Last week we talked about stretching yourself in your art and I hope you’ll agree that is important.  But, we might have been a little bit ahead of ourselves.  Typically when we talk about stretching, we are talking about moving our bodies, stretching our muscles.  Maybe that’s the First Inning stretch?

Well, that’s pretty important too. And for a lot of the same reasons.  And for a few different ones.  Physically stretching may be important purely because playing the harp is a physical activity.  Don’t believe me?  Play a 3 hour gig!  Or even an intense hour long practice.  Then you’ll know. 

So that physicality, which is easy to minimize or rationalize away, is exactly why we need to be rigorous about stretching our bodies.  Here are six benefits when you need to stretch your body.

1. Decrease stiffness – all over.  You won’t just stretch part of you – stretch all of you!  As stated before, stretching will also increase your ranges of motion – all those joints and muscles need to work together so you can play…and play well.
2. Remember what relaxed feels like.  Now, you might think this is about chilling out, but really it’s about letting the muscles relax.  This relaxation needs to be paired with the contraction of the opposing muscle.  And together these actions make playing possible.  Balancing these is what really makes the tone possible – and you’ll get that when you not only contract the muscles but also let them relax.
3. Stretch your body, refresh your mind.  Whether you’re practicing, performing, or just going through your day, you can have a little break just by stretching.
4. You already know this – stretching may help you avoid injuries.  And while it will help you be flexible enough to not develop big injuries – perhaps more importantly, you’ll be more likely to avoid those nagging little nigglings that bug you but don’t qualify as injuries in your mind. These little insults can build up over time while you’re ignoring them – so stretch to prevent them in the first place.
5. Stretching helps you become aware of your body.  That includes when you’re body is humming along….and when something is out of whack.
6. Stretching helps you focus.  By helping to increase circulation and by promoting breathing, you will be more able to draw your focus to your activities of practicing, playing, and performing. 

If you’re not already stretching, you might consider adding it to your day.  You can incorporate ministretch sessions throughout your day.  At a minimum consider at least stretching during your practice time. Are you really out of practice?  Then you could start by having a big stretch before you get out of bed in the morning! 

Are you stretching?  Do you stretch as part of your harp practice?  What stretches do you do?   Which is your favorite?  Let me know – share them in the comments!