The 3 bears have found the edge.
I hope you have heard the story about Goldilocks and the three bears, otherwise this analogy is going to be lost on you.
Goldilocks and the three bears
In the story Goldilocks goes into the three bear’s house while they are away and there were:
- Three bowls of porridge that she sampled with one too hot, one too cold and one just right.
- Three chairs that she sat in with one too large, one too small and one just right.
- And Three beds that she laid down on. One too hard, one too soft and one just right.
And then the three bears came home and . . . The story carries on from there.
So what does this have to do with yoga!
Its the same with your yoga practice
- Your ego pushes you and you try too hard and the practice will be painful, uncomfortable and you will become discouraged.
- You can be too gentle and the practice will be boring and you will not get much benefit from it.
- And then you can challenge the body just enough such that you get the most benefit from your practice without any pain or discomfort.
The third choice above the “just right” practice can be easily achieved when you know about something called the edge and how to find it and use it.
What is the edge
Entering, holding, and releasing a yoga posture. These are the three elements of all yoga postures. The holding part is the key to finding the edge.
The edge is the healthy limit of your body’s flexibility. It is the place where your mind is naturally focused. Coming into a stretch, you subject the muscle tissues to a force that pulls their component parts back into alignment. As the stretch reaches it maximum, you place the tissues under a healthy stress that releases muscle tension and stimulates the body to expand its range of motion. At this point there are paradoxical feelings of pleasure and discomfort, and your awareness of your body is naturally heightened.
This is your edge, and stretching beyond it begins to strain tissues and joints. If you stop short of the edge, the stretch does not release deep-seated tension and feels less than fulfilling. Any more stretch would be too much and any less would not be enough.
Too Hard – Going beyond the edge
Going over your edge brings pain, which is a clear signal from the nervous system that damage is occurring. If you force yourself into stretches beyond your body’s capacity to tolerate, your practice will create tension instead of releasing it, and you may injure yourself in the process.
Too Soft – Staying away from the edge
Habitually practicing well short of your edge often reflects an unwillingness to put out energy and fully feel whatever is there for you in the stretch. You may avoid discomfort, but your progress quickly plateaus and you find yoga boring.
Just Right – Coming to the edge
Practicing at the relaxed side of your edge, you can breathe deeply and safely, explore the posture with a level of intensity that makes it an enjoyable challenge. Over time, your body’s limits expand and your edge moves steadily forward until you reach a healthy range of motion.
Entering a posture and finding the edge
You move consciously into a posture with the breath. Body and breath awareness may lead you to enter a challenging posture in stages, working yourself into a deep stretch gradually by gently pulsing in and out of the posture a few times with the flowing breath before entering it fully.
This is not the “ballistic stretching” where you bob and bounce to apply a serve force to the tissues. Rather you listen to the feedback from your body taking a little time to acclimate to the stretch you are about to experience. This approach will take you deeper into the posture, and with better alignment, than if you charge right in.
Moving the edge
The edge is not a static place. As you hold in a posture at the edge and breathe, you will often find your edge moving forward, allowing you to come deeper into the posture than initially possible. Many people find that after about five breaths that the posture becomes easier to hold and that it is possible to extend the stretch a little further. It takes about five breaths for the body to recognize that the stretch is not a threat but an opportunity to let go and be nurtured.
Summary
Listen to the prompting of your body, and it will guide you into micro-movements specifically designed for you. Micro-movements are small slow-motion movements that naturally emerge from the body as you ease into and hold a yoga posture. They will modify or extend the stretch, allowing you to release even more tension from a broader area of the body.
Next Steps
Let me know how you make out finding your edge.
