Dislocations

Stretching, to a certain extent, is beneficial. However, hyperextension can lead to dislocations. If something is outside your normal reach, you may be able to stretch a bit and grasp it. Yet, if you try to extend yourself beyond a certain limit, you are likely to dislocate your shoulder. Similarly, when you stretch to attain a goal, you have to be careful not to overextend yourself.

We routinely stretch our time, energy, and money beyond comfortable limits. Most Americans have some debt, even if it is just a mortgage. We’ve learned to justify a mortgage as a normal life expense rather than accepting that we are buying a house before we have saved up for it. We try to stretch our budgets to the maximum to incorporate our never-ending desires. Time and energy go hand-in-hand, but with one major difference. We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Based on our pace, some of us may be able to accomplish a bit more in a day than others. Yet, most of us overschedule, leaving very little margin for unexpected events. We routinely borrow time from sleep and caring for our health in order to meet the ever-increasing pressures on our time. Unlike time, energy is a resource that depreciates every decade. I have the same number of hours in a day that I had when I was 20, but my energy level has decreased greatly and will continue to do so as I age. When I stretch these limited resources beyond a certain range, my life becomes unhinged!

I also tend to overreach in my relationships with others. I inadvertently push my friends and family beyond their natural limits, leaving them strained and exhausted. I might be able to bend down and touch my toes. However, if a friend is not able to do this, and I push down on her back, it’s more likely to cause harm. I must allow others to stretch slowly and gently according to their own abilities.

In conclusion, we must stretch daily to keep ourselves limber. Yet, we must also accept that hyperextension is harmful.