What we mean by breathing into a stretch

Over the years a number of students have asked me what I mean when I prompt them to breathe into a stretch.  Most students seem to intuitively grasp the notion, but others clearly struggle with it, as can be observed by their tortured grimaces.  One poor student, in one of those yoga moments I'll never forget, I found blowing fiercely on his forward leg in trikonasana.  Quite an accomplishment when looking upward!

One of the salient benefits of yoga is teaching the body to exert only the necessary effort.  In nearly every asana there is a natural tendency to co-contract muscles that do not directly support the pose, most notably the neck and shoulders.  Despite coaching to the contrary, most beginning students require months of lessons before the light bulb pops on.  When it does, students find a much deeper pleasure in the practice.  There is a minimalist's joy in reducing an asana's actions to the fundamentals.  I believe this to be the first milestone in yogic pursuit.  The transiting of this boundary is evident on a student's face and observing that is one of the deepest joys of teaching.

Just as we seek to eliminate unnecessary co-contraction, we also seek to end the pitched battle between the stretching force and the restraining force at the sites of work.  When in uttanasana, e.g., beginning students are likely to find themselves on the one hand pushing down to lengthen the stretch, yet counteracting that very same stretch with other muscles, most often in the toes.  It's as if two thoughts are at war, one being "stretch", the other being "don't stretch".  The latter comes from a perfectly healthy fear of overstretching.  But when these two forces come in conflict the benefit of the pose is lost.  When we say "breathe into the work" we mean, "dissolve the conflict" or "eliminate the restraining force".  We advise this using the exhale because it's a natural point of physical relaxation.  Whew!  The trick is not to heartily invite back lost tension on the inhale.  As you breathe imagine a cascading waterfall: with each exhale the water (tension) drops to a lower level without rising.

Breathe,

Shatra