Push Ups doing Tigers...

Yes you read correctly, it reminds of the looks I get from most people when I dare utter the words "strength in flexibility" That which is dying becomes hard, inflexible, and breaks. That which is alive is soft, yielding, and grows.

I have been exploring the world of fitness for quite some time and lately I find that even in our advanced scientific knowledge of how the human body works we still strive for "A tight CORE" And yes we should have a strong core of muscle fiber but if it's tight can it be flexible? Well, I just said that which is dying is hard isn't tight hard and then there for unable to move and then eventually breaks? No wonder we've all got bad back! We have become obsessed with tightening our core and that's all we have on our brain all the time. We are a direct reflection of our own thoughts so if were constantly focused on a tight core guess what we got it. Don't think so?

Quick assesment: More than likely you are sitting so Focus on how you are sitting. Buttt cheeks clentch on to the chair for dear life? Wearing your shoulders up around your ears? Or perhaps the ever famous slumped over the computer mouth open checking out facebook. More than likely you are holding tension in some part of your body even worse you are holding it in a way that is unbalanced and causes pain. The challenge is finding the real source. The human body is a kinetic chain and where an imbalance occurs is often way far away from where pain is actually felt.

Qigong (or ch'i kung) is all about the movement of energy in the body. The more we understand our energy the more we understand our body and then can use it more efficiently.

I believe in giving my student what they want and in most cases more of what they need but, I can't give them anything unless they communicate their wants. The buzz is always core and sometimes even worse "abs" So I have even taken the liberty and launched my own crusade (yes I said crusade A vigorous concerted movement for a cause) to bring about more awareness of such a philosophy as Core Flexibility.

What is core flexibility? The ability to stretch your entire body and still maintain strength to prevent it from breaking. Think Yoga, Gymnastics, Tai Chi or a Palm Tree in Hurricane winds. All very flexible living and growing.

How do I begin to work on my core flexibility? it brings me back to Push ups doing Tigers. It's something you will never see so maybe we should look to our furry friends and mimic some of their movements. They look flexible, alive and playful. Maybe rolling around on the floor bit just might help you relax a little and explore your own possibilities with Core Flexibility. The human body adapts and grows when it is soft and flexible but, breaks when it becomes rigid out of balance and inflexible.

As you explore new ways that your body moves never force a stretch your body will tell you whether something is good or not. You just have to listen to it.

Try and Hold stretches for at least 1minute to maintain flexibility 2 minutes for increased flexibility.

Train like your life depends on it...You never know it just might
Once again the things that seem easy become a big challenge.