Ned's log

[Ned]

November 17

General exercise: 2x30 full depth bodyweight squats, 1x4 alternating single legged squats. 2x10 feet raised ring rows, 1x6 pullups, 2x5s straight leg L-sits, bar hangs.

Daily five with contractions

Spinal Flexion – I seem to have good range of motion here, but there is a lot of tension in my middle back lately especially on the right side. I spent some time after the stretches relaxing a lacrosse ball to loosen it up a bit.

Spinal Extension – I find this stretch difficult. I want to engage my middle and upper back so it’s more like the top of an arch body hold than just a relaxed spine. Even staying relaxed I find my lumbar spine gets tense and despite several attempts I can’t seem to prevent that tension from appearing. I suspect that may be related to tension in my hip flexors or somewhere else I’m not aware of yet.

Spinal Rotation – My shoulders both kept coming up off the floor and my knees and feet kind of hovered in the air on the leg that came over which wasn’t a big deal, but I may try something under the knee next time. I suspect that I’m not quite getting this stretch correct and that having a partner (as demonstrated) would make getting into it quite a bit easier.

Kneeling side bend – Part of my lat (or maybe some other small muscle around there) on the reaching down side of this pose is quite taxed by the reaching. The sensation is not unlike a foot cramp from toe pointing until it’s been done enough times that it stops happening. I’ll probably use a block to prevent that in future because it’s from reaching down a little bit farther than I probably should to rest the weight on my calf muscle. It’s also obvious to me that my sides are quite tight and I may experiment with some kind of foam roller or stick to work on the fascia there a bit.

Piriformis – I like this stretch, it does a much better job of stretching it than one I used prior to this.

Solo hip flexor stretch – I feel this a lot in my right leg just above the back of the knee more so than my left hip flexor anyway. The left side feels fine though when it’s in front. That’s been a problem spot for me so it isn’t entirely unexpected, but I’m going to have to be gentle with it.

Lying relaxation practice.

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November 18.

Various arm/shoulder circles (all planes). Wrist work* (green elastic, yellow + green band), 2x35 hip height + 1x15 floor pushups, 3x60s elbow planks, bar hangs.

I have some soreness from yesterday's stretching.  I did the daily five + hip flexor as limbering exercises. My hip flexors were quite tight. I foam rolled them along with my upper quads and managed to get them to relax a bit.  After doing that, I redid the solo hip flexor exercise and found it more pleasant than the first run through today.  The spot just above the back of my right knee still isn’t thrilled about it, but it seems to be a reasonable sensation for a new range of motion. 

Lying relaxation practice.

*This is a bunch of hand/wrist exercises that seem excessive to list out every time they happen (4-6 days a week).  It’s usually around 20-40 reps per exercise or else until fatigue sets in for holds, and I just go through them without worrying about rest or exact reps.  I like everything, I try to keep them smooth and well controlled.  The list, in no particular order: wrist band pulls in all directions, finger extensor and thumb exercises, hand rotations in every plane of motion with various hammers. Then usually some kind of pinch (plate, block, etc), finger plate lifts, or hand jams under a plate, and finished off with some extensions, gentle flexion, and some rotations. 

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November 19

Wrist work (yellow elastic and green + red bands), 5-ish minutes of prying and exploring my range of motion in the bottom of a squat. Foot flexes, points, and arcs. Walks on the stick (10 end to end) and single leg wobble board balances (6x60s) followed by rolling the lacrosse ball on the bottoms of my feet to help relax them afterwards.

Daily six as limbering exercises. I figured out the spine extension stretch so my lower back didn’t tense up when I went into it.  Hopefully I can continue that now that I’ve done it once. I made a couple wooden blocks and they definitely improve my comfort doing the kneeling side bends which let me relax a little more. My left shoulder stayed on the ground for the first time in the spinal rotation stretch today—the right one still lifts though so there’s a bit of an imbalance there that I can start working on now that I'm aware of it.

On a whim, I ended up doing a different exercise for my hip flexors today. I put the ball and toes of the front foot on top of a short (just below hip height) filing cabinet I have and with the back leg straight leaned forward to get a somewhat less intense hip flexor stretch that could be deepened by leaning more weight onto the front leg without the discomfort above the back of my right knee. I was initially wondering about what would happen if I tried it at different heights and worked my way down, but realized that it’s essentially the same as doing the solo hip flexor stretch with a closed angle at the knee. So I ended up doing the usual one but experimented with both closed and open angles in the front knee to see how that changed the stretch and how my back leg position could change as a result. I understand it much better now than I did before so I’m glad I took the time to explore.

Lying relaxation practice.

I set the intention to notice tension and let go of it as I go about my day. 

[Nathan]

Welcome, Ned! Look forward to seeing how your practice unfolds

[Ned]

Thanks for the welcome Nathan.  So far so good!

November 20
Wrist work with the yellow elastic and red+green bands.  I did some work with the lacrosse ball on my middle and upper back today before the daily six.  I also did some work with the stick on my sides.  That was quite awkward, but seemed at least partly effective so I’ll see if I can find something that might work better for the area.  

I  seem to find it easiest to relax with the direct feedback of something like a lacrosse ball or a stick since it’s quite obvious to me that tension is being held and exactly where.  I’m also similarly aware of tension during contractions, but was missing how to relax after letting them go until it clicked in my mind that it’s pretty much the same thing I was doing with the lacrosse ball.  So, I’m just beginning to appreciate (though I’m sure there’s much I’m still missing), the genius in using contractions and then letting go and why the lying relaxation practices where that skill is practised are such an integral part of the system.  

I did a few small contractions during the session today (enough to get a slightly increased range of motion, but hopefully not enough to feel it much tomorrow).  I’m just starting to understand how to use them and also a little bit more about how far to go in those stretches before using them (not so far as I’d thought) and then how to relax into the stretch afterwards.  

During the spinal rotation my shoulders stayed on the floor when I brought the leg across.  The side bends are getting more comfortable for me, and the solo hip flexor exercise is no longer a just knot of tension at the top but is starting to work its way down my upper quads a little bit.  

I finished things off with a lying relaxation practice.
---

November 21

I did program 1 of the starter course today.

I wasn’t expecting the intensity of some of the sensations from some of the positions.  That’s a good reminder for me to avoid anticipating how something will feel and just to experience it as it is.  

I’m getting better (subjectively at least) at relaxing into stretches and I think the familiarity helps a lot with that since the exercises today were pretty similar to the daily five except for being done on a chair.  In some cases I still don’t know how to release tightness that I encounter, but the mental intention is there and so is my awareness so eventually the two will figure out how to relax it whether it's this session or some other one.

I did a new lying relaxation practice afterwards. 
---

November 22

Wrist work (yellow elastic, red+green bands).

I’m very aware that I stretched yesterday (not so much doms as the feeling that muscles that have been worked) and skipped most of my usual calisthenics stuff today.  I may put that on pause or move into weekly maintenance while I get used to stretching. 

My middle and upper back are already much less tense than when I started even though it’s only been a short time.  I've been fairly successful at noticing tension as I go about my day which I think helps considerably in keeping it relaxed.  The habit of holding tension there is far from gone, but the journey has started.  I am noticing some new and probably old tight spots as the muscles find a new equilibrium with each other. 

I did a lying relaxation practice.

[Kit_L]

1 hour ago, Ned said:

That’s a good reminder for me to avoid anticipating how something will feel and just to experience it as it is.  

We call that the "apprehension reflex" as you probably know. I named this in the third, or fourth, edition of Overcome neck & back pain, IIRC. It's a real thing. And welcome to the Forums!

[Ned]

Thanks Kit, it's good to have a name to put to it.  I've seen that term but didn't associate it with the experience at the time.

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November 23

No reps, sets, or time today.  Two leg wobble board balances, circles, tilts side to side, tilts forward and back, one slow deep squat.  Wrist work with the yellow elastic and green + red bands.  Stick walks end to end.  Some bar hangs.  

I did program 2 of the starter course today.  

My quads and hip flexors are quite tight.  I’m amazed at how much difference tucking the pelvis has on how the quad stretch feels.  That’s a very helpful cue to have.  I struggled to maintain the tucked position while letting my belly go soft in my first attempt on both sides.  I spent some time afterwards
tucking and softening my belly lying down and then standing up before adding in the stretch again.  It worked a little better, but I’ll need some more practice.

The padding in the lunge is a nice touch for comfort.  I felt it mostly in the hip flexors today and I think that stretching the quads first is a not insignificant part of that.  I’m just surprised at how much of an effect that had.  

The spinal movements were quite relaxing today.  My tense spots aren’t entirely gone, but they seem to be going pretty well and the gentle stretches felt good.

Afterwards, I did a lying relaxation practice. 

[Kit_L]

From p. 35, Overcome neck & back pain (4th edition):

"The third reflex in the P&F approach is the one
we have called the Apprehension Reflex (AR).
This term describes the increased capacity to
stretch if the person stretching has one part of
their body limiting further stretching of one of the
joints involved in the movement. For example, a
standard stretch for the hamstrings is to bend
forward over straight legs. We have found that if
the person stretching places a rolled mat between
trunk and thighs—so the brain can feel the
position of the thighs in relation to the body—
usable flexibility increases immediately. On
questioning, students reply that the position
‘feels safer’—they feel that the tension in the muscles has
reduced, and that they can stretch further as a
result."

[Ned]

November 24
A longer walk than my daily one with a few minutes of running to warm up a bit.
Lying relaxation practice.
---

November 25
1x20 + 2x15 floor pushups, wrist work (yellow elastic, first reps with the blue elastic, doubled green band), bar hangs.  Significantly, my problem wrist had pain free flexion that matched the range of motion in my good one for the first time since I started training it a little more than a year ago.

Program 3 of the starter course.

A pleasant calf stretch, but I don't have a lot of tension in the area compared to some other spots.  I think the wobble board work, ankle movements, and the bottom of the squat explorations keep my calves loose since I’m regularly spending time using most of the range of motion. 

My hamstrings are quite tight and I have some apprehension around stretching them since I’ve overdone it in the past.  At least part of my hamstring tension is related to the problem spot just above the back of my right knee and that’s a current limiting factor with the elephant walks.  Like most new stretches, I expect familiarity with help me relax during them quite a bit.

My left piriformis doesn’t feel much of a stretch even with my knee touching my chest.  I am having a hard time maintaining a straight lower back as I do this one though (forward fold issue) and that may be impacting the degree of stretch.  The right side feels the stretch more than the left, but still not as much as in the bent knee version from the daily five where my back can stay straight as I come forward (not sure if that's relevant or if it's something else going on).  I have definite differences between sides, but my sense from both this and the daily five version is that I'm not especially tight there. 

I didn’t see too much increase in flexibility between my forward folds at the start and end of the session.  I pretty much stop when I can rest my fists on the floor (not a bad place to be).  The second time was a little more comfortable than the first and had a touch more bend in my elbows but not enough to go palms flat.  Forward folds past (and even up to) 90 degrees are a problem for unless my legs are quite bent.  I’m keeping this thread (https://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1850-folding-past-90-degrees/) in mind for later on.  In the meantime, I tried the rolled up mat trick from Kit’s comment above and it gave me a few more inches than I have without it.  It's fascinating how the body and brain work. 

I have lots of things to work on from this session and more awareness of particular asymmetries between sides. 

Lying relaxation practice. 

[Ned]

November 26

My hamstrings are a little sorer than I'd like them to be today, especially the right one. 

One leg wobble board work, balances, and the beginnings of some ankle movements using a couple towels underneath to keep from going too far too soon.  Wrist work (green elastic, doubled red band).  The lack of pain and normal range of motion during wrist flexion continues which is a wonderful development.  It's still early enough that I'm not certain it will stay that way though. 

Lying relaxation practice.
---

November 27

Program 4 - Shoulders and neck

I enjoyed today's session.  I tried to be mindful in how I moved today and focused on staying relaxed throughout.  I'm finding that the sessions where I listen to what my body is telling me right now and move based on that rather than making assumptions about how I think it should be are much more enjoyable, and I think more effective too. 

I'd say my neck isn't generally much of a problem area as far as tightness goes*, so much as a spot that's very pleasant to stretch.  That said, today I noticed a feeling of perfect smoothness during the head turns.  For a long time (probably more than half my life) when I've turned my head far to the right side there was a very slight and completely painless lack of smoothness during the rotation.  I'm not sure if the smoothness is a side effect from the release of tension in my middle and upper back (the habit of tension is still there, but weakening over time), or if it's from the other neck movements today (though I've done similar in the past without a change), or perhaps the combination.  

I think I have a fair range of motion and no trouble relaxing while reaching my arm behind me to grab the edge of a wall for the shoulder stretch (though I didn't try it today, when that arm eventually needs to start to  move up the middle of the back I'll have much more trouble).  I did have difficulty keeping my head upright during the arm reaching over the shoulder stretch.  My shoulder on the working side wanted to stay quite far forward.  Even with the wall cues I found my head coming forward so I'm going to spend some time between now and my second run through module 1 finding the right distances for the various wall assisted stretches. 

I enjoyed the wall assisted arms overhead stretch, I often just lift them up as a bit of joint movement in the morning, or hang from a similar position during bar hangs, but don't often stretch in that position (or if I do it's by grabbing a stick and just reaching back overhead which is a little different) so it's nice to actually stretch that way.

I did a somewhat longer relaxation practice today (https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/lying-relaxation-scripts/2016-KL-YogaNidraDay1-BUBS.mp3) and enjoyed the additions that the extra length allowed for.  I'm planning to follow the rest of the practices in that set as time allows (the 90 minute ones may need to happen on a weekend).

 

*I'm certain that at some point when I revisit some of these not tight areas, I will discover that they are in fact tight and I just didn't have the awareness to notice it for what it was. 

[Kit_L]

On 11/28/2024 at 3:54 PM, Ned said:

*I'm certain that at some point when I revisit some of these not tight areas, I will discover that they are in fact tight and I just didn't have the awareness to notice it for what it was. 

I am sure that will be the case! But—no problem.

On 11/28/2024 at 3:54 PM, Ned said:

I'm finding that the sessions where I listen to what my body is telling me right now and move based on that rather than making assumptions about how I think it should be are much more enjoyable, and I think more effective too. 

Much more realistic, too. Most people interact with reality via a model of it—but why not deal with it directly, when it's right there!  Not 'normal', of course, but infinitely more interesting and as you say, more enjoyable, too.

[Ned]

November 28

Wrist work (yellow elastic, some blue elastic, red + green bands).  Isometric holds in the bottom position of one legged squat and just above the bottom position (2 of each per side, 6s holds).  Ankle arcs, flexes, and points.  L-sit holds 2x6s.  Bar hangs. 

Limbering with the daily five + some gentle hamstring limbering (the right side is still a little sore from the other day, which tells me it was probably a little too much).  I ran through the reaching back behind the head shoulder exercise from yesterday’s program today to see if I can find a movement pattern to keep my head and neck from going forward so much.  My reach decreased a little, but my shoulder isn’t pushed forward anymore and I feel the stretch in a spot where I haven’t before so I think it's an improvement over how I was doing it before.

Lying relaxation practice (day 2 of the 2016 BUBS session).
---

November 29

Wrist work (yellow elastic, doubled green bands).  Two leg wobble board (balances, rocks side to side, rocks forward and back, rotations, some slow deep squats).  2x30 squats on the floor. 

Program 5 - Adductors, hamstrings, hip flexors, back bend

I decided to make sure I was warmed up and nicely insulated to keep the heat in the muscles today.  That was a wise decision and I see why it’s recommended. 

Having read about Matt's experience with his hamstrings and nerve sensations in his log https://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1843-matts-movement-log/&_rid=6861#findComment-24227 and Kit's reply https://kitlaughlin.com/forums/index.php?/topic/1843-matts-movement-log/&_rid=6861#findComment-24229  about muscles and nerve stretch sensations, I decided to explore very bent knees in the elephant walk.  I'm reasonably sure that the intensity of the sensation I feel in the elephant walk isn't nerve related since it's the entire length of my hamstring, but the correction is probably the same.

To avoid getting into the stretch where the sensation is maximized already (when my chest just touches the thighs), today I started in the bottom of a squat went up from there with my chest already touching my thighs to see when the stretch in the hamstrings started and then continued until I had a good stretch.  The experience taught me that I need a lot more bend in my knees than I thought to be able to stay relaxed while I'm stretching the hamstrings.  There was also a pleasant little stretch in my lower back that I’ve never noticed when doing any forward bends before.  Adding the leg straightening action intensified the stretch and also caused a little bit of shaking (quad fatigue I think), but I was able to keep my belly soft and relax the muscles that weren't actively involved in the stretch.  

I found the tailor pose enjoyable.  I have a long way to go before my knees will reach the floor, but I was able to pull them down a few times while relaxing into the stretch on my out breaths. 

The wide leg elephant walk felt less intense than the regular version.  It might be that the elephant walks and tailor pose just before opened up more range of motion than I was expecting, or just that I stayed relaxed while doing it and was a little more rested going into it.  It makes me wonder a little bit how much I associate tension or exertion with progress or achievement in other activities even when it’s counterproductive.  Something I’ll try to be mindful of going forward.  

I felt the lunge in the hamstring of the front leg again today and the top of the hip flexors in the stretched leg.  I was more relaxed about it today and felt the hip flexors open up a little bit more on each out breath.

The back bend on the cushion didn’t seem to have much stretch for me.  I noticed just the beginning of a stretch in my chest when I opened my arms up, but I think I need to find something a bit higher to deepen the stretch.

Lying relaxation practice (day 3 of the 2016 BUBS session).  I enjoyed the instructions this one had, a little less effortful than some of the others I've done. 

[Kit_L]

2 hours ago, Ned said:

The experience taught me that I need a lot more bend in my knees than I thought to be able to stay relaxed while I'm stretching the hamstrings. 

This is true for the vast majority of people I have taught this to, @Ned. And when you're more relaxed (which always happens to some extent if the sensations are weaker) then you can feel more.

Thanks for commenting, too; between you and @Matt Chung, readers are really getting a feeling of what these positions and practises should feel like. Thank you.

[Ned]

November 30

Lying relaxation practice. It turns out the one that isn’t labelled with a day 1, 2, or 3 is the first session.  I suspected that might be the case, but didn’t notice it until after I’d already done day 1.
---

December 1

Today’s session was longer than usual.  I had some significant tension and some new knots on the right side of my upper back in the trapezius and some of the muscles underneath and around it when I woke up this morning.  In contrast to any other time in memory when I've woken up to similar experiences, I'm intrigued instead of (or more accurately in addition to being) annoyed by these sensations.  What do they really feel like?  Is it actually pain or just discomfort?  Is it discomfort or just tension?  How do the sensations change over time?  What happens when I try breathing into the spots?  Can I put awareness into the spots and relax them?  No point in getting more tense about it. 

I spent some time in the bottom of a squat and explored range of motion (somewhat limited on the right, but not so much the left) and where I was tight to limber it up a bit with reaching and some gentle rotation.  I used the lacrosse ball on the right side of my upper back and chest for a while afterwards.  I've been thinking for a few days now that I may need to do some chest stretches to stop the forward pull on my shoulders.  I did some stick walks and single leg wobble board balances to warm up my feet a bit.  I find balance work generally pretty conducive to relaxation since it's very hard to hold tension while balancing.

Program 7 – Foot sequence
I’ve done this foot sequence on youtube a few times so the general movements from the course are ones I’m familiar with.  I’m still struggling to get my right little toe to spread under conscious control, but the other 9 are getting reasonably good at it now.  I’m also amazed at how much less intense the sensations are when interlocking my fingers with my toes, it’s still strong, but it’s much easier to relax into it now.  I find it’s easiest to put 2-3 fingers in between the toes, remove them, and then put them all back in.  It loosens them up enough that it's easier to fit them all in.  My fingers are more solidly interlocked with the toes than the first time I tried it, but it's going to be a long time before can use the base of my fingers as separators.  The standing position made it easier for me than the floor position for the top of foot and 90 degree toe stretches.  The top of the foot stretch is quite intense towards my ankles and not so much on my toes, but that will likely change in time too. 

I was planning to do program 6 in a couple days when my back returned to normal.  But it felt pretty good after the foot sequence and some more gentle spine movements seemed quite appealing so I went ahead with it knowing that I could always stop if it didn’t feel good. 

Program 6 - Side bend, rotation, hip flexor plus quad, spine flexion

The standing side bend today was felt very good.  My right lat got a very nice stretch when I brought the right arm across the front of the body.  The stretch on my right side was a little stronger than on the left for this one today. 

I’ve never done this kind of leaning slightly back rotation—usually I’m a little more vertical—and it brought a little more stretch on the front of the body which was quite welcome. 

The hip flexor + quad stretch was nice, I think I may need to get rid of the mat or find something lower because my right knee seems to dig in quite a bit in a way that’s not entirely pleasant when it’s supported that way (the left is fine).  I have more range of motion in the hip flexors now than when I started for sure, maybe not a lot more, but I notice it when I stand and walk.  Adding the quad stretch into the lunge felt surprisingly good.  As time goes on, my reaction to new positions is less panic and tension and more curiosity and relaxation. 

The spine flexion was lovely as well.  Having learned from the elephant walks and heeding Olivia's instruction to have the knees quite bent, I started with very bent legs and gradually worked them forward until I was just before the point where I'd start to feel it in my hamstrings.  Keeping torso-thigh contact makes such a big difference in my range of motion, and my ability to relax. 

This program was just what I needed today. 

I did a shorter lying relaxation practice. 

[Kit_L]

7 hours ago, Ned said:

Lying relaxation practice. It turns out the one that isn’t labelled with a day 1, 2, or 3 is the first session.  I suspected that might be the case, but didn’t notice it until after I’d already done day 1.

The numbering system is somewhat confused, but in fact https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/lying-relaxation-scripts/2016-KL-YogaNidra-sensations-BUBS.mp3 and https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/lying-relaxation-scripts/2016-KL-YogaNidraDay-BUBS.mp3 are a pair, in this order, and are not explicitly connected with the first four. If you like them, they can be done any time. The first of these (the one with "sensations" in the name) is an attempt to reinforce the lessons of the first four days. I can expand on this if needed.

[Ned]

Thanks Kit, I downloaded them all at once and they sorted themselves by name.  I'll switch to sort it by date so it should match the order on the relaxation wiki going forward.  I do like the these longer sessions.

[Ned]

December 2
Slushy snow shovelling.  Wrist work (yellow elastics, doubled green band).

Lying relaxation practice.
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December 3
Wrist work (yellow elastics, doubled green band). 

In the introduction it was suggested that to get the most from this course one should go back and redo module 1 after finishing it.  As curious as I am about module 2, I’m starting again from the beginning.  I may do some more days with two programs, depending on how I'm feeling and how much time I have, but today is not one of those days. 

Program 1 - Spine flexion, extension, rotation, hip flexors, side bend, hip

The spinal flexion and extension exercises felt quite gentle today.  I’ve been doing a fair amount of both movements as limbering exercises and the range of motion in the chair isn’t quite as much as I get on the floor.  But it’s also a markedly different exercise than the first time I tried it.  I'm less concerned about maximizing how far I can go, and more concerned about how it feels and can I relax while I'm doing it. 

The rotation exercise felt quite nice today.  I think I didn’t go quite so far as the first time I did it (or maybe it’s similar depth and it feels more relaxed).  I’m okay either way, the important part to me was noticing how it felt and relaxing into it.  There’s a tight spot on my middle back when I turned to the right that I spent a bit time breathing into. 

The hip flexor stretch today felt odd.  I think my chair isn’t great for it since it’s not the most stable of things and the angle it makes with my back isn’t one I’m used to being in.  When I have to sit in a chair, I tend to sit on the front part with my back upright and unsupported, or else on the whole seat of the chair but sitting on it cross-legged like I would on the floor.  A lot of the sensation for me in this one was quadriceps, but it’s awareness much more than stretch for sure.  There was a little bit in the knee as well--like the standing one in program 2 when the pelvis isn't tucked. 

I didn’t go anywhere near as deep in the side bend as the first time.  I just tried to focus on relaxing while I did them.  I think I like the kneeling one the most of the ones I've tried so far.  It's a little more stable than the standing version, and it seems to stretch my sides with a little more intensity than this one does--I'm able to bend very far with this one, but it doesn't seem to stretch my side so it could well be an alignment issue or just that my chair doesn't let me hang off the arm quite right. 

I felt the hip exercise in the bottom of my hips, and also running a little bit up the sides of my lower back today.  It was a much more significant stretch than the first time I did this one.  When stretching the left hip, I also felt a bit of a stretch in my right trapezius around a tight spot there which otherwise felt normal both yesterday and today.  I may add an extra rest day in before my next session.

Lying relaxation practice.

[Matt Chung]

> Lying relaxation practice.

> In the introduction it was suggested that to get the most from this course one should go back and redo module 1 after finishing it.  As curious as I am about module 2, I’m starting again from the beginning.  I may do some more days with two programs, depending on how I'm feeling and how much time I have, but today is not one of those days. 

Ned, you're nailing it. I regret not starting the relaxation practice sooner despite that being one of the top suggestions from seasoned ST folks. Even now, I still struggle to incorporate the lying relaxation into practice but seeing you mention it encourages me to try again (and after a couple weeks of falling off the bandwagon, was able to reinstate it into my practice yesterday: so thanks for that).

I'm equally inspired by your ability to resist the urge to restart module 1 despite being curious about 2, and listening to your body (i.e. how you're feeling and how much time you have).

Let's go! 👊

 

[Ned]

> Even now, I still struggle to incorporate the lying relaxation into practice but seeing you mention it encourages me to try again (and after a couple weeks of falling off the bandwagon, was able to reinstate it into my practice yesterday: so thanks for that)

I'm glad you're encouraged to do them again.  I don't always want to do them before I start a session, but I'm always glad that I did it afterwards and the more of them I do, the less resistance I find to doing them. 

> I'm equally inspired by your ability to resist the urge to restart module 1 despite being curious about 2, and listening to your body (i.e. how you're feeling and how much time you have).

That one was much harder for me, which is part of why I decided to do it.  I'm also sure that I'll end up getting quite a lot more out of it than I did the first time.  That's particularly true of the first few programs since my approach has changed a lot from when I started, in no small part thanks to some of the insights I got from reading your log.  It's also sunk in that this is going to be a multi-year process and the only way I'll be able to stick with it over time is if I can give myself the grace to take my time and enjoy the process.  I'm also starting to understand that my impatience to get somewhere other than where I am is itself a source of tension that's counterproductive to developing grace and ease in the body.  Being able to recognize, see the effects of, embrace, laugh about (in a kind way), and hopefully to ultimately let go of that impatience and the tension it adds, is a new part of my practice in this go through module 1 too. 

[Ned]

December 4

Regular squat movement explorations and just hanging out there for a while, I'm noticing the front of my shins tend to be the first thing to get tired here.  I’m wondering if that’s an ankle mobility issue or maybe a strength deficit in that muscle.  3/side one leg squat slow negatives and 10s isometric holds in the bottom position and just above the bottom position.  Wrist work (yellow elastic, doubled green band).  Stick work on calves/hamstrings.  

Lying relaxation practice.
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December 5
 ~5km of cross country skiing. 

Program 2 - Quads, spine extension, lunge, flexion

The pelvic movements today feel a little more usual, and I have a much better appreciation for how important they are in how different stretches feel.  I felt a little pleasant stretch on the inside of my right thigh running down to my knee (maybe gracilis) during some of the side-to-side pelvic movements.  

I enjoyed the quad stretches today.  There is overall less pulling sensation in my knees and more stretch through the quadriceps.  I didn’t need the strap today.  I did this stretch often as a kid, but I’m still quite far away from the flexibility I had in this area then so on the stretched leg, my knee stays a little further forward than the standing one.  

The back bend felt pleasant today.  I still find it a little convoluted to get into compared to just actively bringing the curve in and then relaxing onto my elbows, but I see why not doing that it important so I follow the method of no (or less) back tension.  

The lunge today was a very pleasant stretch.  I’m working on keeping my hips square throughout the movement, but my enjoyment of the position is much improved from my first attempt.  I also had a little more depth than when I started, part of that might be the warm-up (post-ski stretching), but I think some is also an increased familiarity helping me to relax into what I’m doing.  The first time I tried this stretching going deeper on an out breath just wasn't happening at all, whereas with this one I could keep increasing the depth by relaxing until the last out breath.  There was also much less tightness in my right hamstring when it was the forward leg than the first time I did this stretch.

The C-shape exercise was pleasant.  I added in a few small pushes forward with each leg during this one today.  Remarkably, I could feel the stretch in my upper back when I did that at about the same intensity on each side in turn.  The first time I added those movements I couldn’t feel any stretch on the left side at all so things are definitely loosening up from where I started.

Lying relaxation practice. 

[Matt Chung]

> It's also sunk in that this is going to be a multi-year process and the only way I'll be able to stick with it over time is if I can give myself the grace to take my time and enjoy the process.  I'm also starting to understand that my impatience to get somewhere other than where I am is itself a source of tension that's counterproductive to developing grace and ease in the body

In regards to this (stretching and flexibility) being a multi-year process, I agree and I've radically accepted that (for me) it's both a multi-process year process and a lifestyle change. And I'm right there with you in regards to impatience — I think many of us fall into that camp. I think that's normal and who wouldn't want fast progress and results right away?

This discussion reminds me of another individual on the forum who stated he wanted to just (more or less) speed through the process (again, I see a lot of myself in him), to which Kit responded with:

"Just wanting to get it over and done with" is exactly why it's not working for you. The attitude you bring creates the resistance you feel in your body. I guarantee zero progress with this approach. If you really don't want to do it (for whatever reason) then don't. Life is much simpler if you approach it directly like this."

 

[Kit_L]

21 hours ago, Ned said:

I'm noticing the front of my shins tend to be the first thing to get tired here.  I’m wondering if that’s an ankle mobility issue or maybe a strength deficit in that muscle. 

Likely both—remember that the anterior tibialis is working hard, in its contracted range of movement, to hold the shins forward, against whatever ankle flexibility limitations are there. Try doing a bent-knee calf stretch before you squat, and see if this helps. And that muscle tiring in that position will definitely make it stronger, in time. All good, here, and thanks to @Matt Chung for quoting me (sounds a bit harsh on re-reading, but sadly is 100% accurate!). :)

[Ned]

Thanks Kit, I'll give that a try.

[Ned]

December 6
Recovery from skiing.

Lying relaxation practice.  
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December 7

I still have a fair bit of residual soreness from skiing in my adductors, hips, and little bit in the triceps.  I’m going to do program 4 instead of program 3 since my shoulders and neck both feel pretty good, but my legs need more recovery time before stretching them.  I did some gentle limbering with them both yesterday and today, but nothing significant. 

I’m going to give Kit’s suggestion for the bent-knee calf stretch before squatting a try the next time I squat, but that will likely be tomorrow or the day after.  

I have a little bit of residual shoulder fatigue that I became aware of when doing the shoulder mobility drills.  My range of motion is seems good with these circles and it’s a nice warm up.  I noticed a little bit of stiffness at the beginning that limbered out as I did the movements.  

The neck mobility exercises felt very nice today.  I was able to tune in a little more to the sensations of the muscles in the neck while doing them.  The looks to the side are still smooth, so I think that change is for good which is very nice.  I felt a little bit of a stretch in the upper back as I did the looking over one shoulder to the other shoulder half circles, but it wasn’t significant other than feeling good.

The hold the edge of a wall shoulder exercise felt somewhat more intense than the first time I did it.  I was also able to relax into that intensity a little more than the first time through.  I think I’m not quite as loose today as I was the first time, but it may be that I’m just exploring deeper into the movement.  There were a few times when I thought I was as relaxed as I could be and then on an out breath discovered that I could relax quite a bit more.  

In the reaching the arm over the shoulder exercise, I have a pretty limited range of motion.  Even using the wall-supported version my upper arm just won’t go anywhere near vertical when the elbow is bent.  I think part of that may be related to some tightness in some of my chest muscles, but there’s a slight feeling in the back of my shoulder that I should be activating or relaxing some muscle there and can’t yet for whatever reason.  This is one for me to work on in the longer term.  My left shoulder is a little bit looser than the one on my right.  

In the arms overhead stretch, I had a little more intensity than the last time.  I think my chair position was better this time.  There was a nice stretch through my chest and some through my shoulders as well.

I have fair range of motion with neck movements—especially up down ones.  I spend a decent amount of time walking and tend to look both down at where I’m going and up at the sky so I suspect that maintains a reasonable range of motion.  It’s good to move mindfully though, the slow deliberate pace definitely increases my awareness of the sensations that are present.

Lying relaxation practice.

[Kit_L]

4 hours ago, Ned said:

I felt a little bit of a stretch in the upper back as I did the looking over one shoulder to the other shoulder half circles,

Completely normal (have a look at the anatomy of trapezius).

4 hours ago, Ned said:

there’s a slight feeling in the back of my shoulder that I should be activating or relaxing some muscle there and can’t yet for whatever reason

Try stretching those cramping muscles at the back by holding your arm horizontal and reaching the arm as far off the body towards the front as you can before you try that movement you're describing.

Nice going.

[Ned]

Thanks Kit, that made all the difference.  I still have a lot of work to do on increasing my range of motion there, but it feels like there's space for the stretch now.

[Ned]

December 8
Wrist work (yellow elastic, double green bands).  

Lying relaxation practice.
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December 9

Bent-knee calf stretch.  My knees can go quite far out over my toes in this one, quite a bit farther than I’d typically go in a flat footed squat.  I felt some pulling in some tendons/ligaments in my right ankle probably from a bad sprain I had 14-15 years ago.  I thought I’d rehabbed it well enough, but evidently it needs more so I’ll have to revisit my calf/ankle exercises and try to incorporate a few more movements or expand the range of motion that to strengthen it up some more. 

My squat felt fairly usual afterwards, I’ve been able to go to I think rock bottom (hamstrings resting on the back of my calves) for a while now (8-12 months maybe) with my back straight but I haven’t spent a lot of time in the position until relatively recently.  My tibialis anterior was still the main source of fatigue today, although it took a little longer for it to develop.  I did some forward rocks at the bottom and I have 5-10 degrees more in my ankles' range of motion before my heels start to feel like they’ll come off the floor if I tilt farther (much more intensity with with the tibialis anterior there though).  I’ll keep spending time in the position, incorporate some more ankle work, and then see how things go in the next few months. 
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Program 3 - Calf, piriformis, hamstrings, flexion

This was wonderful to go through today. My first time through this program I over did it by a lot and as a result didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I could have.  I’m glad I waited the extra days rather than trying to push through it a couple days ago because it was just the right thing for how I was feeling today.  I can feel that I’ve stretched (in a good way) and I ended the session much more relaxed than I started it.

The initial forward bends were more pleasant than the first time when I just tried to go as far as I physically could force myself to go.  Today, I stopped trying to get somewhere and just enjoyed the gradual increase in stretch sensation as I went down farther.  I had a bit of stiffness initially, but going slow and relaxing into it limbered me up a bit.

The calf stretch was pleasant.  I spent some time with all my weight on each stretching leg to get a little more intensity there.  My calves feel tighter today (even after the bent-knee calf stretch) than they were on my first time through this program, but I’m also starting to get a better idea of what tension that I’m normally unaware of feels like during a stretch, so it could also be that.  

In the piriformis stretch I have more tension on the right side than the left, but not a great deal.  This one is much less intense than the bent leg version, but I found that by moving my foot position a little I can change the intensity a little.  I’m finding it easier to relax while stretching than when I started.  I’m also finding that while I’m stretching I’m less judgmental about the sensations and how intense it is compared to some other day or position, it’s just the sensation of what I’m doing at the time and some exploration of how that changes if I move in different ways.  The comparisons about which versions I prefer or how far I went tend to come later when I start putting words to the experience afterwards. 

The elephant walk today was wonderful.  A little bit of a burn in my quads towards the end as I straightened my legs to the less bent positions.  I also didn’t worry about depth or anything as long as my belly could stay on my thighs and I was able to relax.  My hamstrings feel pleasantly stretched without being over-stretched.  I felt a little stretch in my lower back, which I’m glad about since I didn’t seem able to stretch there at all until recently and it’s very pleasant to experience it.

The flexion felt nice.  I did the c-shape on the floor rather than the chair flexion because it felt right at the moment.  

The final forward fold with straight legs felt good.  I started on the sides of my blocks, moved to flat blocks, then onto my fingertips, and ended quite comfortably with my fists on the floor.  It was quite a bit farther than the initial forward fold today and I stayed relaxed the whole time.  I’m noticing that my lower back is also just starting to fold into these a little more than it used to even when my legs are straight which is fascinating.  I noticed some of the tension that’s keeping it from folding more for the first time today.  I didn’t do anything other than notice it, but that awareness is nice to have.  

Lying relaxation practice.