Contracting Muscles While Stretching

[BayAreaGuy]

Hey everyone, somewhat new student to Yoga and new to this forum.

Anyways, I read in a book (can't remember the name) that if you contract your muscles while stretching (gently apply force the other direction), it will increase your flexibility at a much faster rate.

Are any of you familiar with this? I've been doing this lately and it seems to be working pretty well.

thanks

[InnerAthlete]

if you are referring to contracting a muscle while lengthening it (eccentric contraction in the eyes of kiniesiologists) you are referring to one of the very fundamental properties of yoga asana. So those practicing asana would be familiar with the concept.

However, the question that is of more significance is "what's the rush?".
Yoga is not about becoming more limber more rapidly (generally speaking, though somemay chose this position). Why would a student potentially forego the rich experiential juice of the doing in favor of the transitory "bliss" of mobility?

[BayAreaGuy]

Originally Posted by InnerAthlete

if you are referring to contracting a muscle while lengthening it (eccentric contraction in the eyes of kiniesiologists) you are referring to one of the very fundamental properties of yoga asana. So those practicing asana would be familiar with the concept.

However, the question that is of more significance is "what's the rush?".
Yoga is not about becoming more limber more rapidly (generally speaking, though somemay chose this position). Why would a student potentially forego the rich experiential juice of the doing in favor of the transitory "bliss" of mobility?

Good info

What impact does lengthening the muscles have in terms of strengths and looks? (as veinly asthetic as that sounds)

As far as "what's the rush goes", obviously you know the benifits of flexibility include more energy/blood flow, release of toxins, better mood, and overall better health. Having said that why not increase flexibility as one can? But of course I'm taking things one step at a time and not torturing myself.

thanks

[InnerAthlete]

I have no idea how eccentric muscle contraction affects the look of the exterior body. So I am unable to respond to that. Sorry. Someone else will have to respond on that front.

We have a slightly different view on mobility. It is not random flexibility that results in "more energy/blood flow, release of toxins, better mood, and overall better health". If that were the case every contortionist on the planet would be healthy as a horse.

In yoga we work to mobilize some things while stabilizing others. In fact, I'll take it one step further. It is the overly mobile student who is at greater risk in yoga than the stiff one. The overly mobile student has little action in their body (as a result of hyper mobility) and has a significantly increased risk of connective tissue damage especially in the joints.

Even with this set aside, opening the body with care, progressively, over time, is much healthier than doing it in a week. It cannot be forced even with the lure of the benefits mentioned. When it takes a human being 20 years to create an imbalance in their physical body it is simply inappropriate to "fix" it in a month. It is too much too fast and leads to serious ramifications more times than not.

[BayAreaGuy]

Thanks, and I read the stuff about flexibility letting the blood and energy flow (as well as good health) from a yoga book.