DancEssentials: Stretching Mind, Body, and Positivity

Stretching is essential to any dancer or athlete.  One thing I will say to anyone beginning their stretching is always relax.  I like to pretend like I'm falling asleep in the pose.  This deepens your breathing (because you breathe deeper when you're asleep) which betters your stretching.
     Another thing I like to do while stretching is stretch more than just my limbs.  I like to stretch my mind and imagination.  I like to imagine myself doing all the creative dance moves I could do if I could do the splits or the over splits.  Then I go further into my mind, and stretch the limits I've put on my body.  Any voice in my head telling me I'll never get there (because there's always a devil talking on your shoulder) I flip around and turn into an angel's voice.  I stretch my mentality to listen to my positive voice, small as it may be, and I find myself stretching deeper into my position as I fall into a pool of positive imagery.
     Take the time when you stretch to focus intently on your body and mind.  Often people will just get lazy during stretch time, like your yoga mat is a couch or something.  If you want results, give that mat back its respect, and put some effort into your stretching.  After all, no one said flexibility was easy.  Should it look effortless?  Eventually….but that's gonna take a lot of work.  At least for me.  Some people just have it naturally….I won't say what the voice on my shoulder says about those kind of people.

Good luck to all soon-to-be-splitters!
And for those of you who already got it, keep at it!
Love what you have and don't lose what you got!

-RumbaQueen