44 Stretching 展
When young, things are soft. When old, things are brittle.
Stretching-both literally and metaphorically— is a necessary part of life.
Physically, a good program of stretching emphasizes all parts of the body. You loosen the joints and tendons first, so that subsequent movements will not hurt. Then methodically stretch the body, beginning with the larger muscle groups such as the legs and back, and proceed to finer and smaller parts like the fingers. Coordinate stretching with breathing; use long and gentle stretches rather than bouncing ones. When you stretch in one direction, always be sure to stretch in the opposite direction as well. If you follow this procedure, your flexibility will undoubtedly increase.
Metaphorical stretching leads to expansion and flexibility in personal growth. A young plant is tender and pliant. An older one is stiff, woody, and vulnerable to breaking. Softness is thus equated with life, hardness with death. The more flexible you are, the greater your mental and physical health.
When I do yoga at home, I often follow along with a routine from Yoga with Adriene on youtube.
https://youtube.com/@yogawithadriene?si=HbFlpp5MvbK5wYj4
She has tons of videos and playlists. The 30 day challenges are nice but for a total beginner she has some lighter introductory videos and specialized ones of particularly gentle routines, for medical recovery, depression, etc.
You don't have to achieve any particular stretch. Just doing the motions and pressing yourself as far as is comfortable is enough. Like the passage of text says, over time flexibility will improve. A vital part of any yoga or daoist practice is gentle acceptance of where you are on your path and how to work from there with self-kindness.
I too would recommend her channel! Also there are tons of yoga videos on yt, and Tai chi, qi gong as well.