line
stringlengths
1
117
biochemical processes For instance it is known that contracting dormant muscle compresses
embedded arterioles and other blood vessels causing their walls to relax and spread open
vasodilation The walls open wide drawing blood into the surrounding capillaries This pulls
oxygen into the area and allows the clearance of waste products built up from sustained
contraction Over time it enhances the resilience and pliability of not just muscles but also
tendons ligaments and fascia
Some of your muscles get this perfusion and clearance every day but the dormant ones
are deprived of it Even during a fullbody workout dormant muscles often receive only
minimal contraction Exercise only improves the distribution of oxygen and nutrients to the
muscles used in that particular exercise In other words the benefits of exercise are not
systemic This is why pursuing varied movement is so important Missing out on essential loads
is like missing out on essential vitamins
In physical rehabilitation and sports training there is a popular principle called SAID
specific adaptation to imposed demand This states that your muscles will gradually get better
at the demands you place on it If you contract seldomused muscles they will adapt and with
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
time be able to contract fully The best way to take advantage of the SAID principle is to make
small demands on the body and to gradually increase the intensity as the body adapts
Antirigidity gently forces trigger points to contract causes them to unravel and burn out
This lengthens the muscle quells muscle spasms extinguishes ongoing inflammation and
unfurls myofascial restrictions As you do this you are weeding the trauma out of your spine
scaling down your chronic pain and diminishing its emotional burden By providing the muscle
the exercise it has been deprived of full contraction affords it the ability to rest and recover In
essence by pushing muscles with minimal capability for endurance to full fatigue antirigidity
builds their endurance Because much of your dormant muscle is postural converting it into
muscle capable of enduring body weight will resurrect your bodys foundation
For clarity the following table summarizes some of the important distinctions between
antilaxity and antirigidity It is important to note that the two do overlap to an extent and that
they also complement each other in practice
Sensations
Involved
Action
Consequence
Anti Firm Hypotonic Reinforcing Weakness Increasing
laxity isometric atrophied postures of and strength and
contraction muscle strength trembling tone
Anti Stretch Hypertonic Rehabilitating Aching Decreasing
rigidity combined dormant muscles stuck in soreness weakness and
with firm muscle partial and excessive tone
contraction contraction cracking
Table Comparing Antilaxity with Antirigidity
Antirigidity Fills in Missing Corners
Dormant muscles are responsible for the missing corners in your range of motion Because
the muscle is stuck in partial contraction it is incapable of moving pliantly People of Eastern
philosophical persuasions call these energy blocks While prior chapters have examined the
effect this has on the diaphragm eyes face and vocal apparatus this chapter focuses
specifically on the spine core and postural muscles There are numerous muscles throughout
your spine that you only contract within percent of their full range of motion Find them and
rescue them by pushing them toward
As you rehab missing corners you will expose other missing corners beneath them There
are hierarchies of missing corners to reestablish When one spinal segment is curled up and
inoperative it undermines those nearby it rendering them inaccessible Correcting one
provides leverage for correcting others Using the antirigidity method regularly you will
continue to discover repositories of strength you never knew you had
You may come to recognize that many of your most dormant muscles derive from previous
injuries Using antirigidity encountered many previous strains and sprains from adolescence
Chapter Antirigidity Therapy Bring Dormant Muscle to Fatigue
and young adulthood that had forgotten about The process is like unearthing fossils If you
drive then you probably have dormant muscle in your right ankle knee and hip from working
the gas and the brake Likewise if you work on a computer you probably have strain in your
right shoulder that runs up your neck from bracing while holding the mouse had pronounced
lumbar knots from decades of bending over the sink to wash my face and brush my teeth
The problem was did those things from a single fixed position without contracting my glutes
Antirigidity treated all of these
Do you ever bend over and reach a point where you know that you will hurt yourself if you
continue This is a corner that is completely missing Most people have countless postural
configurations like this that cannot be loaded at all Many muscles in the hips and lower back
can barely withstand a small fraction of body weight You want to load these frail muscles very
lightly at first increasing the load over time To load the muscles with less than body weight
you must lessen the effects of gravity by placing your body into unfamiliar yet supported
positions like those illustrated above The techniques used in Pilates and the poses used in yoga
can also be used to this end
Using Antirigidity with Distressed Breathing Is Counterproductive
Performing antirigidity will make you want to breathe shallowly One of the main reasons that
dormant muscle stays dormant is because every time you try to use it it takes your breath
away Pairing distressed breathing with antirigidity defeats the purpose In fact shallow
breathing is enough to turn antirigidity work into injurious tension building When first
started developing the antirigidity technique many friends saw me stretching restlessly and
told me You know you look to me like you are just making the tension worse They felt this
way because doing the same exercises would irritate their muscles Contracting dormant
muscle is something that our bodies naturally tend to avoid because under distressed
breathing the muscle will only become further agitated Diaphragmatic breathing makes all
the difference
Be mindful that you are breathing diaphragmatically at no more than six breaths per
minute or else antirigidity will lead to more tension It is imperative that you breathe long full
smooth breaths preferably through the nose Employ a breath metronome when possible
Consider performing antirigidity after a diaphragmatic breathing session You will find that five
minutes of breathing along with a breath metronome will make you more limber and make it
easier to identify achy muscles After minutes of paced breathing antirigidity will feel like
picking lowhanging fruit
Antirigidity is also accentuated after exercise massage or the application of heat It is far
easier to sense and contract dormant muscle after a workout or rubdown The same goes for a
hot shower or bath This is the rationale behind the practice of hot yoga To experience this
take a shower that is as hot as possible without being uncomfortable You might want to rub
moistened Epsom salt into your neck and shoulders beforehand Let the heated water hit the
back of your neck and stream down your spine You will notice that your neck cracks more
easily is more flexible and you can more fully contract the muscles for upwards of minutes
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body
Rushing Antirigidity is Counterproductive
As you get better at performing antirigidity you will become more ambitious and attempt to