Tension vs Compression in YOGA
”Yoga has not ended when you have reached your limit in a pose; it has just begun.”
E.Ekhart
Tension or Compression. We often hear these two terms in Yoga and somewhat the difference between them might not seem so big yet there is a major distinction that will be discussed further in this short article. While tension is the familiar sensation of tissues being stretched, compression refers to the tissues being pressed or pushed together. So both words refer to applying stress in some way in the body, but the process is entirely different, as the research and teachings of Paul Grilley and Bernie Clark confirm. The question is how can we differentiate between them especially during our practice and why is this important?
There are two categories of sensation that appear in posture practice: one is tension and the other one is compression. Compression in the tissues and bones happen when they are simply almost touching each other, very close together and anatomically speaking, there is no way of going beyond this movement restriction, as mentioned by Yin Yoga teacher Bernie Clark. It is also felt in the direction of the movement itself (e.g. the chest touching the thighs in forward fold). Tension on the other hand, can occur also between muscles, fascia, ligaments and joint capsules and produce some discomfort due to a temporary restriction of that area and it usually means the fascia, the tissues around that area could be further stretched in the future despite the temporary restriction. Tension is felt always in the opposite direction of the movement (e.g. the hamstrings stretching in a forward fold).
In Yoga, especially as a teacher, it is necessary to know when the practitioner has reached their edge, in terms of a final point of flexibility in a posture, in order to play safely with the limits of the body without this leading to any injury of some kind. Also, as students, it is nice to embrace these restrictions and know how to build up on them, understand what exactly causes the restrictions we feel in some poses, if there are any uncomfortable sensations arising and so on. We might often feel frustrated about any restriction or wanting to understand more what stops us from going further and it could be sometimes, also something psychological or emotional. However, if we refer just to the physical limitations in our bodies, they happen usually because of either a restriction in the body itself (one part of the body against another part, preventing each other to go further) or a resistance in the tissues when it comes to stretching or elongation. Compression and tension are two of the most common forms of stress applied to our tissues. Whether through massage, exercise or surviving daily living, the body is constantly adapting to stress. Stresses are healthy and necessary, within limits. Too little leads to atrophy in the body and too much to tissue degeneration.
Students and teachers, everyone experienced in the Yoga practice a moment when it was impossible to go further into a pose or experienced pain by reaching a certain limit in the muscles or tissues. We all carry different bodies: some of us experienced trauma, injuries of some kind or underwent surgeries, some have more flexibility in the body, some less and some are hardly ever connected to their bodies due to a very sedentary life. For Yoga practitioners, tension is something that usually dissipates in time from the body, the more one practices. New practitioners might experience tension slightly more, as a restriction in their range of motion. For more advanced practitioners, points of compression will start appearing more often and they will not be changed by any further practice. There are always workarounds for compression (e.g. wide knees in child's pose or open legs in seated forward fold), but it is not recommended for students to attempt to work through compression as this will lead to injury. Due to our unique skeletal systems, our bone and joint structures, compression occurs at different angles, therefore some poses could be impossible for some people, while other poses could be more or less accessible, in time.
A simply exercise such as paying attention to whether we experience tension or compression in a certain posture can help us already understand some patterns in our bodies and use the practice in a more functional way, as well as notice if we can offer any modifications further along the way to the posture in our benefit: e.g. notice in Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold) if the sensations that arise are more from the pelvic floor and hips (compression of the femur bones into the pelvic socket) or in the hamstrings and back (tension). Or in Saddle pose, what sensations appear in the chest and front thighs, and what appears in the hamstrings, for instance. Or in Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), the area of the chest and belly as opposed to the spine and vertebrae.
Any sensations of discomfort, tingling or burning, painful sensations are a clear indicator that we cannot go any further in the practice without eventually experiencing injury, so it is better in these situations, to pause, step back or release some of the effort and maybe attempt again in a while or not. The beauty of gentle and slow practices such as Yin or Restorative Yoga is due to these anatomically subtle but super important cues about our unique bodies and anatomy. Practicing mindfully is key to a safe practice, constantly paying attention to our edge. Working with the tension in the body by elongating our tissues and ligaments in Yin postures for instance, creates more flow, lubrication and length in the body, in time and helps to release more emotions and energy.
Yoga books as well as the fitness industry do not do a great job in presenting or promoting the uniqueness of each one´s anatomy. We are all universally connected in spirit, however in our bodies there are anatomical differences that cannot be denied, therefore imposing a stereotyped ideal in the Yoga poses will often prevent students from actually reaching their true potential, while incorporating a safe alignment in their practice. Going deeper in a posture has little to do with being an advanced Yogi or not. One can be a true Yogi without forcing the postures in their bones and compressing the joints, but rather tap into Awareness, honoring the natural space and range of motion, understand and celebrate our unique anatomy with curiosity and self-compassion. Yoga is teaching us to practice ahimsa (non-violence), to meet tension with kindness, respect the capacity of our bones, and help find our own intention (optimal health) and personal alignment by shaping the poses into our bodies and not the other way round.
More information on the effects of tension and compression as well as how to notice and understand various shades of sensations and pain in order to stay safe in your Yoga practice.
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