Spending more time in the splits – to get better.
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Its blindingly self explanatory, isnt it? But how many people actually do it?

Not too many, certainly not regularly from what I can tell.

Lets take fitness as an example – although what I am saying can be applied to everything, life, writing, business, sports, swimming, even “in bed”, hehe – everything.

To get better at something, you put in the practice. No two ways around it, including the “10,000 hours” rule which states you need to put in at least 10,000 hours of solid work at anything to get – or start to get – someplace at it (note I said “start to get someplace”).

(because you never attain full mastery of anything, no-one does). (you can come damned close though!)

JCVD comes damn close when it comes to flexibility and the splits (his signature move) – truth is, and he’d be the first to admit (for a man who famously once admitted during the making of the movie “JCVD” – I’ve done NOTHING in this life until now, NOTHING!) … well, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who does ’em better than JCVD yes, but there’s plenty of people that do ’em just as well.

Anyway, when I want to meditate these days – I often do so – one way with the secret tool I’ve mentioned so often, yet few people get – but second, in the splits position.

Not necessarily because I cannot do the splits – obviously I can.

I wouldn’t have written Advanced, Profound Flexibility and Isometric Training if I couldn’t and I wouldn’t have shown you how beginners look when they first do it!

Truth is, the splits – bridge – and the “Rahul Mookerjee patented Asian squat”, or the Asian squat in general (see Isometric and Flexibility Training for more on this)  are some of the HARDEST for people to do – period.

Most people can’t do ’em worth a damn, yet, while it might seem odd if you’re currently struggling – chances are if you focus on your breathing right – and if you simply relax into the position – and if you spend TIME in it daily – you’ll get better at it far quicker than you imagine now.

When I first started bridging, I thought it would take me years as it has some people to get my nose to the ground- yet for yours truly naturally extremely inflexible, it took me like a week.

No kidding either.

The front bridge took a bit longer – my hamstrings are naturally tight from all that sitting I was made to do as a kid…

They still are.

So getting good at some of the stretches in “Advanced, Profound Isometric and Flexibility Training” for me took a lot longer than some other people – as did getting good at the squat mentioned above.

Once I did though, bingo, it’s now second nature, I cannot imagine not being able to drop down into a butt to ground “ass to grass” squat within less than a second and stay there, move around etc for one …

Same thing with the bridge, splits.

You spend time in it daily, my friend – a lot of time.

Sure, you can get a workout in – – a great one within 10 minutes or less, and so you should.

But it’s the hard yards, the roadwork if I might say so which really count, which really get you someplace.

And spending long periods of time trying to get a pull-up – or get better at stretching, and it applies especially to stretching, the more you do it, the quicker you’ll get better at it, thats just how it goes.

Elementary Watson (pun intended for those aware of the other two biz’s) – you’d think.

But few people do it …

The next time when you have 10 minutes to kill, try getting down into whichever stretch you find hard now.

Focus on the muscles, focus on stretching out in that position, focus on a whole host of other things that I’ve spoken about – focus on breathing – most of all, just focus on STAYING in that position and going as far as you can while you do so.

Splits wise, some of the things you can do?

Focus on keeping the CORE – not just the abs – tight and straight – you should be feeling it all along the BACK and lower back, not just the abs and groin if done right.

Keep the legs STRAIGHT – tough for those with weak hamstrings, I know. But you’ll get there.

Stretch forward and sideways as much as you can each time you do this, merely BREATHE and hold …

Believe me, if you do it right, each of these stretches can be turned into a full body (with emphasis on CORE) workout themselves.

There are many other tips to this (and yes, you’ll have to read the book for more on it and pictures etc), but I wont get too technical in this email, for now, I will say this – when it comes to stretching, focus on BREATHING – the “internal” i.e. not just the external muscles and the “being” is what is really key – and time spent in it.

All else follows.

Well, my friend, I’m off to spend some more time in the splits I love so much.

And I’ll be back!

Best

Rahul Mookerjee

P.S. – Those of you that want these two great courses in ONE compilation format (yes, Keith, we do have paperbacks for this too!) – Go HERE.

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