Tightening & Relaxing in Yoga

[Guest guest]

Was: Tightening or Relaxing the Glutes in Yoga?

Verdella wrote:

<There is a controversy in the yoga world about whether the glutes should be

relaxed or tightened while doing the " Cobra " or " Up dog " pose. It's like a

hyperextension on the floor. In the Cobra, your lower body (hips to toes)

stay on the floor as you push up with your hands. In the " up dog " , your back

is arched also, but the hips and legs are off the floor, Does tightening or

relaxing the glutes have an effect on the lower back during this position?>

*** This issue has to be prefaced by the question: " Are we interested more in

passive or active muscle involvement in these asanas? " Remember that the

glutes may be used to extend the hips or the trunk, depending on the given

movement. They may also be used to offer isometric stabilisation, so we have

to address all of these issues before one can offer any definitive solution

to that yoga " problem. "

I believe that many asanas can be very profitably modified by using alternate

phases of isometric, dynamic or even explosive action, as well as by breath

holding to limit initial range of movement (instead of using gentle

inhalation and exhalation all the time). For example, intense isometric

holding of one's current limit in range of any joint motion followed by a

small dynamic movement beyond that position (synchronised with breath holding

and breathing) can significantly increase one's range of

strength-flexibility. This method is very similar to some of the

" hold-relax " or " contract-relax " methods of physiotherapeutic PNF

(Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) One may also use isometric

action, gentle dynamic movement or pulsed dynamic actions to self mobilise or

self manipulate the spine and other joints.

In other words, one may tighten or relax or alternately tighten and relax any

muscles that you wish in yoga to achieve a desired goal or enjoy a certain

process.

By the way, for anyone who thinks that Bikram Yoga done in a hot, sweaty room

is something trendy or special should come to our facility to enjoy many

yogic and other therapeutic or conditioning movements done under open air

(sometimes in the snow) and contrast bathing conditions (in alternate very

hot and cold water) under the clear blue skies of lovely Colorado. Bikram

and his disciples don't know what they are missing.

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Mel!

I do use the Relax-contraction methods also. But an Iyengar teacher

recently told me that tensing the glutes puts too much pressure on

the sacrum. I've searched high and low, yet I've found no science to

back that up. Every resource I've found disputes that. And the goal

would be a passive stretch.

[You are correct - you won't find any science to back up that

teacher's beliefs. Ask him/her to provide some references. Mel Siff]

Oh, seriously....is yoga in the cold healthy?

[As is the case with all physical activity, effectiveness and safety

depend on exactly how yoga is done, so the problems with doing

yoga in the cold would be proportional to the time spent in the cold,

with frost bite not being the least of those problems (though, of course,

some yogi adepts have been known to use their form of " mind control " to

cope for prolonged periods in the freezing cold). The moderate

and intelligent use of yoga in the cold or the heat should pose no

problems for the average healthy person. Mel Siff]

The heat in Bikram was nothing to me. I was/am a wrestler. Pounding

someones body and being pounded in a heated room is a lot easier than

doing asanas in the heat.

Verdell

Lansing, MI

*Don't forget to sign all letters with full name and city of residence if

you wish them to be published!

[Guest guest]

Given my understanding of Iyengar-based yoga, that teacher is exactly

wrong. Even your description of the Cobra movement sounds far off.

The movement starts with the gradual tightening of the glutes and

lower back, and the spine is extended primarily via muscular effort

in these muscles. One does not 'push' with the hands, but merely

uses them as semi-passive support. Note that the amplitude of the

movement is not spectacular. My teacher (30 yrs experience,

including years with BKS Iyengar) never made unsubstantiated

speculative anatomical claims like the one you relate about the

sacrum.

My understanding of the purpose of Cobra is to learn strong, active

spinal flexion in which the angle between no two vertebrae is

substantially more acute than others (i.e., " hinge-ing " ), making for

a smoothly curved spine. This is strong way to flex the spine in

which the muscles and learned movement pattern provides protection

for the connective elements of the vertebral joints.

Get a partner to give feedback, and you'll likely find that relaxing

the glutes and 'pushing' the floor with the hands will result in a

severe 'hinge' point somewhere in the spine - a place where you are

passively bending one spinal joint far more than the others and

putting the stress on its passive connective elements. I am aware of

no specific research that proves this is bad for you, but anyone who

thinks cranking away on a hinged spine like that to form a pretty

Cobra pose is a good idea is welcome to it.

Personally, I would not take yoga from a teacher who did not

understand this elementary principle.

Wilbanks

ville, FL

--------

Verdell wrote:

> Thanks, Mel!

>

> I do use the Relax-contraction methods also. But an Iyengar teacher

> recently told me that tensing the glutes puts too much pressure on

> the sacrum. I've searched high and low, yet I've found no science

to

> back that up. Every resource I've found disputes that. And the goal

> would be a passive stretch.

>

> [You are correct - you won't find any science to back up that

> teacher's beliefs. Ask him/her to provide some references. Mel

Siff]

> Oh, seriously....is yoga in the cold healthy?

> [As is the case with all physical activity, effectiveness and safety

> depend on exactly how yoga is done, so the problems with doing

> yoga in the cold would be proportional to the time spent in the cold,

> with frost bite not being the least of those problems (though, of course,

> some yogi adepts have been known to use their form of " mind control " to

> cope for prolonged periods in the freezing cold). The moderate

> and intelligent use of yoga in the cold or the heat should pose no

> problems for the average healthy person. Mel Siff]

>

> The heat in Bikram was nothing to me. I was/am a wrestler. Pounding

> someones body and being pounded in a heated room is a lot easier than

> doing asanas in the heat.

*Don't forget to sign all letters with full name and city of residence if you

wish them to be published!

[Guest guest]

I agree that Iyengar instructor is not understanding or teaching

yoga competently. She's not my teacher.

Verdell

Lansing, MI

[Guest guest]

It was written:

> I do use the Relax-contraction methods also. But an Iyengar teacher

> recently told me that tensing the glutes puts too much pressure on

> the sacrum. I've searched high and low, yet I've found no science to

> back that up. Every resource I've found disputes that. And the goal

> would be a passive stretch.

The only asanas where I was told to relax the glutes were the upward

dog and bridges, where glutes tighten up automatically hard. The

theory is that whenever one does a back bending asana, the spine

should be elongated both upwards and downwards (well this maxim

should be applied in almost all asanas), and overly tight glutes

prevent the spine from stretching downwards. It leaves no gaps

between the vertebrates for the spine to bend backwards safely.

Now I don't know if this is true or not, because supposedly the

incorrect way shows its effect years later. However, my yoga teacher

has a lower back problem due to performing the upward dog pose

incorrectly for many years, so I do take this advice more seriously,

just in case. Also this advice has been found across many systems of

hatha yoga, so this may be something to counter the inherent risk in

back bending poses.

[On the other hand, there are thousands of us who executed the standing

Olympic Press with heavy loads for many years and have never

suffered from any back injuries from that powerful back bending movement

- and I think that the spinal loading in that weightlifting movement is a

great deal more than that produced by some isometric action of the glutes

in yoga. Maybe all those apparently frail yogi need to augment their training

with some serious lifting! Mel Siff]

Bob Yu

Montreal, Canada