So what about stretching?

Stretching is a part of almost any fitness regime and can have many benefits. Like any movement practice, stretching needs to be done with due care and attention. Stretching as exercise, without bringing your mind to what you are doing, is likely to lead to strain and injury. There are three reasons we may want to stretch our self. Being clear about which of the three we are engaged with is necessary if we are to approach stretching mindfully.

First, stretching is a way to discover more about our self. By seeking gentleness and ease, exploring for ways to ‘relax into the stretch’, we learn how to reduce unnecessary muscle activity. In this, it is like what we do in an ATM class and requires the same kind of attention. There is no aim to achieve any shape, rather a curiosity about finding the least-effort path which might lead in the direction of making that shape. The fact we are seeking a stretch gives us clear feedback from our senses, and we must back off as soon as the feeling of ease is lost, then try again, each time exploring slight variations. The result is increased freedom of movement and better coordination—not because muscles or sinews have lengthened, but because we have learned not to work against our self. With practice we learn to find, and then to hold, the stretch.

Second, we stretch to speed muscle recovery after exercise. Although scientific research has not found a specific link between stretching and sports performance, many people report reduced muscle soreness after exercise if they stretch.  More generally, stretching promotes metabolic activity in parts of our self which are habitually not moving. To achieve this, we need to be competent at isolating the muscle groups that we want to stretch, without causing unnecessary muscle tension elsewhere. Therefore, a pre-requisite is to have mastered the art of stretching in a relaxed way as described above.

Third, we stretch to become more flexible (if that is what we want). This means we aim to change the shape of our fascia—the membranes that enclose our muscles and organs and generally bind our physical body together. It is the mobility and length of the fascia which determine how far we can stretch. While muscle can adapt to new conditions in 6 weeks or so, the fascia need at least 2-3 years. So to increase our flexibility, we need to have mastered the art of stretching in a relaxed way, and then spend years doing deep stretches, held for several minutes. Such stretches should not be done every day, as the fascia need time to recover from each session. Twice a week is about right.

Note that stretching is not equally beneficial for everyone: people with naturally loose fascia (hypermobility) will get less benefit than those (like me) with a tighter body. What I find helpful is not necessarily what you will find helpful.

If we approach stretching mindfully, and not as a chore to be gone through for the sake of our health, we learn to move with more ease, recover faster from exercise, and can over time increase our body’s flexibility.

What have you found useful in combining stretching and self awareness? Please leave a comment.