173T.E. That’s a great testimonial! Why should an athlete or performer
practice yin?
F.M. Nothing is going to work: no squats, no push-ups, no jumps, no pull-ups,
no kicking, no punching—none of that means anything if you’re tight. Nothing
means anything if you don’t have mobility or the flexibility in your joints. If you
don’t stretch, holding the poses for a long period of time to get into the fascia,
nothing is going to get better.
T.E. Do you have a favorite yin yoga pose?
F.M. I think my favorite yin yoga pose is probably the sleeping swan. For some
reason, it just opens up my hips.
T.E. Do you have a least favorite yin yoga pose?
F.M. The one I try to avoid is reclining half hero. That is the one where I feel
like an 85-year-old man!
T.E. Do you have any last “yinspiration”?
F.M. My favorite thing that you say is, “Carrying tension in the body is like driv-
ing a car with the emergency brake pulled up.” You are going to wear down
your pads. So, if you don’t stretch, hey, it’s your fault!