Flexibility problems

Question
Dear Evelyne,

I began to study the martial arts actively in April and have continued training up to 8 hours a week since. However, I am frustrated at my lack of progress in increasing my flexibility.

I'm a large build (6'4'', 220 pounds, bodybuilder). But I have extremely low flexibility and sometimes my ankles feel about as flexible as blocks of concrete.

I was wondering if you could tell me if there were any flower essences, aromas, vitamins or some kind of practice that might help increase my flexibility.

I'm open to any advice and am looking forward to yours.

Thanks in advance,

Brian.  

Answer
Dear Brian,

I find your question unusual with its mixture of the  physical  and the alternative. In general, flexibility is hardly a diet/nutrion or complementary medicine issue. It has much to do with build and training. From my experience with Yoga, I know that even with with regular (gentle) practice limits can be reached and must be accepted. Some classical Indian Yoga postures, for example, are really technically impossible for most people with a western build, who simply are always taller and heavier.
Martial arts, don't forget were designed around an Oriental build. Eventhough I am fairly flexible, when I attempted Aikido last spring, I soon discovered that my problem lay in the ability to fall and roll without shocking my system (the vertebra in the neck) too much. Contrary to what the Art intends (strenghtening your weaknesses) I understood that if I carried on for much longer I would compromise my weak spots all the more.
The only additional "alternative" viewpoints I can give you is that on flexibility and feet in general. Typical Western lifesytles have made us quite rigid in many senses of the word. Physical flexibility can sometimes correspond to mental fluidity.
With regard to feet: they are often direly neglected, reduced to slaves for our trudging and trampling about. Indirectly speaking, any problems of a foot-nature tell us something about our Earth-boundness (some may say Karma). Bear in mind that inflexible ankles may not be so bad if compared to those that are easily sprained.
I can always recommend (and have observed benifits on many levels) that you spend a little extra time on your feet once in a while and in my Aikido classes they also used classical Yoga exercises (unwittingly, no doubt) in warming up, which  involved very passively treating the foot/leg as an "object" which had to comply to one's massaging and flexing. Ideally this is something to do (at home) regularly with a warming natural vegetable oil (almond or wheatgerm is fine but arnica is superb for treating muscles). You could always add a drop or two of essential oils such as orange or geranium if you really want to relax and enjoy the treatment.
Finally, sitting on the floor whenever the opportunity allows, does eventually increase flexibility, for it forces you to cross your legs, or tuck them beneath you some how, stretching many muscles and keeping your joints supple. Just don't overdo it or you'll do permanent damage (even Yoga teachers have, unfortunately).  Squatting, too can train up legs/ankles, which in Martial Arts is a good starting point. However, I am sure you've come across many exercises in your training, yourself.
In any case, go easy on the training until you become more flexible and remember, loosening up can take a number of years (expecially if you've done any body building, which is all about tensing up, really). Indeed, esotericaly speaking, becoming flexible enough may well turn out to be a life-time job!
Good luck and enjoy your "work"
Evelyne

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