So its Saturday which means a day of resting.
It just so happens to be on the back of a Moon Day. I woke up this morning and felt so stiff and
sore. I managed to drag myself from the warmth of my bed and sat quietly on my
mat. After a few moments of pure silence, I started reciting my prayers. I
would of loved to stay in that moment for a while longer, but with children
around on a non-school day things quickly turned to loud and chaotic. So giving
thanks for the knowledge and guidance I was given. I got up and started my pot
of coffee and just listened as my three year old and my ten year old started to
fight over the smallest things. With a quick intervention from mom they calmed
down and returned to getting along.
As I turned to walk away, I couldn't help
but note how everything in this world needs balance. From relationships to
daily life. As a mom, I find myself always trying to
balance everything. From household chores, to children fighting, to finding that
inner peace, I mean I even find myself balancing on my head. So with screaming hamstrings, I find that I even need to
balance my practice. Since I've started yoga, I find that mostly what I've been
working on is to elongate my hamstrings and open my hips. After two days of not
practicing and doing what my body has became use to, I'm stuck with soreness
and stiffness. Why? Even the internal body needs balance. Just like with our forward
bends, we back bend to counter that motion, bringing our body back into
balance. We practice and rest, bringing ... you guessed it... BALANCE. Even my
screaming hamstrings need balance; a concept I didn't even think about until
now. All this focus on my hammies and now I'm paying for it.. Say hello to my
new friend.. Icy Hot.
So
how do we balance our muscles when one seems to be the prime focus? Just like
all things in this world, even our muscles have an antagonist. If you don't use
the antagonistic muscle, your throwing your body out of order. Like in my case,
my hamstrings, what is the antagonistic muscle to them? The quadriceps. In yoga
we both elongate and strengthen our muscles. But what happens within the
muscles? We are really causing the fibers in our muscles to pull, thin, and
rebuild. Thus giving us strength and flexibility. So by focusing on the
protagonist, in my case the hamstrings, and almost ignoring the antagonist, the
quads, my hamstrings are elongating and my quads are constricting. This can be
very bad. By ignoring one or the other can lead to a very common injury, the ever so evil "pulled muscle". Pulled muscles are not fun, they are
extremely painful and take their time healing. So the best way to avoid
conflict is by targeting both the protagonist and antagonist. Bring balance
back into play.
Best
way method I've found for stiff, sore, tight hamstrings is what I call the
"Burning Squat". I'm pretty sure there might be a yoga pose for my
version of the burning squat but until I know the proper name for it, we'll
just call it that, Burning Squat. It's simple and allows the hamstring to relax
on its own by engaging the quads. I tend to use this on very sore days while
I'm watching TV (like today). Note: I'm not a teacher, nor am I responsible for any damages. If you try this, it is at your own risk! I'm just telling you what works for me. Begin by sitting down on a chair or the sofa with
legs hips distance apart and knees directly over the ankles forming a 90 degree
bend, fold forward with a straight back until your ribs are touching your
thighs, fingers touching the floor in line with your toes. The key to this is
the flat back and your ribs to remain in contact with your thighs. Now lift
your bottom off the chair or sofa, and lift your toes off the floor with your
weight in your heels. Maintain that flat back, coming up to your finger tips if
needed. Now remain here for a while. You should feel your quads begin to burn,
breath through it. I tend to take between 25-30 breaths here, or until my legs
begin to shake. Now your hamstrings might burn a little at first, that is okay
too. Once you've taken as many breaths as you can or can't stand the burning
anymore simply return your toes to the floor and sit back down on your sofa or
chair. I wouldn't remain seated for too long. It is best to get up and walk
around to judge if your hamstrings are still tight and sore. If they are,
simply repeat the burning squat until your hamstrings relax and release.
So
the lesson for today... No matter how focused you are, always bring yourself back
to balance.
"screaming hamstrings" hahaha, you have just described my practice :)
ReplyDeleteNice post!!!
Lol Thanks. =D
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