Have you ever found yourself in a yoga class where the instructor tells you which muscles to engage, with lines like "contract the thigh" or "tighten those glutes"?
They provide these instructions in an attempt to mould you into a posture-perfect yogi.
But, unfortunately, these well-intentioned instructions keep you in a beginner's mindset.
You must never, ever consciously engage any specific group of muscles.
Let's delve into this further, using something we all learned as children: the basic squat. When performing a squat, the body naturally recruits specific glute muscle fibres. It doesn't activate all the glute muscles, just the ones required.
However, if you start issuing commands like a drill sergeant, telling your body to engage the glutes, it will activate all the muscle fibres in the glutes. This carpet-bombing approach will quickly burn you out, and your body will never learn the delicate refinement of the muscle fibres needed to effortlessly maintain a flawless squat.
But the problem goes far, far deeper than that. This indiscriminate activation of muscles leads to TENSION, a sworn enemy of your body's true potential.
Tension, by definition, is caused by activated muscle fibres that should be relaxed. Any muscle fibre that is engaged without a specific purpose becomes a roadblock, hindering the desired action and setting the stage for strains and injuries.
Tension lurks like a phantom within your body, disrupting the delicate dance of muscles and the kinetic chain, affecting every nook and cranny.
The solution is quite simple. You need to alter your headspace. Embrace the fact that your body is not a rookie; it knows what it's doing. It understands the concept of a squat. Now, you have to be more of a coach, targeting your effort on eliminating tension.
As a beginner, after six months of yoga practice, your body is familiar with the movements. It may not perform them as well as you'd like, but instructing your body which muscles to activate is not the way to help it improve. You're simply getting in the way.
Once your body has grasped the basic framework of the postures, you should transition away from being a teacher to more of a coach. Observe, listen attentively, and, most importantly, keep a vigilant eye on tension, eliminating it like a pro.
Without tension hindering your body's abilities, you'll be amazed at what it can achieve.
But here's the catch: to banish tension needs targeted effort. You need to reacquaint yourself with the lost art of functional breathing. It's surprisingly simple, as it's how we naturally breathe during movement, a skill we mastered as kids and then often lose.
If you're ready for some next-level insights, check out my workshop. It's time to relearn functional breath control, eliminate tension, unleash your inner coach, and watch your mastery soar.
Let me know how you get on in the comments.
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If you wish to elevate your thinking and expand your understanding of Bikram Hot Yoga and yoga in general, hop over to Amazon and explore our new book, available in both paperback and Kindle formats. Suitable for both beginners and experienced teachers, everyone will find valuable insights to learn and grow.
Bill Thwaites