Thursday, May 30, 2013

Muscle memory - a topic at my yoga session yesterday.

I was doing my regular warming up routine at my yoga session and suddenly, my teacher asked us what do we understand by muscle memory.  There was a complete silence and my teacher looked at me for an answer.  I have read it somewhere but it was vague as I have it some time ago.

I try to explain that if we continue to exercise our muscles in a regular routine and this routine is registered in our muscles and they will perform the routine without thinking.  Like the kungfu , Weng Chun. The master continued to practice the routine on its wooden robot regularly and when they fight , the muscles and legs will perform its pose and actions automatically to protect the master. It will come naturally and precisely without any thinking. Yeah, I was partially right but it was more to that.

I have read a story of a sailor who have been sailing on a ship for 30 years of his life and when he retire, he walks with a sway as if to the motion of the sea.  Perhaps all his muscles have been conditioned during his work as a sailor.

My yoga teacher told me that when we are hurt or injured on a certain part of our body muscles , the muscles will also keep a memory of those wound and pains and when we move that part of the muscles under the same condition, it will bring up the memory of pain or hurt in our consciousness. It is a bit complex but if we think logically , it could be right.

When some one walk and fell on a slippery floor and when they see a slippery floor, they body will get stiff and they will walk slowly and cautiously.  The memory of the pain could be triggered on the brain or on the muscles. 

It is good for us to be conscious and be aware of muscle memory and we can set to defeat it when it surface in our body and mind.

Namaste.

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