Today we will look at one of the simplest exercises anyone can do right now to release tension in the spine and bring about relaxation quickly in this most important of areas.

I have been thinking about starting this series since about a week ago when I first started being active here on Steemit. So to mark my second week as a Author i'll introduce you to the most effective way to Front Bend.

Here is a quick teaser of my flexibility training and in this series I will be showing you how to achieve a high level of flexibility with less effort and faster than any other methods out there:

From Stress to Strong and It Won’t Take Long

Stress is a common buzz word thrown around in today’s world. So if there are more people complaining about stress and the associated problems it causes then surely a return to its opposite is desirable.

Often individuals would like to be more relaxed but perhaps choose less than effective means to do so, like exercises that may in the long run make one more tense or alcohol use or other drugs, the list goes on.

I’d like to present an option which is guaranteed to bring about a less tense and a more stress free state quicker than any other means.

“How can I know this?!”, I hear you cry! Well before I get into talking about this method of exercise and more specifically the Front Bend we will be focusing on today, please let me explain a little.

Reaching ever deepening levels of relaxation is a primary goal in life, as it allows one to dwell in one’s natural state, a state free of judgment and carefree as a child, at peace with oneself the world and everything in it.

My level of relaxation determines if I am a slave to what is experienced as mind, thoughts and memories, or whether I am a master over them.

This happens as soon as I realize I am not my thoughts, when I am not consumed with total or near total identification with them. Then one can simply observe thoughts and laugh, or simply be in bliss, living life joyously.

Yin Yoga or passive stretching is a great gateway to this as it allows one to work the physical being and breath in the most calm and effective manner there is, bringing about quick and deep relaxation.

Relaxation is the absence of tension in my physical being. The less tension I have is the more my mind serves my physical being rather than working to enslave it through negative thoughts which prompt negative actions, like bad diet or exercise.

So not only does physical relaxation reverse the flow of my mind, making it positive and productive, but it also overflows and allows my mind to always understand that certain lifestyle habits are more conducive than others in delving deeper into the depths of relaxation

When you are more tense than relaxed you are not fully there to experience life fully. It’s more like one is lost in one’s mind, estranged from one’s physical being, one’s presence right now.

If my physical being is sufficiently relaxed then I can be free of the slave like thinking in my mind and live life joyously.

My Background in Flexibility

I have been stretching since I was a teenager, back when I trained in traditional Chinese internal marital arts like Tai Chi.

In the last several years I have made significant progress by simplifying the exercises I do.

Now the teaser at the beginning may look complicated, but trust me it is very simple. I only focus on 4 main stretches:

1) Front Bends
2) Back Bends
3) Front Split
4) Side Splits

I will include lateral twists and deepen the stretch with certain variations, but that is all.

I first learned the basis for my current Front Bend practice at a Bruce Frantzis seminar in Reading, UK. He was visiting from his home in USA. Here is a picture with the highest level teacher he trained under:

Bruce Frantzis with Master Liu Hung Chieh

He said that the things he witnessed Liu Hung Chieh do were Christ like. Here is what Bruce says about him on his official website, it is some very interesting stuff: http://www.energyarts.com/liu-hung-chieh-taoist-lineage-master

The Front Bend

Bruce teaches to start from standing and very slowly lower oneself down to touch the floor and then raise slowly back up in increments again.

However, this is less than truly effective. If I want to release tension in my spine I need to reduce the amount of tension on the way down and the same for coming back up.

To this end I simply lower quickly and then focus on relaxing my shoulders and neck, all the while maintaining an awareness of my inhalation and exhalation.

I focus on letting the weight of my arms and head pull me lower, allowing gravity to open up my vertebra deeply and allowing for a higher flow of energy along the spine with each breath.

Here is the short video I made about the Front Bend:

You can see that once I have touched the floor I move to something with a higher elevation. This is important because once I touch the floor the weight is transferred into the ground and I no longer can use it to stretch as effectively. So if you are in this position find a step or anything stable enough to give you that extra height and try the stretch again.

Always keep your legs straight, knees locked. That way the back of the legs get a good stretch too and the spine can hang completely loose and free.

Always remember to be aware of your breath as you inhale and exhale. Make sure the breath is long and even. It helps you to notice how holding breath creates tension in one’s physical being and by witnessing that you can let go and gain a deeper stretch.

In the video you saw me engaging my biceps to pull me lower and closer in to my legs. This can be very helpful too, so try it and see. You can slightly twist to the right and left as well, pull with one hand on each leg or two hands on one leg. Mix it up and see how it feels.

I recommend for people who are relatively healthy to start with 5 minutes and build up to 15+ a day. Once you get to the point on being able to hang for 15 minuets at a time the practice will become very interesting. But I will leave that up for you to discover.

When you wish to end the practice simple squat down into a seated position. It's best not to come back up by raising up and engaging the spinal muscles, as you have just spent time relaxing them. Entering and exiting the stretch while contracting the back muscles as little as possible is the most desirable option if one wants to get maximum benefit.

Just to Revise

These are the main things to focus on:

Go straight down and try to touch the floor to avoid tension in the spine

Relax the neck and shoulders so the head and arms can hang freely

Keep knees locked, don’t bend the legs, keep them straight

Focus on the breath at all times, elongate the breath and keep it even

When you want to exit the stretch simply squat down to exit

Here is the video one more time:

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Here is the article I posted leading up to the start of this series: https://steemit.com/life/@onesunbeingnow/yin-yoga-a-precursive-essay-to-a-practical-series

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