In Yoga, we often cue to let go and release, to soften and to surrender. Even though, I feel that this is an important part of regaining balance in the body and life, it’s only part of the work and on its own only very limited in its effectiveness. The other part of the work is encouraging muscles that have lost their ability to hold onto energy, i.e. hypo-responsive muscles, to regain that skill and to thereby become fuller and more present. The muscles that are overworking, hyper-responsive muscles, benefit from letting go. However, hypo-responsive muscles have moved into a more collapsed state that does not benefit from releasing, as there is nothing to be released. The protection in those muscles is a distancing vs. a holding on. Inviting hypo-responsive muscles to soften encourages them to further move into collapse, i.e. further away from balance.
Those parts of ourselves that have gone away need kind encouragement to return. Working with dosage is a key aspect in the work. Gently inviting more aliveness to increase the capacity for holding onto energy is crucial. The question is: What is missing? What is not present? And then to listen to the silent voices within. I’d love to hear your reflections on your missing parts and the areas in the body that tend to go away.
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20/10/2023 09:43:23 am
"I'm loving the yoga classes on this site. They make it so easy for beginners like me to get started!"
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31/12/2023 05:52:19 pm
Reading this reflection on hypo- and hyper-response resonates deeply with my own yoga journey. I've often found solace in the practice of letting go, but your insights highlight the importance of a more nuanced approach. It's intriguing to consider the muscles that may have lost their vitality and need gentle encouragement to reawaken.
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