Do you know that stretchy feeling that is often associated with yoga?

Yes, this stretch can feel good but often is overused and misinterpreted. From the Kaiut Method lens, increasing “flexibility” and overall health starts in the joints, not the muscles. Muscles, tendons, and soft tissues around the joints respond to the health and mobility of the joint. The Kaiut Yoga Method was designed with this in mind.

Kaiut Yoga has evolved from an understanding of how modern society has impacted the human body. That said, we haven’t always adapted well to the stresses that modern life brings. The origins of yoga came about when humans began moving from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural one. And now, we are increasingly experiencing a rapid transition into the technological age. Yoga must also adapt to this transition to keep our bodies and minds aligned with nature. Through many subtle mechanisms, Kaiut Yoga provides us with a path to stay aligned with nature. One of these mechanisms is the application of pressure to the joints.

Joints love pressure and compression. It’s what keeps them healthy.

Joint compression techniques have been used in alternative therapies for years. Shapes within the Kaiut Yoga practice often compress and provide specific pressure to our joints. As we approach the joint directly, the input provides a proprioceptive stimulus that can elicit a physiological and chemical change. A proprioceptive stimulus is any input to the body that enhances our ability to sense where we are in relationship to our surroundings.

Our bodies need this proprioceptive input to improve our body awareness and body organization. Once this connection is stimulated, the body and nervous system are then more able to rest, discharge, and handle stress more efficiently.

Applying pressure to the joints stimulates the circulatory system. Safely restricting and opening blood flow around the joints, heals soft tissues and assists in the purging of stuck chemicals and toxins. The joint and its counterparts are therefore revitalized. During this process, tactile feedback from the change in blood flow enhances the nervous systems proprioceptive capacity and triggers an increased body-mind connection.

Kaiut Yoga postures, movements, and the relationship between them were designed to incorporate these human enhancements to combat the patterns that result in the modern lifestyle. In effect, the body enhances its productive compensatory mechanisms. The result can be an increased range of motion, less pain, emotional coherence, as well as increased cognitive function.

If you are new to Kaiut Yoga or if you have an established practice, we encourage you to approach the practice with “new eyes” as you come to practice. Each practice session is unique and no two sequences are ever the same! Think of it as greeting ourselves in the present moment, every time we come to the mat.