Yoga & Hyper-Mobility: “but i don’t FEEL the Stretch”
YOGA for HYPER-MOBILITY : a lifelong study
HYPER-MOBILITY is a therapeutic specialty of mine.
i know how to spot excessive flexibility right away, and teach clients to reverse it, stabilize their bodies, and resolve their struggle and pain.
My clinical expertise is both professional, and intimately personal as well.
i’m hyper-mobile myself!
Flexibility can be dangerous for HYPER-MOBILE people, who live with an unseen disorder: loose ligaments and bad collagen. Despite the envy of others, their bodies lack internal “glue”, so they experience frequent strain, pain and dislocation due to over-stretch. Meanwhile, generally prescribed exercises and strength training may injure them more.
Besides genetic hyper-mobility, it is possible to develop hyper-mobility at an injury site where the tendons and ligaments have torn; a rotator cuff or sprained ankle, for example. Instead of forming adhesive scar tissue, the connective tissue may not knit together well enough to provide stability and support, and instead remain chronically overstretched. This scenario may also unfold with hormonal shifts during pregnancy, which leave many women hyper-mobile, prone to injury, and unstable.
Since the average person relates more to tension and restriction, it’s hard for them to imagine a body structure that falls apart with stress or movement…which is why hyper-mobile people can get hurt in Yoga, and often endure lifelong pain. Mainstream fitness protocols don’t work for them, but doctors and Yoga teachers completely miss the clues.
Without ligaments and tendons – our internal glue – nothing holds our joints together but compensatory muscle spasm.
Hyper-Mobility can be frustrating and painful until it is seen and stabilized. Hyper-Mobile people need to retrain proprioception – new body awareness – to create safe movement boundaries for themselves.
Structural Yoga is survival medicine for unstable bodies with chronic pain. With just a little knowledge and support, we learn quickly and improve so much! When our bodies hurt, going inside restores trust and connection within. Once our bodies feel safe and cared for, they relax their guard and let us in. Self-healing may seem like a superhuman task, however, it’s easily accessible once we stop, pay attention, and become present with ourselves.
