Dear Yoga Student,
Is it possible to be strong AND flexible?
Yes, but it takes effort. You see, strength and flexibility
are the yang and the yin of yoga. If you’re an avid
runner, for example, chances are good that your
hamstrings and calves are really tight and probably
your hips too.
Doesn’t HAVE to be this way, but generally it is.
Here’s why: we tend to over-emphasize yang exercises
(running, strength training, cycling) or perhaps the
opposite with too many yin exercises (deep stretching,
meditation).
Balance is impossible, but it should be the aim.
Here’s why I bring this up: Yoga students often
ask if they should QUIT running or lifting or playing
sports to improve their yoga practice.
Personally, I think that’s crazy.
If you love yang sports, don’t ever give them up.
Physical activity is so powerful for your physical
AND mental health, I’d never restrict yourself (unless
you were getting injuries, of course) just because it
might make your yoga classes easier.
But yeah, it’s true. If you’re a body builder, you’re
really going to struggle with flexibility. No way around
that.
Lifting weights is the ultimate yang practice and
you’d need to at least have a 2-to-1 match with
lifting-to-stretching to balance that out.
So… balance is the aim, you like yang activities,
so what do you do?
HERE YOU GO:
1. For every 60 minutes spent with yang practices,
spend 15 minutes doing deep stretches ideally
when your body is ultra warmed up.
2. Try to determine which area of your body is
getting stiffer from the yang practice (shoulders in
tennis, hamstrings from running, etc) and always
consciously over-emphasize stretching those
areas.
3. Make absolutely sure that you don’t lose flexibility.
Remember, unlike strength, flexibility doesn’t just
disappear on its own. Repetitive yang activities or
lack of activities are what reverse your flexibility so
you want to always keep it in check so you maintain
(or improve) your flexibility continuously.
Hope that’s helpful!
Stay bendy,
Lucas
YOGABODY Naturals LLC
Yoga Protein for a Lean, Strong Body
p.s. If you’ve got questions or comments, you can post
‘em below…
