Relax into Stretch: Instant Flexibility Through Mastering Muscle Tension [Paperback]

Found it! This is it. You learn to control the tension in the muscle, and the stretch happens naturally. This book tells you why this works, and how. There are 30+ stretches in this book, some for muscles you may not have previously though of stretching.

It's not painful, and it's a routine you can look forward to. You no longer have to stretch because somebody told you it was good for you. You won't be stuffing yourself into a suitcase like a contortiounist over night, but you will make significant progress in one session (your first).

Now, I doubt Pavel invented this method, and there seem to be other books on the subject, so let me address other aspects of this book. It's a blast just to read it. Pavel has a unique wit, the likes of which I have not seen before. His style allows him to be very straightforward about what he is teaching you.

Even the pictures are charming. These aren't those akward pictures that you see in fitness books, where the subject quite obviously does not want to be photographed, and consequently you don't feel quite right looking at them. He seems to be enjoying himself. There's even pictures where he's showing you what NOT to do, and he has a finger pointing at you as if to say "Now there, don't you try this, Comrade!"

I typically do not write reviews, but I'm very happy with this book and had to share. Have fun, Comrades.

"Relax Into Stretch" gives a much better presentation of the principles and practice of his stretching philosophy, and is better constructed for the beginner and for those wanting to know how to structure a progressive stretching plan... than Pavel's prior "Beyond Stretching" book did.

I think this book is still a bit heavy on amusement and a bit light on scientific details, but it is easy to understand and based on sound, verifiable principles. With some careful practice, a person could benefit a lot from this material, but a beginner without some prior knowledge should go slowly at first.

However, this book does a poor job of showing variations for people that need specific help in different ranges of motion, or who are particularly inflexible or who have had joint injuries.

I got my copy of "Relax Into Stretch" for half price, which I feel is about right for the amount of material you get.

The "Relax Into Stretch" video is nice for comparison, and to see various movements demonstrated, but is also light on content and explanation. I think the book has more to offer than the video if you are a reader, but the video is cheaper and will get you started if you aren't.

For a more reasonably-priced source of absolutely excellent material on PNF and Isometric stretching with loads of variations and detailed explanation, check out "Stretching & Flexibility" by Kit Laughlin, or "Overcoming Neck & Back Pain" by Kit Laughlin.

If you'r a martial artist or athlete, then spend your money on
something else. But if you aren't into somekind of physical
training, then it's a great book!