Flexibility is to provide the 100% capacity to your Skeleton and muscle system for wholesome movement. Our body is similar to a machine, if you ignore the use of any small or big part, it gets rusted and ultimately stops working, causing problem for the whole machinery. Similarly, in daily activities of work, office and home, we use only a limited movements (muscles and joints) of our body, other gets ignored completely. This non-use develops many small and big diseases, malfunctions inside us which converts into ‘Rog’.
How to increase flexibility through Yoga. What exactly do stretching mean? Is Yoga only about flexibility?
To practice Yoga, you don’t need a flexible body beforehand. Yoga helps with improving flexibility in your body. But remember Yoga is ‘not’ just stretching. In this article, the word 'stretching' means elongating and providing length to the muscles and associated structure;making the muscle active.Today let’s learn, what actually is meant by ‘elongating and lengthening of muscle’ and how it improves flexibility, and why it’s important.
We have earlier discussed the structure of bone and muscles to work as one system in article ‘Bone marrow, immunity and Yoga’ (for new readers, click on this link to read). We will talk about muscles and how muscle mechanism work towards stretching and its effect on overall health?
First, let’s understand structure and components of a muscle. Muscle as a whole consists of muscle fibres, muscle pockets, a whole muscle. The connective tissues include ligaments, tendons, and fascia. Together they work to stretch, contract, and to make various movements.
When muscles stretch, length of the muscle will increase, when you contract muscle the length of muscle decreases.
See the figure to understand the muscle structure. Muscles contains individual muscle fibres (Muscle spindle), is attached to bones by Tendon.
We should be wary of increasing flexibility by trying to free bony stops or loosening up joint capsules, cartilaginous restraints, tendons and ligaments.
We can lengthen nerves and bellies of muscles. These two structures run lengthwise through limbs and across joints. It is clear from the figure, that belly of muscle needs to lengthened.
Muscle have to be lengthened only a little to permit a respectable improvement in a joint’s range of motion. Muscle fibres consists of small packets called sarcomere. When you stretch the muscle these pockets give strength to the muscle, to elongate and increase the length. During incorrect pose of asana, if you contract the muscle these pockets disappear and shorten the length of muscle, causing stiffness and low flexibility in long term practice. See the comparison of correct and incorrect posture in the images below.
Pic 1.Parivrtta Janusirsasasna, Observe length of upper body. Pic.2. Pascimottanasna, Observe Length of Spine
Only increasing length of muscle is not enough. A matching expansion of the connective tissue within and around the muscle is also important. Connective tissues as shown in figure includes all tissues surrounding packets of muscle fibers and the wrapping of individual fibres.
We can achieve this with programs of prolonged stretching. The connective tissue gradually follows the lead of muscles. But nerves associated with each muscle fibre is a different issue, as they don’t have the straight course like muscle. The individual fibres wander back and forth within the connective tissue ensheathments of the nerve itself.
Peripheral nerves are sensitive to stretch but are strong enough to limit it. During course of stretching, the complex path of nerves in surrounding tissues and in individual fibers is also straightened. And even after that, the enveloping connective tissue has enough elasticity to allow 10-15% additional stretch without damaging nerve fibers.
In extreme cases of intense stretching more than 10-15% additional stretch, the early warning signs are numbness, sensitivity and tingling. If these signs are ignored, sensory and motor deficits may develop.
Without the protection of the nervous system the tissues will tear muscle fibers, connective tissue fibers and nerves. And this proves that even though connective tissues provide the outermost limits to stretch, it is the nervous system that provides the practical limits in day-to-day life. When we have reached these limits the nervous system warns us through pain, trembling, or simply weakness, and most important, it warns us before the tissues are torn.
Stretching is the process and ways to reach the Yoga asna/posture. The meaning of stretching is to give length to the muscles, connective tissues and peripheral nerve fibers, as and where it is required, within the respectable limit;to provide proper movement of joints and bones.
And to remember nervous system has active role and connective tissues have passive role. Nervous system either permits stretch or limits it.
Why Stretch with Yoga? Stretching is a gradual process to attain certain postures, to give full healthy capacity for movement to your own body;must have patience to work slowly when and if mild symptoms occur. It helps to lengthen the muscles in correct alignment and balance. This require awareness of correct postures and patience. In turn, it will be blissful experience to live with healthy organs and vigor.
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*Excerpts and facts taken from 'Anatomy of Hatha Yoga' by H. David Coutler.