..Have you ever felt like your flexibility is holding you back?
I wasn’t always lucky to teach flexibility workshops around the world..
I certainly don’t have any extraordinary talents, in fact I started practising flexibility only at an older age..
And frankly, till not too long ago I myself struggled with flexibility a lot
So if you feel stuck with your flexibility you’re definitely not alone. However..
It’s not your fault.. because..
Oldschool flexibility training can get so overwhelming that it might even seem like a weird form of torture. And there’s nobody to show you how to build it from the ground up..
In fact even gymnastics flexibility is missing the whole point..
They focus on cookie cutter routines and techniques that if you push hard enough, you’ll somehow eventually touch your toes. But..
Most flexibility trainers don’t teach the real Important thing..
How to unlock your full range of motion and achieve your flexibility goals without forcing your body into it. In fact..
I struggled for years and had to work very hard and consistently to see the smallest results..
But here’s how things changed for me
In 2018, I Heard A Sentence That Shook My World:
"Hanna. I've just signed you up for the World Pole Championship. You have 90 days to get ready. Good luck!"
Wait! What?
That was my trainer, deciding to throw me into the World Pole Championship in Spain without asking me of course.
I found out about it in November 2018, just after I'd completed my FIRST year in pole sport.
Don't get me wrong, I was somewhat flexible at that time. I could do some pretty cool tricks, but they were nothing close to what I needed to achieve for this competition.
The panic hit me hard.
The quiet voice in my head made sure I was aware of all my biggest worries and fears..
“Is it even possible to be ready in time?”
Ninety days might look like a lot from the outside, but in the competitive world, it's barely a moment.
"What if I'm really not ready in time!!!
Or worse, what if I push myself too hard?"
That's exactly how YOU get injured!
I had to find a solution. If not for me, then for my teammates, I told myself.
I gave myself 90 days to figure it out
Find a way to quickly improve my flexibility so I won’t be held back by this limitation anymore
The first step I took:
I joined every class to improve my flexibility—yoga, ballet, gymnastics,
you name it.
But after a few weeks of hard work, I realised..
Absolutely nothing was working!
Giving up was not an option..
My trainer made it clear: “If you don't compete, you're not welcome in my studio…"
So I immediately thought to myself: "I'm going to buy every flexibility course out there!!"
This was it. I was going to learn from the most flexible influencers on the planet and finally master that flexibility superpower.
But reality hit hard:
After Purchasing 7 Different Courses About Flexibility I Was Left Speechless. Only To Find Out..
- Their classes were a mess.
- Their explanations left me puzzled.
- And their course quality had me questioning what have I even paid
And to make things worse.. Just when I started seeing a fraction of progress, I started getting injured.
My hamstrings and back were flaring up from all the practice I was doing.
I even had to stop my practice completely.
The first step I took:
I joined every class to improve my flexibility—yoga, ballet, gymnastics,
you name it..
But after a few weeks of hard work,
I realised..
Absolutely nothing was working!
Giving up was not an option..
My trainer made it clear: “If you don't compete, you're not welcome in my studio…"
So I immediately thought to myself:
"I'm going to buy every flexibility course out there!!"
This was it. I was going to learn from the most flexible influencers on the planet and finally master that flexibility superpower.
But reality hit hard..
After Purchasing 7 Different Courses About Flexibility I Was Left Speechless. Only To Find Out:
- Their classes were a mess
- Their explanations left me puzzled
- And their course quality had me questioning what have I even paid for
And to make things worse..
Just when I started seeing a fraction of progress, I started getting injured.
My hamstrings and back were flaring up from all the practice I was doing.
I even had to stop my practice completely.
I Was Ready To Give Up When A Friend Suggested I Try Something Different:
there was a circus workshop in town with incredible
circus contortionists!
I was out of options and ready to try anything, so I turned to the contortionists for help.
What I learned about their techniques for flexibility was beyond anything I could have imagined..
Because this made me realise that:
Flexibility Is More About The Mind And Body Connection Rather Than Forcing Yourself Into The Stretch
You see, it might be that your own mind is actually holding you back.
Your body will not allow you to go where it doesn’t feel safe, so if you go too fast or too far, it might activate your “protection mechanism” and stop you from stretching further.
However..
By exploring different speeds and different techniques you could make your mind and body feel familiar with this range of motion and allow you to go a little further in your practice.
When I started practicing those exact techniques, flexibility was no longer frustrating for me
I no longer had to force my body into a particular position, that’s because I knew exactly what to do to make it happen.
In no time my friends started asking me how I managed to improve my flexibility like that.
Some people thought I must be training for 20 hours a day just on my flexibility.
But the truth is, the techniques I learned allowed me to practice smarter and not harder like I used to in gymnastics.
Now here’s the good news
You could also become excellent at flexibility not too long from now, even if you think you’ve tried everything.
You may experience a huge improvement in the next to no time because…