"Pulling is the object of stretching..."

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

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bonmar
Participant

April 17, 2009 at 7:14 am

Post count: 220

#1402

Every time I hear this phrase it drives me crazy, and, of course, I hear it every day at yoga, as it’s part of the standard dialogue.

It’s such bad grammar. It should either be “pulling with the object of stretching,” or “stretching is the object of pulling.”

Just one of those little things that drives me crazy every day…
well, not really crazy, just a little cuckoo. 🙂

fraseram
Participant

April 17, 2009 at 8:10 am

Post count: 356

#4651

you crack me up…. I LOVE the crazy things that float into our heads in those 90 min LOL
ps good point though

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

April 17, 2009 at 9:03 am

Post count: 3048

#4652

Hi Bonnie and Amy

Yes well, funny things do come into our heads.

I am with Bonnie on this one about how ridiculous it is to say that.

The object of stretching something is not pulling. It could be the other way around: It could be that the object of pulling (say, on your feet) is to stretch (say, the back of your legs). It is just one of the many things (aka myths or accepted phrases) that has been passed from teacher to teacher. I was having a chat about it just last night with Robert. That when we hear certain things again and again they tend to be accepted as truth. And then after a while those things are no longer even questioned. They simply get put out there as if they actually mean something. I sometimes even catch myself saying something (not just in yoga) and realizing that the phrase itself is meaningless. So I try to re-craft it and make it communicate something real or at least comprehensible! 😉

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

yogalifer
Participant

April 18, 2009 at 9:23 pm

Post count: 106

#4660

I agree with all of you. It usually makes me smile a little when I hear that one, though.

I think that I understand what they are saying now that I have heard about the reciprocal stretching theory. (Gabrielle, did I get that right?) Once I read about that and started using it in the stretches, I was absolutely amazed to feel my hamstrings relax almost simultaneously with the biceps flex.

happymom
Participant

January 30, 2011 at 1:02 am

Post count: 3

#8254

LOL Okay, in my studio the owner is also an instructor. He is the nicest young man. However, he does not know how to say “abdomen,” without fail calling it the ABDONUM. It cracks me up every time! The other one that gets me comes straight from Teacher Training, I’m sure. It’s when they say “more harder!” omg, this one drives me batty.

Isn’t it silly what we can let distract us?! 🙂

Cheers from Canada,
janice
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