The Biggest Limitation
Can you recall the freedom of movement you had as a child? The joy of running without a warmup, attempting somersaults on concrete, or kicking a ball with all your might? Perhaps you even aspired to touch the stars, jumping as high as you could, day after day, without a care for the slight soreness that followed. What has changed now that you're older?
Do you want to start with breathwork? Great? Have you asked yourself if you are ready for it? The one question many people need to ask is if their body is prepared for the activity they want. Suppose you're training with a coach, especially a private coach. In that case, you should thoroughly assess what you are currently capable of. Imagine you want to travel from New York to Mars, and you get into your car. You might not get that far. We do the same thing all the time with our bodies.
This is a severe case of paralysis. You can see a clear difference between the left and right side. The person's right diaphragm is moving, the left is not. Do you think this person will have issues during strenuous exercises or during 5 rounds of intensive breathwork?
We are all born as exceptional athletes with world-class capabilities. As infants, we have an incredible range of motion, flexibility, and strength. We can crawl, roll, and reach for objects with ease. But somehow, as we get older, we must train to do a split or sit in a deep squat. These movements are not just about showing off your flexibility, or strength-they're about maintaining your body's ability to move in a full range of motion, which is crucial for overall physical well-being. That is crazy if you think about it. You grow up only to do what you could 20,30, 40, or even more years ago.
“You’re as old as your spine ”
Why mobility?
We all want to feel at home in our bodies. To move at ease without pain or restriction. That is inner freedom. But what is this 'inner space 'we're talking about? It's the capacity within your body for movement, flexibility, and breath. To have space to move. If there is one thing that would improve your life, it is space. And I don't mean Elon Musk-style space. I'm talking about space inside of your body. This space allows your muscles to move freely, your joints to function properly, and your breath to flow smoothly. It's the key to maintaining your physical well-being.
Imagine having your dream house, but it is completely full of stuff—stuff you can't remove, stuff that is just there. And you want to add more stuff. Where will you store it? There is no space. So you end up jamming stuff onto other stuff. That is, in simple terms, what happens in your body as you move less and less.
Because all are born with an empty dream house if you will. But slowly, we accumulate 'stuff'-tension, stiffness, imbalances-and our stuff accumulates mostly due to a lack of movement/strength expression in the body. The body is an incredible Adaptation machine, so the moment it learns it doesn't need a full squat anymore, it forgets how to do it. This 'stuff' can lead to various physical issues, from muscle imbalances to joint pain, and can significantly limit your mobility and physical well-being.
“The body is constantly adapting. Make sure you dictate the input. ”
What does it mean?
When you lose space within your body and want to try CrossFit one day, Your body thinks, what the hell are we doing? What are all these positions? I don't remember how to do this. Do you want to sit in a squat with your arms stretched overhead, holding a barbell? I will sacrifice your lower back, knees, hips, shoulders, and wrists. Are you happy now? The demand has exceeded the current capacity. This can lead to injuries, pain, and other physical issues, significantly limiting your ability to engage in physical activities.
The same applies to breathing. When there is less space in the body, your breathing gets inhibited. Think of shallow breaths, less diaphragmatic movement, out-of-breath when doing sports, and fatigue. Here is the kicker: It also applies to breathwork. Just because someone can breathe doesn't mean he or she is ready for breathwork. It even has to be within the person's capacity for good practice.
As a coach, I have heard numerous times that people do not experience any benefit from breathwork or pain in specific body parts after a while of doing it. More often than not, a lack of inner space is the reason.
The flip side of the coin
Luckily, Adaption works both ways, and we can actually improve our inner space at any age. I even had a client who, unfortunately, was diagnosed with the rare Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy next to having cancer... CIPD is an autoimmune disease that affects the nerves. For my client, it meant losing the ability to move his toes, ankles, fingers, and more. He came to wanting to run with his grandson.
Long story short, in 6 weeks, he ran with his grandson. No pain, no special shoes, nothing. He used his body for what it was meant. We saw each other twice a week, and I gave him a set of specific exercises to do at home based on his needs. He was 72 years old.
The same can be done for breathing. And it will probably turn your breathing experience a 180-degree twist. Because when you can fully inhale in any position or during your breathwork without restraints, you're improving your lung capacity and your body's ability to relax, recover, and perform. That is another world. That is going back to your childhood. You don't think about special techniques anymore; you just go play.
Don't you just want to play?
The keyword here is control. Be in control of your body and your breath. Don't live with limitations; remove them. Create space within.
Keep on movin'
Sanjay