Here you will find articles, newsletters and web links for yoga teachers. The YogaUK.com website was founded in 1999 by Andrea Newman to support and connect heart-centred yoga teachers who work hard to serve their local communities. All yoga teachers are welcome, from anywhere in the world.
Optimising flexibility
β Yoga is well known as a great way to increase and maintain flexibility in the body and mind. In fact improving flexibility is one of the main reasons why people attend yoga classes.
When joints become stiff, the body loses flexibility. The positive side of this is that we gain some stability in affected parts of the body. But overall, any stiffness in the body produces lack of fluidity in movement and a loss of stability and adaptability in the body as a whole. What is flexibility? Flexibility in the body can be defined as the capability of the joints to move freely and efficiently through a full range of motion (ROM). For example the ankle joint is a hinge joint, only able to flex and extend, and only to a limited degree, while the hip joint can flex, extend, abduct, adduct, and externally and internally rotate and can make relatively big movements.
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β We develop stiffness in movement after weβve had a period of immobility due to injury, illness or other trauma. Even just a few days in bed quickly leads to stiffness. Stiffness can also creep in because of ageing, dehydration and lifestyle changes. Flexibility will be lost when there is any chronic illness that reduces joint movement, such as arthritis, or the existence of scar tissue after injury. Stiffness also arises simply from having a sedentary lifestyle and not moving enough.
β When a joint is under-used over a longer period of time, this can lead to lack of blood flow and dehydration of the tissues, which makes the fascia surrounding the joint less pliable and less able to repair itself. Lack of movement also increases the possibility of adhesions β where layers of fascia stick to each other β which limits movement.
β In yoga classes it is useful to include a range of practices that mobilise all the joints in the body to maintain fascial health and increase mobility. Particularly since even active people may have certain movements that they rarely do in everyday life.
β Muscle tension Another cause of limited flexibility is muscle tension which restricts joint movement. Muscles support and move joints, but can sometimes hold the joints a little too much and fail to let go when not needed. This can be due to injury, but is very often associated with stress. Tight muscles will limit joint movement. Stretching them out in yoga practice, gently and kindly, while breathing and relaxing, will help them to learn to let go.
β β Developing flexibility and resilience, hypermobility, immobility after injury, static vs dynamic poses, isolated movements and limbers, and useful philosophical teaching themes to support the development of flexibility. Any questions? Do ask at a Q&A meeting on Zoom, or in a chat space in the community hub. Community news Talking points At the June Q&A meeting, we discussed personal topics of exploration and teaching challenges. One teacher told of her experiences working with a student dealing with emotional trauma and its physical manifestations. Patanjali 2:33 on positive thinking was also raised in the group for reflection and different interpretations and ideas were shared. We talked about the anatomy of knee stabilisation in reclined pigeon, and also some recent βwinsβ and successes in our yoga teaching this month. See a more detailed summary in the Q&A Follow-On chat space here where you can add your own thoughts and comments on these topics. The next three Zoom Q&A meetings are: Saturday 13th July 10-11am Friday 30th Aug 1-2pm Saturday 21st Sept 10-11am Log in to the community hub for further dates, to say you're coming, to get email reminders, and to access the Zoom links - link from your Dashboard at yogauk.com. Back pain workshop This workshop on Saturday 26th October is free of charge to community members - log in to the community hub and look in the 'Events' space to say you're coming and access the Zoom link. "Itβs precisely those who are busiest who most need to give themselves a break."β β love and light, β Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to any yoga teacher friends or colleagues who might be interested in any of the content. They can sign up to receive newsletters to their own inbox at www.yogauk.com If you are not a yoga teacher, or if you'd like to pause the Newsletters, please select the 'Preferences' link below and mark accordingly. You can alter these any time if your circumstances change. You can unsubscribe from Yoga Teaching and Learning at yogauk.com at any time using the link below. Note that unsubscribing will cancel any course or community enrolments you have and you will lose access to those. For technical enquiries email support@yogauk.com
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Yoga Teaching and Learning
Here you will find articles, newsletters and web links for yoga teachers. The YogaUK.com website was founded in 1999 by Andrea Newman to support and connect heart-centred yoga teachers who work hard to serve their local communities. All yoga teachers are welcome, from anywhere in the world.
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