mahabis lifestyle // rest and recovery: stretching

"Only those who have patience to do simple things perfectly ever acquire the skill to do difficult things easily" - James J Corbett

The art of luxuriating in something simple is one of the purest pleasures that can be found. Whilst the renaissance of mindfulness has nudged many to consciously reflect upon our thoughts and actions, we're taking this back to a much simpler level; focusing on some of the subconscious rituals that we enact throughout the day. 

Inspired by Max Strom's work on breathing, we're looking at stretching, and how this feeds into our day-to-day rest and recovery. 

Often attributed to the morning ritual, of sleepy eyes and stiff muscles, stretching is so much more than just a wake-up moment. It's an instance of connection, and of release. In exercise, the importance of rest and recovery can be equal to that training (check out our interview with this Ironman triathlete duo).

In our lives we tend to put stretching into classes and formalised exercise moments, as warming up or cooling down or an action to prevent injury, and bar our little stretch in the morning the act of stretching for the pleasure has been somewhat side-lined. But stretching has a great many benefits in the body, and not just those deep Pilates and yoga stretches, but the ones that bring you upright in the morning.

Stretching encourages your body to release tension, sending blood to increase cell growth and organ function. The simple motion can even boost our mood. Stress and tension cause our muscles to contract which can have a direct effect on our mood making us feel anxious and uneasy. The act of basic stretching as we all do in the morning, or after a long period of sitting, lengthens the muscles and releases the tension, causing a sense of tranquillity and euphoria. It’s instinctive nature, part of the lives of all animals, is just the simple act of loosening up and communing with our muscles.

When we stretch out as we relax on our sofas, or in bed, we are reconnecting with our bodies, releasing tension and enjoying the calming effect it brings. As with mindfulness, paying attention to the small acts in our lives and feeling them to their fullest, stretching is something that we can also relish in.

Meditation often uses the isolated stretching of various muscles to alleviate the tension they carry and promote relaxation. And in many respects we do this unconsciously already. In our downtime it can often feel slightly indulgent to really enjoy our sofas, stretching ourselves out after naps, but these micro-behaviours have a wider effect: providing a calming moment in a busy world.