Over Flexibility?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I’ve always been fairly flexible, and I’ve gotten much more so since I started yoga about three years ago. My problem is that I seem to be too flexible. On a few occasions lately, I’ve been lifting something or stretching out to grab something and I’ll have this unpleasant feeling as if I could easily just pop my shoulder our of it’s socket. I haven’t as of yet but I’m a bit concerned because I feel that I could easily do it by accident. Also, I’ve recently become a vegetarian, though I’m not sure if that has any relation. I eat a healthy diet with plenty of protein for muscle maintenance and such.

Any thoughts? Should I be doing some exercises to strengthen the muscles that keep the shoulder in it’s socket? Thanks.

#2

This is a common problem. I would suggest doing a yoga practice that focuses on strength, learning to feel the muscles contracting rather than stretching. By doing this the over flexibility due to imbalanced vata dosha will begin to stabilize. A raw foods diet is not recommended but sounds like you are being sensible and that should not be a cause of situation, especially as you say it has always been that way. More likely it is the way you are rather than how you have become.

For specific stabilization of the shoulder do my Joint Freeing Series as described in my book with the intention of toning all the muscles identified in chapters 16 and 17. By learning to feel the specific muscles that do each motion you can develop tone very quickly and this is the key to stable joints. Avoid dog pose, shoulder presses into the wall and face of cow (gomukhasana). blessings. mukunda