As a massage student I fell in love with anatomy. Our class built clay models on manikins of all the muscles of the body, connecting each muscle with clay tendons to bones an
d clay ligaments to other muscles. In the end, you could not remove a single muscle independently. To remove one muscle from the manikin, the entire muscular system was effected.
This model showed how easy it is to become imbalanced.
Yoga has a wonderful way of bringing our bodies back into balance — mindfully. Our bodies are happiest in the anatomical position: standing upright, feet about hip-width distance, bones stacked on top of each other, arms at our side with palms facing forward. In other words, Mountain Pose or it’s relaxing counterpart, Savasana.
From Mountain Pose, bending just a few inches to the right engages muscular action. Our muscles move eccentrically and concentrically. The muscle movement of the rig
ht obliques is concentric. Those muscles shorten. The movement of the left obliques is eccentric. That set of muscles lengthens to allow the movement.
Most of the muscle movements of the body work in pairs just like this. Strengthening the concentric and eccentric muscle movements keeps the body in alignment. Moving mindfully between asana begins to strengthen this movement.
Let’s look at another example where gravity plays a bigger role: the forward fold. It is easy to see how gravity can assist pulling us forward. Once you’ve warmed up your body, allow yourself to forward fold without using muscle control. Just let gravity pull you forward. Next go into a forward fold slowly. Engage the muscles of the abdominal region, including the low back. Our stomach muscles work concentrically to pull us forward. Our back muscles act eccentrically, lengthening to allow the movement. Notice the quality of movement as well as the final forward fold. Is there a difference?
Move to the seated position, dandasana. Sitting up tall with the crown of the head reaching upwards. Move into a forward fold. Take a moment to notice where you are in your fold. Move back to the starting position.
Next, engage the stomach muscles. Using the stomach muscles to pull you forward into a seated forward fold with your legs extended. Allow your back muscles to release, extending the forward fold. With each inhale focus on increasing length in your back muscles. With each exhale focus on contracting the stomach muscles to pull you deeper into the pose. After you’ve gone as far as you can, notice where you are. Are you deeper in the fold? How does your body feel in this forward fold compared to the movement just a minute ago?
This applies to everyday life…
Gravity works on our bodies all day long. If you don’t believe me, check the rear-view mirror in your car first thing in the morning and at the end of the day. Need any adjustments? Other repetitive actions also work on our bodies all day long. The best example is using a keyboard…like the one I’m using right now. The longer I type the more my shoulders round forward, shortening the muscles in my chest and lengthening the muscles in my upper back, creating an imbalance. The chest muscles become shortened and tight. The back muscles become stretch-weakened. That is they do not work as well because they are stretched out, which leads to being stressed out. (Ha ha – or is it LOL)
This imbalance has kept me in business for years as a massage therapist, but there’s a better way: strengthening the concentric/eccentric muscular movements and focusing on better posture. Take “posture breaks” throughout the day at scheduled times, like when you receive a text or phone call. Check your posture, then answer the phone.
In your yoga practice, strengthen the upper back muscles. Control the movement by slowing down in chaturanga and plank. Think eccentrically for every pose. How can I control the movement with the muscles doing the movement and the muscles allowing the movement?
This is the beginning to finding muscular balance in the body.
