Gravity training. Because learning never stops.
Since years I know that if the goal is to stretch the body or parts of the body to hold a position for 5 breaths is not enough. I aimed for 1 minute, perhaps 2 minutes, when I wanted to improve asanas. Yet that’s nothing. The results are so much better if one holds a position for five minutes, sometimes three minutes might be enough. Yet five breaths is too short to progress. This is what I learned in these five gravity classes, created by Lucas.
I found Lucas on Instagram. He is the owner of the website Yogabody. I bought his gravity training course and I haven’t regret it. This post is unpaid ‘advertising’. I’m enthusiastic, because I see results already. I practice with the 5 videos after having watched them.
Every of the 5 classes lasts about 20 minutes. I wouldn't be so determined if I weren’t led through the exercises. Some poses are held for 5 minutes and this can be like an eternity. We’re nearly there. When I hear this sentence I know I can hold the poses for a few more breaths. To listen to the explanations of Lucas helps to stay in the pose. It distracts from the discomfort. Some poses are hard.
Each of the five videos is focused on a specific area of the body: hamstrings, hips, shoulders, back, wrist and twists. Each video has 2 or 3 exercises, which is enough.
I usually do all the videos every second day. It’s so effective. Afterwards I sleep like a bear. There is no dynamic, but stretching discomfort. To stand this discomfort ‘whisky breathing’ is recommended. That is the exhaling is longer than the inhaling. This allows the nervous system to relax. Not only the nervous system relaxes, the entire body and mind is relaxed after the five videos. The exercises show me my limits.
The shoulder exercises helped me already to improve back bending.
The body needs time to stretch. It’s so easy to betray oneself and to stop too early. This is the limit, I think sometimes when the pose becomes difficult, but if one stays there, suddenly the limit moves.
For me the hip exercises are difficult. I stop after three minutes. Five minutes is the goal. I’m sure that I’ll progress fast. Gravity will help me. One must be determined. Then breakthroughs can happen.
The pose on the picture is held fo 3 minutes. It’s an arm position that I know and that is possible for me. To hold it longer is another challenge. I realize how the body is integrating this position when I hold it longer. It gets easier. The understanding deepens. Discomfort fades away. Slowly.
Key word of this blog post seems to be ‘discomfort’. I rather see the progress. I learn about new methods to stretch the body.