19/01/2026
One thing I’m noticing more and more in my Pilates and yoga students is how often they tell me:
“No matter how much I stretch, I’m still tight especially in my hips, back, calves.”
What I see is that it’s rarely a lack of effort or commitment. Most of the time, it’s the opposite. Stretching to the edge of discomfort (or beyond), pushing for sensation, and believing that more intensity will eventually create release.
Sometimes tightness in the body isn’t a flexibility issue at all. It’s a sign that the nervous system is under pressure and the body doesn’t feel safe.
Imagine firmly pulling your foot back towards your body and feeling your calf tense
that tension is the body protecting itself. When the system feels threatened, muscles hold, tissues guard, and no amount of forcing can override that response.
In my experience, softening often comes from doing less, not more. Easing back from extremes. Slowing the breath. Allowing the body to stay comfortable for longer rather than chasing intense sensation.
Adding practices like pranayama, meditation, and restorative yoga can help create the conditions where the nervous system settles and the body can finally let go.
Bringing that awareness into your stretching might be the piece that helps things shift.
This isn’t about never stretching or doing things “right.”
It’s an invitation to listen differently.
To consider that your body might not need more pushing — it might need permission to slow down.
I am curious if this resonates for you?
