Q: In the Assessment sheets, there is “muscles to stretch” and “muscles to release”. Intuitively, I know the difference but where in Mukunda’s book do I find the difference in therapeutic application?
A: Limited range of motion may be an indicator that a muscle needs to be stretched or strengthened.
Muscle testing must be performed to determine if there is a weakness in the prime mover of the specified range of motion.
If no weakness exists you can assume that the limited range of motion comes from tightness in the opposite or antagonistic muscle. This can be very confusing because you have to think about what muscle causes the movement and what muscle resists. You are looking for weakness in the muscle that creates the movement or tightness in the opposing muscle group.
This is where the concept of agonist and antagonistic muscle groups comes in to play. The agonist (prime mover) is a muscle “whose contraction opposes the action of another muscle, its antagonist, which at the same time relaxes.” ie the biceps contract and the triceps lengthen. The definition of antagonist is “a muscle that acts in opposition to an agonist or prime mover.” In this example limited elbow flexion may be caused by weak biceps or tight triceps. Your job as the yoga therapist is to determine which muscle is creating the problem.
The need for a release can best be determined by palpation. Often you’ll feel a muscle that is contracted at rest and does not release as it moves through range of motion. This is a much more difficult skill to acquire.
When you see Mukunda moving a body through range of motion and performing palpation of various muscles this is what he is trying to feel for. Often this chronic contraction can be felt in the piriformis muscle. The need for release indicates a bodywork technique is needed, such as the piriformis or shoulder release.
We will continue to review these concepts in future classes. Thanks for your question. I hope my explanation was helpful and not to basic for you!