Yahoo Lifestyle Yoga Poses for Flexibility
Your flexibility doesn’t actually depend on your 600 muscles. It’s related to the versatility of eight joints—and to the unique shape of the 206 bones responsible for their range of motion. To stay supple, you need to focus on the connective tissues instead of on the muscles—which is where yin yoga, or Taoist yoga, can help. This discipline respects the individual’s skeletal limitations, so it’s great for walkers.
No matter how inflexible your body may feel now, you’ll love the sensation of improving your range of movement. “The fact that someone can bend farther than you doesn’t mean she’s healthier,” says anatomy scholar and Taoist yoga teacher Paul Grilley. “It’s only in relation to your own skeleton that you can ask, ‘Am I flexible and strong enough?’”
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Yin yoga enables you to exercise deep bundles of tension in your key joints. (In this workout, we focus on your hips, knees and ankles.) “You’ll get the best results (and a huge buzz!) if you regularly and routinely take your body through whatever range of motion your bones allow,” says Grilley. Practising yin yoga will help you wake up every day without stiffness, and your stride will feel easier—more capable—whatever your walking routine.
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To increase energy flow and limber up, work one set of joints every day, or do all of the poses in one sequence. Hold each pose for 3 minutes, working your way up to 20 minutes if possible. You’ll probably notice that each pose stretches more than just the joint it’s targeting—which is good news for your mood and for your flexibility.
Remember: if a pose feels painful, or if it feels as though your bones are blocking movement, try the suggested modification (which we’ve listed when relevant) or skip it altogether. Don’t worry if you’re unable to do the harder move—all stretching is beneficial. Let’s get started.
Download Yoga Moves Part 1 Here
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