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It's Not Your Hamstrings!

Are you one of those people who can’t touch the floor? Or can barely touch the floor? Or maybe the floor seems like a galaxy away?
You’re not alone. For sure. I was one of those people my entire life. I do not say this lightly. Literally, I never thought that touching the floor was even a possibility for me. And, personally and as a physical therapist, I (like most other people) thought it was the tightness in my hamstrings. Why?
Because that’s where I felt the tension!
And yet... after undergoing the intensive teacher training and practicing Isha Hatha Yoga regularly, I had lightbulb moments!
Why do you think there’s tension in the hamstrings when bending forward? Because... “the ankle bone is connected to the knee bone and connected to the hip bone..” You get the point.
The issue is..... drum rolls, please... Your spine... Yes, tension in your spine. Spine can’t bend and there’s a tug on the hamstrings.
Spine is the most important part of the body in yoga for various reasons. And now, I appreciate that statement even more. The tension is caused by many factors. Even in physical therapy, the great Shirley Sahrmann classified it in 4 different ways. The body is too complex to say it’s muscle stiffness only. It’s not just that...
And so, yoga provides a systematic system to make you and your spine flexible on various levels, so that not only can you touch your toes, but you can live more gracefully.
Here’s to the next yoga session! Cheers!

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