Amrita 6: Asana through the ages - Magazine - Page 29
The Yogi Resistance
“They say the muscles have a profound influence
on full diaphragmatic beathing, healthy organ
function, balancing the nervous system and
psychological stability and resiliency.”
a traditional Chinese Medicine and Yin Yoga point of view,
engaging the muscles this way stimulates the yang chi,
which moves the blood causing the area to become thicker,
more mobile and easier to use (Powers, 2008).
However, when strengthening muscles, it is important to
do it systematically. When a muscle is strengthened it contracts (the agonist), while the opposing muscle lengthens
(the antagonist). This is one of reasons why counterposes are
used in asana sequencing. For example, when doing boat
pose the hip flexors iliacus and psoas are primary muscles
used. So, it is beneficial to follow with a back bend such as
bridge, which contracts the opposing muscles: the gluteus
maximus and hamstrings.
It is worth adding rest and diet have an effect on muscle
strengthening. The muscles need rest to repair, so strength
training on the same muscle group for two consecutive days
is not recommended. Adequate sleep also plays a part as
sleep deprivation can increase the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which hampers muscle development. In
terms of diet, protein is important to build muscle, and males
should eat 56g a day and females 46g. Furthermore, consuming protein after exercise has been shown to improve
muscle repair (Leonard, 2020).
Core Work
Strengthening the core muscles is particularly important as
they affect the whole body and basic everyday actions. This
includes posture, balance and stability, so a healthy core prevents falls and injuries. Plus, it also strengthens the spine,
which is prone to degeneration with aging (Elson, 2018). Farhi & Stuart (2017) identify the main core muscle as being the
psoas major and iliacus — together the iliopsoas complex.
www.yogaallianceprofessionals.org
They say the muscles have a profound influence on full diaphragmatic breathing, healthy organ function, balancing the
nervous system and psychological stability and resiliency.
Their book Pathways to a Centered Body (2017) focusses improving core stability. They give a six-step protocol for this:
1. Find it.
To change a part of the body, you first need to know where it
is. Farhi & Stuart suggest visual imagery plus awareness
through movement. Elson (2018) agrees “A good core program relies less on mindless repetition of exercise and focuses more on awareness. People with good core strength learn
to identify and activate the muscles needed to accomplish
the task”.
2. Soften & hydrate it.
Farhi & Stuart suggests a warm-up to “lubricate the joints,
pump fluid into the muscles, heat body tissue and awaken
the senses”. This includes “swinging, rolling, pulsing and oscillating”. Overstretching at this point can tighten muscles
and make them more prone to injury (Yoga Journal, 2017).
3. Release & lengthen it.
Gentle stretching and releasing further hydrates muscle and
fascia. For the psoas, this could include cobra variations.
4. Balance it.
Imbalances should be addressed before stretching, so that
the student is aware of any weakness, and thus what adjustments to make. Students can become aware of their bodies
by scanning them. The tighter side should be lengthened
first.
5. Strengthen it.
This involves consciously contracting the muscle. Farhi &
Stuart suggest imagining the psoas coiling like a spring as is
contracts.
AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021 27
