Relax the Body

A practical application of the Second Pillar

This is the second in a series. If you haven’t read Strengthen the Body, go read that first.

Relaxation is somewhat of a strange topic. We all have some vague idea of what it means to relax, in the sense that it is opposite to tightening; or perhaps trying hard, or even being angry. But ask yourself what specific actions you take in order to “relax” and you may find it harder to answer than it would seem it should be.

When I think of relaxation, I now think of the Buddhist phrase “tranquilize the bodily formations”. It reads somewhat funny because when we see “tranquilize” we think of sedatives but if we take the word apart and read it as “make tranquil”, well, tranquil is a nice state to be in. It’s relaxed, at ease, soft, supple, clear, and smooth.

But even more importantly, relaxing is an action, not something that happens passively. If you have tight muscles, you can’t ignore them and expect the tightness to disappear.

In my last post, I talked about how Strengthening is more than making your muscles bigger. Something I didn’t mention is that one very important requirement for a muscle to be strong is that its opposing muscle, its antagonist, is relaxed.

In order for a muscle to contract at all, the muscle that would produce the opposite movement (say, bending your leg vs straightening it) has to be inactive. Otherwise, no motion can occur. What this means is that if you have tight muscles, you have weak muscles. Or, at least, weaker than they could be.

So, in order to Strengthen, you must also Relax.

If you want to Relax the body, you will need to take into consideration all of the places the body can be tight or stiff. I already talked about the antagonist muscles but tendons, fascia, and ligaments can also be stiff. Even your internal organs can become “sclerotic” or hardened. One way you can soften and relax these tissues is through warmup exercises: gentle movement and warm blood invigorates the areas you target. This relaxation will also improve mobility as you lift restrictions on your movement imposed by tight tissues.

As you move through everyday life, be it at the gym, out shopping, or sitting at your computer, you will be constantly faced with opportunities to Relax your body. Notice and release tension wherever it isn’t needed. Maybe you clench your teeth or your hands or your toes, maybe your shoulders raise, maybe your chest or back tightens, maybe your brows furrow, maybe your neck stiffens. Keep yourself aware and keenly attentive to your body, and you will be able to nip tension in the bud. The more you do this, the more your body will become regulated to a state of relaxation, and the better it will function.

Next time, I’m going to take a look at the third pillar: Refinement.

If you are looking to Relax your body but aren’t sure where to start, I offer classes and private sessions so reach out and let’s find an avenue that works for you.

I’m always open to comment and question, so if something comes to mind please don’t hesitate to reply to this email or use the comment section on Substack, or whichever platform you found this post.