Worlds Collide: Yoga teaches strength and flexibility, keys to a healthy body structure

In an earlier Free Press article (May 28, 2016), we stressed the importance of maintaining bone mass to avoid or eliminate osteoporosis. It is equally important to balance our strong bones with strong muscles, both of which allow us to safely carry our body weight through any number of physical activities.

In yoga, not unlike weightlifting, we use the asana (posture) practice to build muscle strength through repetitions with short holds. Yoga, unlike weightlifting, uses the body as the weight to lift. Try holding Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) without strong supportive muscles around your joints. Once strength is acquired, the yogi gradually extends these shorter holds from one or two breaths into five or 10 breaths, which begins to create muscle length and joint space. Both of these qualities increase flexibility and thereby enhance mobility.

For practitioners with natural or even extreme flexibility, it is vital to strengthen the muscles surrounding their typically loose or even hyper-extended joints. Ball and socket joints, such as the shoulders and hips, are held in place by a variety of muscles.

The weaker the surrounding muscles are, the greater chance of joint dislocation due to excessive mobility. As you may already know, a dislocated limb is unable to lift or support weight.

Conversely, for yogis with excessively strong musculature and probably limited flexibility, poses such as Urdhva Dhanurasana (see below) become difficult or impossible. In these cases, the yogi lacks the muscle length that provides flexibility and the open joints that provide mobility, both of which allow them to straighten their arms and legs into the upward bow shape. In attempting to avoid all extremes, Buddhist teachings about the Middle Way encourage us away from “either” strength “or” flexibility toward “both/and.”

Yoga also emphasizes the marriage of these two extremes — stability (strength) and ease (flexibility) — as the balancing point for healthy interaction with oneself and the whole of life.

In order to further this quest for inner and outer balance, we use yoga actions to bring awareness into specific muscle, bone and energy pathways no matter what pose — downward dog, triangle, handstand, etc. — you wish to practice. The yoga actions described below bring consciousness and openness into energy pathways in the arms and legs for the purpose of balancing muscular-skeletal development.

Note:  The poses below are for intermediate practitioners. Beginner variations of these poses can be found in our books (see below).  The yoga actions are for all levels of practice.

Actions:   From the outer edges of the shoulder blades, lengthen down the outer arms into the baby-finger mounds. From the webs of the thumb and index fingers, lengthen up the inner arms into the inner armpit. From the inner groins, lengthen down both inner legs into the inner heels. From the outer arches, lengthen up the outer legs into the outer hips.

For advanced practitioners: Complete the intermediate action in the arms and legs. For added stability, firm your arm and leg muscles to the bones and lengthen your spine.