Flexibility

[herring]

I am certainly the most inflexible person on earth. I have been doing Tai Chi(Yang) for almost 2 years and Northern Shaolin Kung Fu for about a year. i have seen some gains in flexibility but, my back is like a board and my hips do not like to roll into stretches(like touching the toes; I can touch em, but my hips point away from my toes). Any good stretching routines for all around flexibility(especially in the hips)?

[unclaimed effort]

Welcome to the forum! Watch out for Ralek, and to answer your question. Just keep stretching, don't force too much, just slowly keep going at it and your flexibility will keep improving. Once your flexibility gets to the maximum state, though, keep stretching to maintain it otherwise say goodbye to hitting the full splits. Happened to me, luckily I don't need to be that flexible in my art.

When you win a fight, who do you think feels worse, you or your opponent?

[namkuen]

Hello, Herring! The key to flexibility is suppleness within the sinews (muscles, tendons, & joints). Although stretching exercises can teach the muscles how to extend and contract, they do not teach the muscles how to be supple and pliant.

In my opinion, the best exercise for this suppleness and pliancy is sitting meditation. If you sit in quarter lotus or half lotus positions and gently and lightly concentrate your breath down into your abdomen, you will achieve this suppleness that is required for true flexibility.

I suggest that you get a timer and start off sitting for 7-1/2 to 10-minute sessions twice daily (morning and evening). You will then see vast improvements in your flexibility. Also, in doing this great exercise, gently curl the bottom of your tongue to the roof of your mouth. (Gently continue to apply light pressure to the tongue so that the energy of the tongue goes forward.) This should cause your notrils to lightly flair open. Also, slightly tilt your head forward as to tuck in your chin. This will allow the primary meridians to open to their maximum. Breath naturally! The breath will make its way down to the abdomen. Also, concentrate on letting the abdomen inhale and exhale instead of the lungs. In a short while you will achieve small circulation of chi and then later grand circulation!

Externally speaking, you will also notice that your leg muscles will get softer and softer as you progress. You will also notice that you can more readily do your stretching exercises with less and less pain. Moreover, I suggest that you do each streching exercise for a minimum of three minutes (if you don't already).

Moreover, this sitting meditation will greatly enhance the flow of your Tai Chi, because sitting meditation is the foundation of chi cultivation.

In the words of the late great internal master, Kuo Lien Ying of San Francisco as he stated concerning the cultivation of one's chi, "Big moves are not as well polished as small moves. Small moves are not as well polished as stillness."

I hope this helps!

Peace!!!

DWR

One who conquers others is strong, but one who conquers himself is mighty! Lao Tzu

[herring]

When I am doing my sitting meditation(half lotus), I find that my back(both upper and lower) is slighly achy. Is this normal. Will it go away with time or should I seek diagnosis? I assume my back needs to remain straight throughout the excercise.

During Tai Chi I sometimes feel slightly achy in my shoulders(Im not sure if this is normal either). During both excersises(Tai Chi and meditation), I feel blissful/warm.

Also, my hips do not roll forward easily. When I sit on the ground, my hips will remain pointing diagonally up and backward while my spine points straight up. Could this be causing a problem? If so, how can I make my hops more flexible?

[namkuen]

Herring, when doing the sitting meditation, yes, make sure that your shoulders are relaxed and your back is straight. To relax your shoulder, sink their weight down into your elbows and allow that energy to pass down in to your hands and fingertips.

To roll the hips forward, slightly squeeze your anis closed and roll your buttocks forward and allow this energy to pass forward into the knees and through the feet.

You are having the pain, I believe, because there is still tension within the body as well as possible incorrect body alignment. As you breath with the abdomen, the tension in lower back will dissipate. As the tension dissipates, then the pain should also dissipate. However, if the body is not in correct alignment (shoulders square, back straight, hips rolled forward, knees relaxed), then the pain will persist and possibly cause other problems.

For good body alignment, I recommend this 8-point alignment guide. Shoulders are in parallel with elbows; elbow are in parallel with hips; hips are in parallel with knees.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if I can be of further assistance!

Peace!!!

DWR

One who conquers others is strong, but one who conquers himself is mighty! Lao Tzu

[This message was edited by Nam Kuen on 07-12-01 at 10:43 PM.]

[herring]

Sorry to beg more questions, but I dont understand what you mean by "X should be in parallel with Y". Shoulders in parallel with elbows seems to make sense. Elbows and hips make sense, but how do I have my hips in parallel with my knees?

Thanks for any advice or any clarification. I am just unfamiliar with the terms.

[honorisc]

Until person answers you, perhaps you could respond to this. When you sit, do you bave back pain (lower back pain)? When achey shoulders, achey at the front the back or the sides of the shoulders.

When training the body, it might ache as it changes to improve.

Very some such,perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

[namkuen]

What is mean by X in parallel with Y is the points of one is in alignment with the other. In other words, the shoulder points should be aligned with the elbow points; the elbow points should be aligned with the hip points, and the hip points should be aligned to the knee points.

As you do the meditation more, you will begin to feel the points that I'm speaking about. They are primary cavities or meridians of each part (shoulder, elbow, hip, & knee). Your left shoulder has a point; your left elbow has a point, your left hip has a point as well as your left knee. The four points should all be aligned. The same holds to the right side of your body. Thus, I call this the 8-point alignment. (Aligned doesn't mean a straight, vertical line, but rather a sysmetrical straight line where you can feel the connection of one point to another.)

Although I've said all this, don't you get too concerned with that level of detail. For now, focus on your breath and sinking it down into the abdomen. As you advance in the meditation, your body will become more sensitive to its points and their alignment as well as the circulation of energy.

I hope this helps! Again, please feel free to ask any questions that may arise! However, please remember that its quite difficult to give one detailed instruction via the Internet!

Peace!!!

DWR

One who conquers others is strong, but one who conquers himself is mighty! Lao Tzu

[herring]

When I sit, I do not have back pain. I only experience back pain when I am attempting to keep my back straight.

Also, the shoulder pain that I experience radiates from the back of my shoulders.

[honorisc]

It seems as though, at least when you do your T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan you use your shoulders to lift your arms/hold-up/move your arms. You do relax your shoulders but there is the tension of lifting in the back--upper shoulder blades but on the sides mostly.~ To this, use your mind to move your hands be aware enough for your arms to be O.K., yet do not concentrate on them. Imagine that your hands move by your Mind~.

That's your shoulders, your back might have an acquired deformity (likely from constant off alignment--being confined at home or work or play/or being comfortable (and not straightening up like the grand parents were told). For you straight might not be Natural which seems the point in stand straight in T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan. It could be painful yet perhaps necessary to fix an acquired deformed back(spine~) Sleep on a padded hard surface on your back or front with a light weight on the deformed area whether you sleep on your back or front. This with eventually increased dispursed weight might re align you posture at least better...If deformed spine is what you have~. This is something to do on your own but if you can seek asistance from an authorized certified source~. Very good. Some- such

Very some such,perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

[prana]

herring.

Proprio-Neuroceptive Facilitation ??? I forget what the hell is stood for, short PNF ! (Search GOOGLE perhaps )

But excellent for stretching, much used in martial arts even when they dont realise they are doing it. Works well but not too often or else, very contra-indicative.

[**Little*Dragon**]

I have a question regarding flexibility. Is it possible for someone in their 30's to develop good flexiblity (ie. doing the splits,ect.) if they just recently started martial arts? I know that older people can be flexible ( Jackie Chan)...but is that something that has to be maintained over the years or can it be developed later in life, as well?

Little Dragon

[SevenStar]

check this out

http://muscularflexibility.health.co.za/

-ShortySeven©
Step right up and get it -- whoever wants [defeat]

Come not between the dragon and his wrath...

[mad taoist]

I think it is possible ... I don't think things are ever too late, just usually harder to attain or harder to start when left a while.... good luck :)

'If we do not go within, we go without'.

[mortal]

There are 40 and 50 year old guys in my class that are more flexible than me and can do splits easily. Oh did I mention they all started with in the last 2 years.