Everything is a stretch

Supta padangusthasana and the beautiful vigas in our little adobe hut.

You know that kind of delicious sore-muscle feeling you get after a mild workout? Where it feels SO good to stretch? 

These last few months, my muscles have felt that way all the time. Like I'm perpetually at that sore-muscles-after-workout stage. Pleasantly achey, where stretching feels really good all the time.

I don’t know much about muscle physiology but the gist is that when you work out, you're breaking down muscle in order to build muscle. You could say my immune system has been breaking down muscle, too, in its own misguided way. So the sore-muscle acheyness makes sense.

And because all my muscles seem to stay really tight (I’ll stretch and then notice within an hour that I need to stretch again), every movement feels like a stretch. I'm trying to do some focused stretching several times a day—feels like it makes a difference.

PS Supta padangusthasana is a reclining yoga pose which is recommended for everyone! Opens up hamstrings and calves but is also good for lower back. Check it out!