stretch my hamstrings every night before bed (and throughout the day when I think of it)

I’ve been neglecting this goal in favor of vegging out in front of my computer and watching DVDs.

Well, no more.

No more TV on my computer. Unless I’m watching and stretching at the same time.

Done.

Something is definitely happening! (she said giddily) Things are loosening up already. Not drastically, but enough that I notice a difference. Today I can definitely stretch a teeny bit farther than I’ve been able to for awhile. This is encouraging.

I’m also becoming aware that I need to be really careful about my alignment and ensure that other parts of my body aren’t compensating and moving when they shouldn’t. That’s why I can’t wait for class – hopefully the teacher will be the type to correct alignment from time to time.

Done.

So, this goal is going to lead to other physical goals, or at least inspire me to focus on more than just my hamstrings in yoga class. After stretching last night, I tried staff pose just for the heck of it. Yes, my hamstrings felt stretched, but I realized suddenly that it wasn’t their inflexibility keeping me from doing the pose correctly…it was more my lack of strength in my quads and core muscles. These muscles were not strong enough to counteract the pull of my hamstrings by themselves. And to complicate things further, my calves are part of the package also.

So interesting; I set out to isolate one set of muscles, but I may have to start stretching others too. This confirms for me that muscles should be considered as a connected system, rather than isolated, when exercising.

I’m finding this routine to be a great way to prepare for bed…I just light a candle and put on some music and then stretch for as long as I can stand it.

ETA: weirdness! My right hamstring is definitely tighter than my left. However, my left calf muscle is tighter than my right. What the heck? Bodies are amazing. :)

Done. I’m spending about 30 minutes more or less (so 15 minutes for each leg). I think my left leg is a bit more flexible than my right. Interesting. No overall difference in flexibility yet of course, but I do notice a tiny difference between the beginning of the session and the end, so this is very encouraging.

Done.

The point of this goal is basic: I want to be able to do sitting stretches in yoga class. Right now my hams are so tight I can’t even sit at a 90 degree angle. This seems wrong to me, so I’m going to start working seriously to correct it.

Thinking that this might be an ideal time to use my meditation CD also and kill two birds (or goals) with one stone.