Greetings,
I am trying to help my girlfriend with yoga poses for flexibility and more importantly to help her open up her body and posture. I am running into a problem that I am unable to properly address so I wanted to ask for advice. When stretching I will explain the movement, as well as where you should feel the lengthening muscle, and how to try and intensify the stretch if necessary. However she often does not “feel” the stretch in the intended area. It will either be non existent or will be in a completely different area. An example will be in seated forward bend. She will feel tight calfs and ankles but feel nothing in her hamstrings. This is often the same for many poses. Another issue I am running into is that she is unable to “bend from the hips”. She says she understands the concept from a technical standpoint but doesn’t understand how to translate that to her own body. It is almost as if she is completely disconnected from herself and unable to feel what her own body is actually doing. I have asked her to consciously “flex” certain muscles and she doesn’t understand how to do it. I am looking for advice on how to approach helping her. I know that everyone can gain command of their body through asanas, focus, and time but would like a way to guide her as best as I can.
Thank you all,
Namaste