymnasts from when they were young children; our experience in ST was working with adults). I spent 10 years, from age 5 1/2, training as a gymnast, and many years coaching. Broadly speaking, we did not do a lot of 'stretching'. What we did do was high-volume/low-intensity conditioning, at the end of every training session. An example session would include, 4 x 20 chin ups, plus 4 x 20 hanging leg raises, plus many other exercises with similar number of sets/repetitions. As a child, there were no physical ROM restrictions to completing these full-ROM movements, and at those numbers; fatigue was what stopped us. As well, there were no mental restrictions: what I mean here is that whilst we all whinged about the conditioning work because it's incredibly boring compared to the fun training on apparatus, we could all do it – we didn't think about how our shoulders or hamstrings were too tight or our hip flexors too weak, we just did the work and if there were any 'deficits' they usually sorted themselves out over time. Adults coming to work with their body have many ROM restrictions, typically, and many ideas about why they can't do X, and probably past injuries, too. These things combined, I believe, are one reason why just doing mobility work does not overcome ROM deficits in adults. A key feature of Stretch Therapy is to give the individual the direct experience of the part of their body that is stuck letting go, in particular using the Contract–Relax technique, but many others can be employed if necessary. Mobility training alone does not have this affect in adults, in my experience, or at the very least not efficiently: that is it takes a long time, like gymnasts spend when they start as a young child. Mobility can, however, help incorporate new movement as unlocked into the adult body so that it becomes embodied.

Hi saltosalto I second everything that Nathan and Craig have written. Further to Craig's recommendation to explore the piriformis exercises, work on the bolster piriformis (see YT clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wT4948tW2hw) and add pelvic movements. You'll need to be in a very gentle position in terms of overall stretch being experienced, otherwise no movement will be possible. Try circles in both directions, side-to-side shifts of the waist, pelvic tilting; any movements you can think of really! Myself, and a number of our teachers, have found that niggling hamstring problems can be – excuse the wording, but it works – ground out by doing this, whereas stretching the hamstrings directly does not seem to help with overcoming adhesions from an injury. [Kit will likely jump in here at some point and talk about the process he went through to overcome his own hamstring injury.] As well, incorporate single-leg balancing exercises of a great variety: often, a lack of activation of some of the pelvic stabilisers is involved, I've found, plus single-leg work is brilliant generally! Cheers Olivia