FIT FOR FIT: HOW TO BE FLEXIBLE

Watch: A yogi’s 10-minute stretching routine.

We teamed up with MR PORTER on a series of short films showcasing the principles everyone must master to create a body that looks—and is—truly fit. First up: How to Build Strength. Next: How to Be Flexible.

Powerful is probably not the first word you would use to describe flexibility. There’s such an inherent softness and passiveness to it. But it was the power that first drew Equinox yoga instructor Johan Montijano away from his more vigorous pastimes of biking and surfing towards stretching and flexibility.

“I was a typical guy. Muscling everything. And always wanting to be in control,” says Montijano. “I didn’t realize that could translate into something like yoga, but it can.”

Though skeptical going in, halfway through his first class something clicked. He started to breathe and relax into the poses. “I realized I was healing my own body. I was in control. Using my breath, I was able to direct the healing exactly where I needed it most,” he says. “It was extremely empowering.”

And the magic is not just limited to the yoga studio. Taking just a few minutes each day to breathe and stretch can have an incredible impact on the body. Watch the video above as Montijano takes you through some of his favorite stretches and poses that target key areas of tightness in the body.

Namaste.

For full article by Liz Miersch please visit http://furthermore.equinox.com/articles/2015/05/fit-for-fit-flexibility?emmcid=emm-newsletter&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email-member&utm_campaign=0509&cid=-Furthermore_0509A592016