When I think of stretching, it brings back bad memories of high school–when I missed out on the President’s Award for Physical Fitness two years in a row because of my lack of flexibility. Until recently, I’ve avoided the dreaded “sit and reach” like the plague. I cannot ever remember having any “hamstring” flexibility at all–or flexibility of any kind, for that matter. During the process of trying to (re)gain mobility, I continue to bump up against this obstacle.
In an attempt to overcome this aversion, I did a bit of research. I found a couple of things, have been putting them into to practice, and they’ve helped tremendously.
- Breathing
- Binaural Beats
By breathing, I’m referring to using the breath to switch gears from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest).
Why is this important?
The autonomic nervous controls lots of things–things which you cannot control with your frontal lobe. Anyone with a phobia can attest that there’s no thinking your way out of a panic attack, for example. This does not mean that this subconscious system can’t be manipulated at all, though. In this sense, the breath can be used as a bridge between the body and the mind.
Here’s what I’ve found success with so far.
Breathing
While in stretching position:
- Breathe in deeply through the nose.
- Exhale very slowly through the mouth using a “metered” exhalation.
- For a “metered” exhalation, act like you’re going to whistle–or even tighter lips–and slowly push the air out (this exhalation can last as long as 30-40 seconds, but start slowly).
- At the end of the exhalation, make sure to push out as much air as possible (try to empty the lungs).
- That’s it. Start back with a deep, deep inhalation through the nose, which will be very welcome after the long, complete exhalation.
Binaural Beats
As you are stretching using the breathing technique above, consider listening to binaural beats. All you’ll need is a phone with earbuds (which are required). I don’t claim to understand the science behind this, but these beats are thought to have an effect on the brain state (gamma, beta, theta, etc.). I use an app that has presets, and while stretching, I use the “relaxation” setting.
I have made really good progress stacking the breathing and binaural beats. The key is to make the switch to “rest and digest” before and during stretches. This may take time, by the way. I’ve been spending at least five minutes per stretch lately.
If you know of any other ways to improve stretching, please let me know.
Thanks for reading!
Pensador Body 