Discomfort as Your Guide & The Power of Daily Stretching.
The Brain & Body are deeply intertwined, making movement a powerful form of expression, connection and self-discovery.
Stretching is a slow and intentional practice that involves moving the body through various positions to lengthen muscles, relieve tension and facilitate ease of movement.
Our bodies are a story of the lives that we have lived and are living and our experience lives within our body as well as our mind.
This week I have found myself grappling with the question/s:
Why would someone avoid stretching?
Why are we prioritising exercise stress (gym work, running etc.) over recovery that helps us to find much needed ease?
Even if flexibility is firmly ingrained in your routine, there is every chance that all of us experience a certain about of discomfort when we stretch.
We may find that we ask ourselves questions:
Why am I so tight?
Why can’t my body do that?
OR
Making observations such as:
I am not a flexible person.
My body can’t move like that.
Stretching isn’t for me.
I do not need to stretch.
The combination of a negative internal narrative, the discomfort that arises while stretching, and the lack of instant reward leads the brain to a logical conclusion: avoid stretching.
Why would the brain want to undergo pain for no reward?
But …
What if stretching offers subtler, long-term rewards that the brain simply needs to learn to recognise?
Allow me to draw an analogy for you.
Most of us, when thinking ahead for our financial security will have a pension plan, an investment account/s or other assets.
Paying into such accounts on a regular basis gives us access to compounding benefits, our money makes us money and we finish with more than we started with.
Stretching, much like financial planning, follows a similar principle.
We will likely not see big changes or rewards over the course of a few days, weeks, even months but compounding over the years will reap rewards that are well worth the ongoing ‘payments’.
What if, we can reframe and learn to view each stretch as a deposit into our long-term physical well-being?
&
What if we can read the short term discomfort as a message that can tell us what our bodies need.
Making Daily Deposits
Brushing your teeth, taking a shower, drinking water, eating meals, getting a night of sleep - these are all things we do daily (almost) without fail.
What if you made stretching a non-negotiable part of your daily routine?
Just five minutes is all it takes to make a meaningful deposit into your body's long-term well-being.
Five minutes can lead to 10, which can lead to 20-30... and before you know it, you’ve established a routine that will provide both short and long-term benefits:
Reduced stress, improved blood flow to support recovery and relax your muscles, allowing you to move with greater ease and less pain.
Stretching can serve as a RESET, a CHECK-IN or a moment of REST.
Compounding over time, it will give your body the flexibility, strength, and ease it needs to thrive for years to come.
A FORWARD FOLD while your coffee brews,
A seated HIP OPENER during a phone call at work,
A CHEST OPENER at the end of the day in bed, finishing your day with breath.
What is one stretch you can commit to today as your first deposit?
Using Discomfort as a Guide
Discomfort isn’t something we need to avoid; it’s a message. It tells us where we carry tension, where our range of motion may be limited, and where we have the potential to grow.
Discomfort can be a helpful prompt, guiding us to approach with gentleness and care.
To acknowledge your current limitations and take a slower approach rather than trying to power through with sheer force.
The next time you stretch, try asking yourself these three simple questions:
Where do I feel restriction?
Where do I feel ease?
What movement feels really good?
With the answers to these three questions, you can start to direct your movement:
Where you feel restriction: Slow down.
Focus on your breath, breathe deeply and fully. Try slowing down your exhale to sooth your nervous system and allow your body more time to relax.
Where you feel ease: If you choose, deepen the stretch.
For example, in a Butterfly Stretch (soles of the feet together, knees falling out to the side), you might gently apply pressure with your hands on your knees to deepen the stretch.
For the movements that feel really good: Repeat & Enjoy them!
Allow yourself to return to these stretches as many times as you like. They are nourishing for both your body and your mind.
