Most guys want to get quick results, so I am occasionally asked, “What is the best way to get flexible fast? If there’s one thing I should do, what is it?”
Most people expect me to recommend a specific yoga posture, or an intensive course of Sun Salutes, so the answer I give often surprises them – “Meditate”
The simple fact is that the current state of your body can be traced back to your inner, mental state. That might sound a bit confusing, so let’s look a little closer.
Perhaps your diet isn’t too great, you eat things that you know aren’t good for you. This is down to choice, which is governed by your beliefs and your ability to stick to what you say you are going to do. Meditation can help with this.
Perhaps you’re not exactly diligent in maintaining a regular regime of yoga or some form of sport or exercise. Again this “laziness” or lack of commitment is down to what’s going on in your head. Meditation can help with this.
Also, and I know this from experience, the more rigid and controlling you are in your attitudes, this will be reflected as rigidity and tightness in your body.
No Asanas, Yet More Flexible?
I‘ve been doing yoga for a good number of years now and in the early days I had a bit of an on-off relationship with it. I knew it was good for me, I knew how amazing I felt after a yoga session, yet still I didn’t get to establishing a regular practice.
However my meditation practice was regular (2 or 3 times per day, in fact) and what amazed me after a few months of absence from doing asanas was that when I finally got my mat out I was more flexible than when I had last practised. To say I was pleasantly amazed would be an understatement.
I asked a meditation teacher about this and discovered that when we experience deeper states of consciousness (such as you do in meditation) products are created in the body which help to super-coat the joints and allow the cells to regenerate much more effectively. In a sense they help the body to operate at a much more efficient, younger level. These are called soma and amrita.
As stress dissolves through meditation this impacts on your body. You will experience much greater calm and relaxation as your normal state, and this will be reflected in greater ease of movement. The deep rest experienced in meditation also encourages the body to throw off toxins and impurities, helping it further.
Meditation For Flexibility
So, if you want great flexibility then make sure you are taking time to go inward. Having an effective meditation technique can make all the difference, and receiving competent guidance is important in ensuring you get the best from the time you are investing in your practice. To find out about the one I do click here.
These benefits I’ve mentioned are also a good reason not to jump out of Corpse Pose quickly at the end of your asana practice.
Make sure you give yourself at least 5 minutes for this. Although Corpse Pose it looks like the position where the least is going on, given the fact that it is normally at the end of your routine, it is one pose where the most is going on, as your body assimilates the work your have just done. So stay for at least 5 and don’t rob yourself of the benefits.
