Stretching for Health and Beyond

by Hoa Newens

​During this pandemic period most of us train in Aikido without body contact with a partner and as a result our bodies miss the salutary stretch that comes with taking ukemi. In addition, we train outdoor most of the time and warm-up is minimal. Our bodies are missing the internal massage and are slowly hardening unless we take action to reverse this trend. The need for stretching is becoming critical, especially if we want to maintain our fitness and physical health.
 
After sitting for a while at the desk or watching TV we feel a natural urge to stretch. After stretching we feel more relaxed, and re-invigorated and ready for the next action. It seems like the body’s energy has been recharged.
 
Stretching to relax and warming up for exercises are two quite different activities yet based on the same initial mode of action. In both situations, stretching releases blocked energy and promotes flow of energy and body fluids. To relax, we gently pull apart our body tissues, release the blockage and slow down to allow the excess energy to dissipate. To warm up, we recycle the released energy and fan it up to prepare for more arduous movements. Stretching is a versatile mode of action which can help us to power down or up to engage more efficiently with life.

​To reap the benefit of stretching we need to understand what it does to the body. The discussion below is based on my personal experience and subjective observations during five decades of martial arts training.
 
It has been long established that the human body is structurally designed for movement, not for long-term immobility like a tree. What is lesser known is that the body is also designed for energetic flow. What this means is that there are built-in channels in the body that facilitate energy flow as well as fluid flow when the body is in motion. This flow supports our movement and in return it gets reinforced by the movement. The body needs to move to activate the flows. It is a mutual relationship: movement and energy flow go together. Therefore, when we curtail our movement, we reduce flow and the energy and fluids stop moving. A sedentary lifestyle causes stagnation and sedimentation which lead to decay, disease, and death.
 
Movement is life enhancing and life fuels movement. To encourage movement, we need to facilitate mobility by increasing the types and range of motion at the optimum level for the human body. Here we understand mobility as the ability to voluntarily move the body as one unit in any direction, without restrictions and up to the full limit allowed by the body design constraints. In our experience, there are ten principles of stretching that foster mobility and health.
 
Principle No. 1 – Go slow and move all that can move. That is, anything that was originally designed to move must move. To illustrate this point, conjure up the image of Michael Jackson doing his famous moonwalk next to a robot doing the same. The comparative smoothness of Michael’s movement is due mainly to a larger number of his body parts contributing to the movement than the robot’s.
 
The average person rushes through the activities of daily life to accomplish mundane goals so that the movements occur with the least number of body elements involved. Who cares about walking gracefully or the effect on health, as long as one gets to the destination in minimal time? To increase our awareness of our dormant body parts we need to pace down our movement and let gravity do its work of waking up the inactive muscles and tissues.
 
When body tissues lengthen, they help to pump body fluids, especially those that are not subject to a pump, like the blood being circulated by the heart. The interstitial fluid, the synovial fluid, the cerebro-spinal fluid, the lymph, are all crucial elements of physiological systems within the human body that need to move for optimum functioning of the body. Gentle stretching that generates rhythmic changes in internal pressure is the best way to move these fluids. Fast contractions have less effect on these viscous liquids.
 
Therefore, to stretch properly, go slow and get to know your body. Discover and awaken dormant muscles and create new movement within the body. Going slow will also minimize the risk of harming weak or injured tissues.
 
Principle No. 2 – Pay attention to joints, tendons and ligaments. It is well known among the sports circles that the most common injuries are strains and sprains. Sprains are injuries to ligaments, the bands of tissue connecting bones in a joint. A sudden pull on ligaments past their limits causes tears. Strains are injuries to the tendons, which anchor muscles to bones. Tendons and ligaments are the key connective tissues that allow a powerful body component to come into play, the matrix of fascia. This matrix connects all parts of the body together and makes it possible for the body to function and move as one unit.
 
Strong tendons and ligaments give the body the whip-like power of green bamboo. The best way to strengthen these tissues, beside a good diet, is regular slow stretching, especially the coiling stretches that gently twist these tissues.
 
Principle No. 3 - Feel the stretch and let go. Consciousness empowers the movement. Wherever we direct our consciousness in our body, that part of the body comes to life. To get a sense of this phenomenon we can picture a healthy newborn baby next to a great-grandparent. The newborn body, even in a sleep state, conveys an unmistakable sense of being alive, whereas, the older person’s body would exhibit a sort of waning vitality.
 
Just slowing down is not good enough. To inject life into our body elements we need to shine our consciousness on them. In other words, we must pay close attention to our movement and feel the muscles and tissues that are engaged. When we feel them, we are with them and they come alive, and tell us their complaint, which is most of the time, lack of freedom. When it is focused, our consciousness acts like a laser that shines on the space between the fascia and removes the binding, thus allowing them to glide more freely. Concentrated consciousness dissolves the energetic block that was generated by fear and caused the tissues to freeze. Therefore, to stretch effectively, we must feel the stretch and let go. We must become aware of what wants to move within the body and allow it; let go of any hold-back and set the body free.
 
Principle No. 4 – Release stress regularly. Beware of, and avoid, toxic agents or situations that could cause body parts to freeze or hold back. If unavoidable, let them pass through the body or release them often. These harmful influences are often lumped under the umbrella of “stress” and cause the body to close as a defensive reaction. When this closing is sustained, the tissues that are pulling tight stay stuck together and eventually freeze entire segments that were formerly movable, resulting in hardening and diseases. Deep long breaths will facilitate the release of the stress agents within the body. Therefore, to make stretching more effective, stretch regularly, e.g. daily, and perform deep long breaths during the day, as soon as you become aware of stress accumulation.
 
Principle No. 5 - All body parts must work together under a central command. This way, they all contribute to the common objective. It is the strength of this internal connection that makes the movement efficient, that is achieve the objective with the least expenditure of energy. The unified command initially comes from disciplined mental focus on the objective of the stretch. With practice and increasing internal awareness, the body tissues will connect naturally to a central axis that directs and coordinates all movements of the body.

When stretching, know what part of the body you want to lengthen, and stabilize the rest of the body so that it supports this specific movement. As a simple example, if you want to stretch the underside of the right leg, the left leg must do the work of maintaining balance and anchoring the rest of the body so that the right leg is sufficiently at ease to stretch out. It would be helpful for this purpose if one consults anatomical charts or illustrations of the body structure to help focus on the exact muscle groups that one is working on.

Principle No. 6 – Stretch the whole body, not just the tight spots. Our wonderful body functions as one organism in which each and all parts work for the whole. When one part becomes weakened, all remaining parts come to the rescue and shore up the whole body. For example, when the left hip is hurt, not only does the right one help to compensate for the loss of balance, but tissues all over the body (even from remote areas such as the right shoulder, neck, etc.) adjust to add their support. Therefore, we should adopt a stretching routine that covers the body comprehensively, while focusing on tight areas.
 
Principle No. 7 – Stretch and breathe. In the Yin-Yang cosmology, stretching is the expansive Yin process of letting go, which naturally goes with an expiration. As such, the stretching movement should be accompanied by a long and continuous out breath. Coordinating movement with breath is initially a conscious process. With practice, the body will associate long out-breath with relaxation, and the two shall be so intertwined that one will breathe out naturally when there is a need to relax; this is our automatic de-stress valve that will keep stress at a manageable level.
 
Principle No. 8 – A little bit every day goes a long way. Follow an incremental approach in the stretch routine. Lengthening a muscle up to normal range would only help maintain status quo. On the other hand, over-stretching causes the muscle to either tear or retract and remain tight. The best strategy is to consciously go just past the point of comfort and pause a few seconds to allow neighboring tissues to loosen; repeat this process every day. To express this strategy differently, consciously create a small impetus for change, then allow the body to continue the work at its own pace, rather than push the maximum change through the body at once. Instead of trying too hard, we should keep a relaxed pace and enjoy.
 
Principle No. 9 – Stand straight and breathe deep. Stretching can happen within the body so that there is no visible external movement. We are constantly subject to the force of gravity, such that when we stand on our feet, gravity pulls our body parts toward the center of the earth. We can use this internal stretching to our benefit if we align the body parts (internal organs, bones and fluids) so that they are arranged optimally for the purpose of their functions, with no parts encroaching on the space of the others. The correct stance for this purpose is one that is based on a vertical central axis like the Wu Chi stance in chi kung; this central axis allows the body matrix to hang and keep all organs properly suspended. A simple reminder for this vertical alignment is the phrase: “The feet sink into earth and the crown of the head rises toward heaven”.
 
Breathing is an automatic movement in the respiration physiology of human beings, which causes changes in internal pressure in the body, and thus stretching of tissues. In addition to providing for the exchange of gases, correct breathing has another salubrious effect: it gives an internal massage to the internal organs and help them stay in good clean form. Deep abdominal breathing is best for this purpose.
 
Principle No. 10 – Stretch from the inside out. This approach requires one to prepare for a stretching session. The preparation consists of first stilling the mind through a centering stance, then clearing the energy channels by dissolving energy blockages with consciousness, and finally pulsing the energy to create healthy flow. The body is now awakened and malleable and ready to engage fully in the movements of stretching.
 
Even a few minutes of just sitting or standing quietly before a stretching session will greatly enhance the benefits of stretching.
 
When one follows a stretching routine and practice that are based on the essential principles described above, one gradually introduces more space and consciousness into the body structure. Space leads to freedom, perspective, and health; and consciousness brings life.
 
A direct benefit to anyone who is physically active is the healing aspect of stretching. Most physical injury is caused by body tissues being impacted with no room to absorb the impact. The additional space resulting from stretching is part of the healing process, as well as a defense against further impact. Therefore, serious athletes and martial artists know to incorporate a good dose of stretching in their exercise routine.
 
Beside creating a vibrant and bountiful life, and encouraging healing, a stretching practice prepares the body for the rigors of further transformative training, such as high-level martial arts, internal arts such as nei kung, and meditation. All spiritual transformations are based on, and spring forth from, relevant somatic experiences. A resilient and well-tuned body is a pre-requisite for a spiritual journey. The monk Bodhidharma understood that gentle exercises are necessary to build a strong physique that can sustain the severity of long hours of sitting meditation. Thus, he created the series of Chi Kung exercises and processes recorded in the Tendon Changing Classic (易筋经, Yi Jin Jing), which has become a classic reference manual for nei kung work.
 
Anyone can design their unique personal stretching routine by following the ten principles described above. Those already involved in a physical or martial art can apply the principles to the stretch routine that is available in such art. Otherwise, just listen to the body; that is how horses and cats do it.
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