Mat Matters, Episode 8: Yoga Stretches for Tight Husbands (or Wives!)

Today's Mat Matters episode really cracks me up. Why? Because it features my sweet husband, Ben, and he was kind of a nervous wreck about the whole thing. 

If you get to know him, Ben is really a big bowl of personality, so I find it very funny that in this episode he appears so stoic, and is silent as can be. This morning, when I told him that the video was going up today, he said, "You should have a Q&A with me about the experience of being on Mat Matters, so that I can tell everyone how scary it is." Haha! Poor guy. 

So anywho, lets get to the video so that you can see dear Ben in all of his nervous glory and learn all about our at-home, partner stretching routine:

Episode 8 shows you how to help your tight significant others--or friends, parents, siblings, whatever--get a nice, full-body stretch through some gentle yoga poses and assists. The quick routine that we cover in this video is what Ben and I have found to work best for his body, because it really opens up his extremely tight back muscles (especially around his thoracic spine) and hips, but you can obviously work in other poses as you see fit. 

Keep in mind that you should be careful when helping anyone to take a pose deeper, so if you decide to try this sequence out with your partner, be sure that you ask for feedback and that they're vocal about when they've reached their "edge." Also, be sure to move slowly and be very gentle at first, until you're used to what type of pressure they can handle.

A special shout-out to Erin, who wrote me about her husband's tight back and asked for some tips. I hope this video is helpful and that your man finds some relief soon!

Enjoy--I hope your husbands/wives/partners aren't as nervous as mine was... ;)