The essence of stretching is a kind of pulling on muscles, such as placing a leg on a chair and adjusting the forward angle of the torso to effectively pull the muscles behind your thighs..
This simple action, on the surface, appears to elongate your muscles, but in fact, this stretching also increases the range of motion of your joints..
So, what are the benefits of stretching? Why is it a mandatory course for yoga practice?.
1. Stretching can improve exercise efficiency for people who enjoy exercising, while reducing injuries. More importantly, it can alleviate many muscle soreness caused by exercise..
2. Yoga is a natural stretching exercise that makes you feel comfortable and your muscles have good flexibility, avoiding sports injuries..
3. Long term yoga stretching can make muscle lines more slender, not too stiff, and can also relax muscle fascia, reduce muscle adhesion, and make your body shape more perfect..
4. Stretching can also improve the body’s endocrine system. During the stretching process, the body’s organs are also massaged and relaxed, allowing various bodily functions to function normally..
Simple sitting posture, with both thumbs touching the index finger, placed on both knees, inhaling and extending the spine upwards, exhaling, relaxing the shoulders downwards, adducting the abdomen, lifting the chest, expanding the collarbone, closing the eyes, perceiving the inside, and taking 5-8 breaths..
Stand with the right foot in front and the left foot behind, lean forward, shift the center of gravity to the right foot, lift the left foot upwards, push the heel backwards, use fingertips to tap the ground, inhale and extend the spine, control breathing to keep the hips still, twist the body to the right, touch the ground with the left hand, lift the right arm up, turn the head to look between the fingers of the upper hand, let the spine fully twist, hold for 5-8 breaths, and practice on the opposite side..
Starting from the Half Moon Twist, hold your hands on the ground, step back with your feet, spread your hands at shoulder width apart, press your tiger’s mouth against the ground, push your hands on the ground, extend your back, expand your armpits, push your sitting bones back and up, push your thighs back, straighten your knees, step your heels down, and lift your lower abdomen up. Take 5-8 breaths..
Starting from the downward dog position, step forward with your right foot, press the back of your left calf against the ground, open your hips, inhale and stand straight up on your spine, lift your left arm up, exhale and bend your left knee, find your hips with your heel, grab your left foot backwards with your right hand, turn your head and look behind, hold for 5-8 breaths, and practice on the opposite side..
Sitting upright, bend both knees, place the left foot on the outer side of the right buttocks, press the back of the foot to the ground, place the right foot on the outer side of the left buttocks, step on the ground with the sole of the foot, inhale to extend the spine, exhale to twist the body to the right, point the right hand behind the buttocks, and hold the right thigh with the left hand to fully twist the spine. Pay attention to evenly pressing the sitting bone on the ground, maintain 5-8 breaths, and practice on the opposite side..
Sitting upright, bend both knees, place the left foot on the outer side of the right buttocks, press the back of the foot to the ground, then wrap the right leg around the left leg, place the right foot on the outer side of the left buttocks, inhale and stand straight up with the spine up, lift the left arm up, bend the elbow, lower the forearm backward, and press the left hand against the back. Place the right hand backward and downward, bend the elbow, and clasp the left hand behind the back. Bring the large arm closer to the midline, clamp the shoulder blade inside, maintain 5-8 breaths, and practice on the opposite side..