It is believed by those who study motor learning that the body stores movement patterns in the brain.  Think about people who’ve suffered a stroke, and need to undergo functional training in order to regain motor control.  The simplest movements once taken for granted then must be broken down into basic chunks for the brain to register and integrate into one whole fluid movement.  Therefore, learning correct movements is key to maximum joint mobility and muscle motion because it’s harder to unlearn bad habits than it is to learn new ones.

Static stretching is defined by prolonged holding positions.  For example, for a left side neck stretch, one might place the right palm over the left ear and gently pull the right ear towards the right shoulder, holding the head in place to feel the stretch.  These types of static stretches have been traditionally prescribed for athletes to warm up, however, this stretch can actually put the muscle to sleep, which is not ideal for sports performance!  The muscle is being elongated without the brain engaging and noticing the length change. 

For example, if one tries to go out and play a game of golf after having done a series of static stretches, the brain and the muscles it’s trying to activate are effectively out of sync.  You might notice a slowed down reaction, and not know why or how to fix your performance.  Control is lost and the potential for injury increased. 

Dynamic stretching, which is a critical element of Thai Yoga massage, is designed to stretch the tight areas without ever stopping.  The body is moved into and out of the stretch position repetitively until you loosen up.  When one’s body is moving, the brain constantly monitors the changing length of the muscles.  Thus this prevents experiencing joint destabilisation and coordination deficits that can come up from stretching with prolonged static holding techniques. 

Our clients repeatedly report feeling calm in the mind, but rejuvenated in their body.  They go on to perform better than they ever did at their game.  This is because Thai Yoga massage utilises dynamic stretching and the “rocking” of the body in a variety of ways.  The muscles are properly awoken and stretched out.  The body is warmed up and ready to go. 

Depending on the need of the client, we’ll work comprehensively to allow maximum joint mobilisation, thus subtly reprogramming the body and brain into correct movement and posture.  We provide dynamic stretching that the client may not be able to get into him or herself.  With correct body movements, one regains proper mobility and hence overall sports performance is improved – which is something all athletes, from professional to amateur, want!