I don't know what it is about my fascination with childhood games lately, but this week I got to thinking about Tug of War (pictured above). In this game, each team pulls (places tension) on the rope with the goal of making the other team cross the center line.
We may experience tension in many ways:
* An awkward conversation (social)
* Juggling finances to pay the bills (mental)
* Worrying about a loved one's health (emotional)
* Pushing an obstacle out of our path (physical)
Not all tension is bad. We need that push / pull movement to keep our muscles strong, for example. After experiencing a difficult time and coming through it, the relief of the burden can feel like a big release.
What's fascinating to me is that we can sometimes find greater relaxation in our bodies after contracting (tightening) muscles. There is a special stretching method (Contract - Relax Stretching article), which is different from static stretching (just holding a stretch). I like to use a contract / release technique during warmups and before final relaxation in my classes.
If you want to practice yoga with me to use and release tension in a beneficial way, I provide many yoga options, including group classes or 1-on-1 sessions via Zoom or in-person, and video recordings.