Joe's Joint

[Naldaramjo]

38 minutes ago, Nathan said:

Only as much as needed to ensure the stretch occurs in the desired area. The intention should be there, and you should be aware of whether you are letting them unsquare/untuck and if your body is using the movement to escape the stretch. But you don't want to be so focused on it that your back leg is full of tension and cannot even relax into the stretches. I hope that makes sense.

I like the idea of simply seeing what releasing the intention allows the body to do naturally. That's a great general principle with which to assess tension in my body. Thanks!

[Naldaramjo]

On 12/3/2018 at 12:35 PM, Nathan said:

You might like to read this related thread:  I am not afraid!

I came across that a while back. Great to reread, though. Staying with the present...the antidote to many things, it seems.

[Naldaramjo]

December 3, 2018

Began the day with some softball rolling of my right piriformis muscle (I think). It’s hard to know if I’m hitting the right muscles, but there’s sensitivity, and I can tell that I’m touching on something significant when I do this. I’m open to any tips from others on methods for soft tissue work around the hips. I have a lacrosse ball, softball, foam roller, a couple of ~1.5ft long wooden dowels...

Daily 4

• Floor Upper & Middle Back Stretch x10 breaths
• Elbow Back Bend x10 breaths
• Kneeling Side Bend x5-10 breaths

Consciously reaching the arm away from my body helped me feel the stretch along the entire side of my body. As well, it allowed me to better rest my weight on the prop I was using.

• Chair Seated Piriformis x20+ (right side) deep breaths

Occasionally feel some nerve sensations in my thoracic spine when I work on my right piriformis. Nothing too intense, but quite localized. Interesting how tension works.

MTS

• L1: Sumo Squats x1 Minutes
• L3: Boxing the Compass
• L7: Seated Figure 4

A ways to go for mobility, but this movement is feeling much more comfortable.

Cool-Down

• Spinal Waves x5 Minutes

General Mobility Observation

When I am seated on a chair, if I bring my knees together and then fold forward, I can feel my legs want to pull out. This is a particular tightness that has been a mystery for me for a long time. It also manifests as my not being able to do child's pose fully relaxed on my knees. It has always been strange to me that a forward bend would feel inhibited at the front of the hip, but the hip is a complex joint. I remember a physiotherapist telling me that this tension was skeletal and that some people were just "born that way." 

Well, this still happens, but it happens a little bit less. Whatever muscles were prying my legs open as I folded forward have softened, if only slightly. This is a good sign of...something.

[Nathan]

2 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

I’m open to any tips from others on methods for soft tissue work around the hips. I have a lacrosse ball, softball, foam roller, a couple of ~1.5ft long wooden dowels...

The foam rollers don't do much for me in the hips/glutes. Depending on the size/hardness of your softball, I'd start with that and loosen the area up, and then switch to the lacrosse ball (assuming it's smaller and harder) to do some targeted work on the piriformis and any other stubborn spots. I like to hit the piriformis as well as pretty much the whole glute area, and then come around to the side to hit the TFL and ITB, and sometimes even to the front to get into the hip flexors near the hip a bit. If you're tight on time, I'd roll around the piriformis with the softball and then zero in on it with the lacrosse ball. Of course what works for you might be completely different, though!

2 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

Whatever muscles were prying my legs open as I folded forward have softened, if only slightly.

I only really know my anatomy basics, so I'm not sure, but possibly the outer hamstring, i.e. biceps femoris. That one will certainly do this when the legs are straight, but I'm not sure how much they would contribute when the knees are bent. Someone more knowledgeable would have to confirm.

[Naldaramjo]

7 hours ago, Nathan said:

The foam rollers don't do much for me in the hips/glutes. Depending on the size/hardness of your softball, I'd start with that and loosen the area up, and then switch to the lacrosse ball (assuming it's smaller and harder) to do some targeted work on the piriformis and any other stubborn spots. I like to hit the piriformis as well as pretty much the whole glute area, and then come around to the side to hit the TFL and ITB, and sometimes even to the front to get into the hip flexors near the hip a bit. If you're tight on time, I'd roll around the piriformis with the softball and then zero in on it with the lacrosse ball. Of course what works for you might be completely different, though!

10 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

Thanks for the tips, Nathan. In fact, the "soft"ball is harder than the lacrosse ball, but it is a bit larger, and thus can't target a particular muscle as effectively.

 

7 hours ago, Nathan said:

I only really know my anatomy basics, so I'm not sure, but possibly the outer hamstring, i.e. biceps femoris. That one will certainly do this when the legs are straight, but I'm not sure how much they would contribute when the knees are bent. Someone more knowledgeable would have to confirm.

My hunch is actually the rectus femoris, just because of how unusually tight it is. Perhaps they are forcing my hips into external rotation as my hip bones pivot forward?

[Nathan]

6 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

My hunch is actually the rectus femoris, just because of how unusually tight it is. Perhaps they are forcing my hips into external rotation as my hip bones pivot forward?

Not certain, but not likely. Rec fem flexes the hip and extends the knee, so bent legs will lengthen it, but you're bending forward too, which shortens it. It shouldn't be getting much of a stretch even if it is tight, in other words. You could always experiment to find out: do a movement that pries the legs open and note the sensation, then do a lunge hip flexor stretch with the bend at the knee, and then try the initial movement again and note the change. Would be interesting, even if not definitive 

[Naldaramjo]

4 hours ago, Nathan said:

Not certain, but not likely. Rec fem flexes the hip and extends the knee, so bent legs will lengthen it, but you're bending forward too, which shortens it. It shouldn't be getting much of a stretch even if it is tight, in other words. You could always experiment to find out: do a movement that pries the legs open and note the sensation, then do a lunge hip flexor stretch with the bend at the knee, and then try the initial movement again and note the change. Would be interesting, even if not definitive 

I only suggest something on the front of my leg because that's where I feel the restriction. Likely also related to the hip flexors as well. And the adductors. One thing's certain, unless I'm doing a specific piriformis stretch or a knees locked straight leg forward fold, I almost never feel the initial restriction in the posterior chain. Sometimes it seems like a Rube Goldberg machine in my hips! 

[Naldaramjo]

December 4, 2018

Morning

• This Foot Sequence

This is my second or third time through this sequence, but I figure as it’s “down time” for hiking now, it would be a good time to focus on my feet.

Some interesting points:

• Kit’s comment about repositioning the feet in order to feel one’s bodyweight spread evenly across the entire front of the foot is an excellent cue. I can easily see how it relates to the ankle’s position and I can feel the muscles in the hips activate to accomplish this
• Sometimes, when I go to spread my toes, I find my fingers also spreading! Such a funny phenomenom...anyone else experience this?
• My right foot is much stiffer than my left
• My foot is pretty mobile - to a point. My big toes need some work
• My active flexibility when using my toe flexors is abysmal, despite the reasonable flexibility
• Toes 3 and 4 on both feet seem to be the most “inactive,” meaning unresponsive to muscular activation attempts

Evening

Daily 4

• Floor Upper & Middle Back Stretch x10 breaths
• Elbow Back Bend x10 breaths
• Kneeling Side Bend x5 breaths
• Chair Seated Piriformis x10 deep breaths

Preceded this stretch with some softball tissue work on the right hip. Improved ROM, but still struggling to feel the piriformis stretch the way I do in the left hip. Also noticing some residual superficial numbness in the right foot and wonder if it might be connected. Time will tell.

MTS

• L1: Sumo Squats x1.5 Minutes

Experimented a little differently here: whereas previously I simply focused on squeezing the glutes to align the knees, this time I maintained the intention to keep my weight evenly distributed on both feet - inside, outside, and heel. Still required glute activation, but with a far more tangible goal. A wonderful concentration exercise!

• L3: Boxing the Compass
• L7: Seated Figure 4

Really gentle today. Not feeling a strain or pull, but something in my left adductor doesn’t like the ROM. Maintained a gentle bend in the knees (maybe 135 degree inner angle) and a reduced ROM.

Miscellanous

• Jibengong: Ankle Circles

Came across @Craig’s YT channel and this was the most recent upload...seemed like a fitting inclusion into my mobility work! Makes me feel like an uncoordinated clod when I bring my leg out a few degrees, but I can feel the appropriate muscles working. Also realizing my feet could do with a bit more ROM.

Thoughts: is it normal to start the Master The Squat series with so few of the exercises? Honestly, I'm getting enough intense sensations in what little I do. While they don't actively test the ROM of the squat every day, I feel like doing any more would overwork the area. Could I be overtraining? I really don't feel like I am pushing too hard. Or is this often what it's like with muscles that have been "dormant" for a long time (meaning specifically my groin area). I'm feeling improvements, but it'd be great if someone who's used the series for an extended period of time could weigh in.?

 

[jaja]

On 11/30/2018 at 2:02 AM, Naldaramjo said:

I'm open to more minimalist options, but with Vibrams, I worry about trench foot-like symptoms if the weather is especially rainy, and completely barefoot, I worry about a single stubbed toe sidelining the entire walk! Hahaha.

I have hiked in Trek Ascent a lot, last summer. They were fantastic on all terrains, I only experienced a mild pain descending a really rocky trail. My fault, though: I should have walked slowly. Overall I had a lot of fun! Of course, if a trail is really challenging maybe it's better to wear a conventional boot. Use your common sense, always.

Toe stubbing: never happened outside, I experienced it at the gym. It can happen, that's a fact.

[Nathan]

3 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

Sometimes, when I go to spread my toes, I find my fingers also spreading! Such a funny phenomenom...anyone else experience this?

Very common 

3 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

Thoughts: is it normal to start the Master The Squat series with so few of the exercises? Honestly, I'm getting enough intense sensations in what little I do. While they don't actively test the ROM of the squat every day, I feel like doing any more would overwork the area. Could I be overtraining? I really don't feel like I am pushing too hard. Or is this often what it's like with muscles that have been "dormant" for a long time (meaning specifically my groin area). I'm feeling improvements, but it'd be great if someone who's used the series for an extended period of time could weigh in.

No right or wrong answers here. If you feel good and are making discoveries and progress, then I would say you're on the right track. The Master programs are collections of exercises/stretches. They are not meant to all be used at once. Generally, you can/should only actually focus on several of them at any one time. Of course you can shift your focus from time to time as needed. You seem to be content with taking your time and really exploring, which I think is excellent. Most people cannot/will not do that because they are in too much of a rush to get to the desired result. If what you are doing feels sustainable, then I say keep doing what you're doing!

[Kit_L]

Quote

Still not feeling the piriformis so much as just a surrounding “block” of tightness in the right hip .

That's fascia: work the functions (there are many of them) and whatever in the structures that needs to loosen or change will loosen, in time. And WRT your comments about being able to both feel and move your pelvis a bit better is completely normal: the mind simply cannot access the multiple levels of scale at which changes are occurring, nor can it discriminate the many different tissue involved (so your descriptor "block"). This is completely everyone's experience in the beginning, and only this kind of direct, experiential, knowledge (which is all about sensations, not concepts) will change this. Keep going!

[Naldaramjo]

9 hours ago, jaja said:

I have hiked in Trek Ascent a lot, last summer. They were fantastic on all terrains, I only experienced a mild pain descending a really rocky trail. My fault, though: I should have walked slowly. Overall I had a lot of fun! Of course, if a trail is really challenging maybe it's better to wear a conventional boot. Use your common sense, always.

Toe stubbing: never happened outside, I experienced it at the gym. It can happen, that's a fact.

Thank you for this input. I also really enjoy hiking in Vibrams. Aside from becoming incredibly smelly, I'm wondering if there's anything else I should be worried about with respect to multi-day (6+ days) hikes in them. 

[Naldaramjo]

6 hours ago, Nathan said:

Very common 

No right or wrong answers here. If you feel good and are making discoveries and progress, then I would say you're on the right track. The Master programs are collections of exercises/stretches. They are not meant to all be used at once. Generally, you can/should only actually focus on several of them at any one time. Of course you can shift your focus from time to time as needed. You seem to be content with taking your time and really exploring, which I think is excellent. Most people cannot/will not do that because they are in too much of a rush to get to the desired result. If what you are doing feels sustainable, then I say keep doing what you're doing!

Thanks for the encouragement, Nathan! Believe me, I do feel the "rush" tendency! But I also have been "rushing" the last 1-2 years with my mobility work, and while I've made improvements, I've always felt at odds with my body. Like the work was a battle to be won. Even in yoga! I'm attempting to placate my ego through a largely affectionate and gentle practice with much fewer moments of high intensity. It's fun to try something new.

[Naldaramjo]

1 hour ago, Kit_L said:

That's fascia: work the functions (there are many of them) and whatever in the structures that needs to loosen or change will loosen, in time. And WRT your comments about being able to both feel and move your pelvis a bit better is completely normal: the mind simply cannot access the multiple levels of scale at which changes are occurring, nor can it discriminate the many different tissue involved (so your descriptor "block"). This is completely everyone's experience in the beginning, and only this kind of direct, experiential, knowledge (which is all about sensations, not concepts) will change this. Keep going!

There's something wonderful about this entire ST process: all the interviews, videos, detailed descriptions...the knowledge can be empowering but also bewildering. There's a sense that a solution for my mobility issues is "out there," if only I search enough, read enough, watch enough...and in the thirst for more complete knowledge, it's easy to think that the process one must apply to one's body is as complex as the process of learning intellectually all about this system. Yet at the end of the day, a thousand concepts aren't worth a single experienced sensation. It's a completely different kind of knowledge.

"The ST that can be told is not the eternal ST."

Thanks for stopping by my Joint, Kit! 

 

[Pat (pogo69)]

10 hours ago, jaja said:

Toe stubbing: never happened outside, I experienced it at the gym. It can happen, that's a fact.

Haha!  I experience much the same, @jaja.

I am generally very agile outdoors, but as soon as I venture inside, I am all big toes!  I'm certain it is largely psychosomatic.

[Naldaramjo]

December 5, 2018

Daily 4

• Floor Upper & Middle Back Stretch x10 breaths
• Elbow Back Bend x10 breaths
• Kneeling Side Bend x5 breaths

As I tried to let my neck relax completely, I felt a few kinks, and complete relaxation was not comfortable. I’d not previously considered myself to have that tight of a neck, but I might be wrong! Any recommended neck sequences? I have no ROM restrictions, but clearly something is behaving a bit inappropriately.

• Chair Seated Piriformis x10 deep breaths

MTS

• L1: Sumo Squats x1.5 Minutes

Continued with the foot weight distribution focus. Works really well for keeping the movement controlled and balanced.

• L3: Boxing the Compass
• L7: Seated Figure 4

Left adductor feels a bit better than yesterday. Moved very gently to ascertain exactly where the tension was and did some micro-movements around that area.

• Jibengong: Ankle Circles (2/30)

A killer exercise! Also interesting because today was more difficult than yesterday. I’m guessing this is because I have a bit more control over my feet and I end up staying in the pose longer. Also, I felt something...shift...in my hips when switching between clockwise and counterclockwise hip rotations. Nothing painful...it felt like a muscle adjusting itself within.

[Nathan]

15 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

I’d not previously considered myself to have that tight of a neck, but I might be wrong! Any recommended neck sequences?

The neck is a tricky one. You really can't separate it from everything above and below since it's so intricately connected. For example, a common source of "neck" discomfort for me is tight muscles in the mid-back and around the scaps. That said, adding in some neck stretches can only help:

 

[Naldaramjo]

5 hours ago, Nathan said:

The neck is a tricky one. You really can't separate it from everything above and below since it's so intricately connected. For example, a common source of "neck" discomfort for me is tight muscles in the mid-back and around the scaps. That said, adding in some neck stretches can only help:

Oh, thanks! As luck would have it, I came across this one and tried it out this morning. It feels really good.

[Nathan]

You left your response inside of the quote, so I fixed that for you. Hope you don't mind.

4 hours ago, Naldaramjo said:

Oh, thanks! As luck would have it, I came across this one and tried it out this morning. It feels really good.

Yeah, this covers most of the bases. Personally, I tend to just do the neck movements - forward, backward, and then to the sides. I'll play with the angles depending on my needs at the time, of course. I like to be very careful/mindful with my neck, though, so even those four movements tend to take quite some time. Also, I usually approach the neck with a mindset of releasing (tension) rather than stretching (i.e. elongating). I emphasize deep relaxation more than range of motion. It's a really subtle difference, but it changes my own experience quite a bit.

[Naldaramjo]

4 hours ago, Nathan said:

You left your response inside of the quote, so I fixed that for you. Hope you don't mind.

Oh, thanks, Nathan. I hadn't noticed.

4 hours ago, Nathan said:

Yeah, this covers most of the bases. Personally, I tend to just do the neck movements - forward, backward, and then to the sides. I'll play with the angles depending on my needs at the time, of course. I like to be very careful/mindful with my neck, though, so even those four movements tend to take quite some time. Also, I usually approach the neck with a mindset of releasing (tension) rather than stretching (i.e. elongating). I emphasize deep relaxation more than range of motion. It's a really subtle difference, but it changes my own experience quite a bit.

Good advice...I'll try this approach next time. Really slow with mindfulness on releasing.

[Naldaramjo]

December 6, 2018

Morning

Thinking on the neck stiffness I was feeling on my side bend yesterday, I started the day with this neck and jaw sequence. The particular movement, where I pull my jaw down gently with 4 fingers...after I release from that, it feels as though my head has temporarily changed shape! A fascinating sensation!

Neck rotation doesn’t seem to be much of an issue, but there is some tightness in the front of my neck which I can work on. I think I’ll try and do this once or twice a week, depending how I feel.

Lunch

~2km of barefoot walking in subzero temperatures. Talk about invigorating! I’m not sure how long I can keep this up, but it’s a fun experiment.

Evening

Daily 4

• Floor Upper & Middle Back Stretch x10 breaths
• Elbow Back Bend x10 breaths
• Kneeling Side Bend x5 breaths

Neck kinks still present. Something to investigate.

• Chair Seated Piriformis x10 deep breaths

A bit more movement, but still not as much muscle sensation as would be helpful. Slow and steady…

MTS

• L1: Sumo Squats x1.5 Minutes

Experimented with a few different feet positions, always focusing on even weight distribution.

• L3: Boxing the Compass
• L7: Seated Figure 4
• Jibengong: Ankle Circles (3/30)

Still killer! But wow...after doing these, I can nearly straight leg flat palm the ground...is it possible that simply exercising the hip flexors relaxes the hamstrings, even if the latter isn’t being stretched much in the exercise?

[Kit_L]

On the barefoot thing: if I am in an urban area, I go everywhere in bare feet (or five fingers, sometimes) but carry a pair of thongs with me: that way if I need to go in to a shop or someone's house, I slip the thongs on and grubby feet do not offend!

At monasteries where I teach in Asia, there is always a hose and tap for people to wash their feet before entering a building. I wish we had this here.

[Naldaramjo]

15 hours ago, Kit_L said:

On the barefoot thing: if I am in an urban area, I go everywhere in bare feet (or five fingers, sometimes) but carry a pair of thongs with me: that way if I need to go in to a shop or someone's house, I slip the thongs on and grubby feet do not offend!

At monasteries where I teach in Asia, there is always a hose and tap for people to wash their feet before entering a building. I wish we had this here.

I can already see how barefoot - or at least open foot - would make one far less prone to athlete's foot, something I have  to deal with sometimes during Korea's humid summers. There are a few hoses around town, but usually in parks, and usually only active during the hottest months. Funnily enough, at least one of the trails in my town has compressed air guns for dusting off shoes after a hike. I've seen that and footbaths for muddy shoes, but nothing explicitly for feet so far.

[Naldaramjo]

December 7, 2018

Lunch

~2 km of barefoot walking...I really think zero degrees is the limit for this. My toes are starting to go numb. Interestingly, sensations at the bottom of the feet are quite strong.

Evening

Daily 4 etc

• Floor Upper & Middle Back Stretch x10 breaths
• Elbow Backbend x10 breaths
• Kneeling Side Bend x5 breaths

Still feeling the neck kinks...loving this stretch though.

• Chair Seated Piriformis x10+ deep breaths

Thinking about the pelvic floor and TA today. Decided to engage these muscles while keeping the stomach relaxed. A challenging undertaking! Is it really the goal with Ashtanga yoga to keep these muscles under tension (the bandhas) during the entire practice? Wow.

Not a lot more piriformis muscle feeling, but noticeably less blockage in the movement. I don’t feel like I’m going deeper, but I do feel like I am encountering a bit less “automatic” resistance to the movement.

• Neck Sequence

After hearing Nathan’s perspective, I performed a slow an introspective tension releasing sequence with the neck. Lots of interesting angles to play with, and, as with anything new, caution and respect felt to be paramount principles to adhere to.

MTS

• L1: Sumo Squats x1.5 Minutes

Found my three balance points on my feet, engaged TA and pelvic floor, and then initiated the movement. A more challenging experience, but I think I’ll keep this up. See how it leaves me feeling in my core the next day.

• L3: Boxing the Compass

Strong stretch in the final position on both sides (i.e. the regular lunge). Whether this was due to the pelvic floor and TA engagement or to DOMS from the ankle circles or from accessing a new range of motion, I’m not sure. In addition to the lunge, I’ve been raising the arm in the air on the same side of the stretch. It’s a wonderful sensation, but still quite localized in the groin/hip flexors. I’d like to feel this equal one day...

• L7: Seated Figure 4

Slow work...no new ROM, but perhaps a bit more comfort in my body with the motion.

• Jibengong: Ankle Circles (4/30)

Tough as ever...started with my right leg instead of my left...the uncoordinated one of the two

Some lingering tingling sensations in the legs and feet. An old problem that I’ve never really known the solution for save that it’s been improving. Wondering if this introspective inquiry into my bodily sensation will offer any revelations at some point...

[Nathan]

2 minutes ago, Naldaramjo said:

Still feeling the neck kinks...loving this stretch though.

Not sure how you're doing the stretch, but you might try turning your head to the side if you've been looking straight forward. You can play with tilting it forward or backward too. The point of the side bend is to get a stretch in the side - not the neck - so there is no reason to force pure lateral neck flexion. The neck should be comfortable so that you can focus on the stretch in the side.