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Grace Stark
- 16, Female
- Nottingham
- United Kingdom
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Grace Stark's Discussions
Back stiffness after stretching
Replied 19 hours ago
Chest Stand
Replied 19 hours ago
Grace Stark's Page
Latest Activity
Profile Information
- Orientation
- Straight
- Relationship Status
- In Relationship
- *I'm looking for...
- ...stretching partners, ...other fans, ...advice, ...friends
- *I am a(n)...
- ...non-practising fan, ...amateur, Amateur
- About Me
- I would like to meet other contortionists in the UK and Nottingham, as my dream would be to create a contortion/dance circus type group that travels and performs
I am home educated, living in UK. (:
My current goal is a cheststand
- *My flexibility is...
- ...hypermobile (double jointed)
- I practice ...
- ...frontbending, ...backbending, ...backbender
- *Discipline(s)
- actual contortion, yoga, dance, acrobatics, Contortion, Acrobatics, Circus Arts
Grace Stark's Photos
About
Events
Blog Posts
My Introduction
Posted by Kachina Gosselin on December 20, 2009 at 7:57am
My Current Stretching Routine
Posted by Emily Joyce on December 10, 2009 at 8:32pm — 4 Comments
My First Post
Posted by Emily Joyce on December 8, 2009 at 7:45pm — 1 Comment
webserver is down...
Posted by George on November 30, 2009 at 12:44pm — 1 Comment
forth day of trainin
Posted by alisha on November 28, 2009 at 11:29pm — 3 Comments
Where are my photos ???
Posted by Mike Sprite on November 27, 2009 at 7:48am — 3 Comments
Dima Shine Bulkin is performing in Banana Shpeel (Chicago/NY)
Posted by George on November 26, 2009 at 12:27pm — 10 Comments
My stretches now.
Posted by Karl Cice on November 24, 2009 at 10:55pm — 1 Comment
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Comment Wall (19 comments)
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Seems like u are really flexible!!!
We are searching for feet behind head photos (contortion) to a upcoming website about and for people how can doit. I would be great if u could take some photos of u in that position and send them to us by email. You can take them in different angles and in different places. (wearing t-shirt/jeans/socks/barefeet...well u decide. (we may pay for some photos to).
It would be cool if you try to make yourself as small as you can while you are in that position....
Website address and email adress:
http://www.freewebs.com/humanknots/Hk.htm
p.a.t.h@live.se
Sincerelly,
Patrick (HK.Crew )
How have you been? How is your stretching and contortion coming along? I know that its often tough to maintain a const rate of improvement, and that there are times when stretching is easy, and times when stretching is really difficult. I finally have some times opening up in the evenings, and i am trying to make the most of that by getting stretching done. Its really the best when you can properly work on your flxibility and not have to rush because you are running out of time... Especially then holding a stretch for longer... But it also helps that i am really motivated at the moment, i think i am close to having my middles... They have been a long term goal for me, and i think that i might have them really soon...
Anyway, i hope you are well!!
I think its great that you are keeping up with your stretching ,because you are making tremendous progres. And with the hours you put in, you are definitely going to see results. I remember once i was coaching hockey, and for some reason i had to be at the pool, lifegaurd stuff... Boring, but there was this one guy who was interested in swimming and wanted to get better. My sister was a really good swimmer, so i knew a bit about what needed to be done. But this kids problem was that he wasn't prepared to put in all the laps that you need to do if you want to be a great swimmer. He just wasn't prepared and was looking for some shortcut to take. And i think its the same with contortion, you have to put in the effort and laps...
The pictures i have up are spread over the year or so. They are dated, i think it says when they were uploaded, so a lot of them aren't recent. But thanks for the compliment. I always have hang ups about how terrible i look in them, and how i often realize that i am as deep in the stretch as picture it in my mind when i do it... But i guess that is natural, lol!!!! But thanks!! I do appreciate it!!
Just be careful with that hip flexor, you really want it to heal before you push it again, because that injury will come back faster than you can say "cheststand"... trust me, i have been there, and when they reinjure, they are always worse, which mean they need more time to heal and recover... So just be carefull with an injury and stretching...
I think my oversplits are better in my mind than they really are, but its really great to start feeling and seeing progress, because i have slowly been working on them for ages now. I seem to focus a lot on the prep stretches, and then just do those stretches for a long time, and then after awhile, i try the real deal... I am quite amazed at how much those smaller stretches work...
Boxsplits are getting the best of me, but now that i have that oversplit encouragement, i have renewed invigoration. I actually got a great stretching tip for middles too, i think i'll give that a try tonight. I still think everybody should know what its like to do a good splits, and i mean the flat on the floor comfortable splits... I really do!
http://picasaweb.google.com/yogayogananda/YOGAASANAS#
My stretching isn't going as well as yours, you seem to be making tremendous progress! Congratulations!!! How is your stretching going now that you seem to be making such great progress?
Its only been in the last week that my oversplits are really improving. I have been working on them for a long time now, but its only now that they seem to be really sinking in, if you'll pardon the pun. Its actually great, because my motivation is sky high at the moment! it really helps when you make those improvements, because you get reinvigorated to stretch!!
Its great that you have some long term plans in mind, even if its just longer term plans at this stage and not necessarily long term... The problem with long term plans are that you never know where you'll end up. I believe in being open to possibilities, and if a good opportunity presents itself, you have to take it...
Encouragement is really important, because it really is so easy to get discouraged. And i think that happens to a lot of people who come here with truly noble aspirations, but they set themselves unreasonalbe goals, and when they can't do a cheststand in a weeks time, they tend to give up completely. Some peoplle crash out like that, but there are also a lot of slow faders too... I try to think of it this way, if i were to do a job, i'd work from say 9 to 5. I am a university student, so instead of working, i have to spend about the same hours in front of my books if i am a full time student, and i suspect its the same with contortion. If its your work, you probably need to treat it as such, and i got this idea earlier today thinking about how many hours rhythmic gymnasts spend training. Perhaps thats the secret to their flexibility, 40 hours per week in the gym... The more i look at pictures of rhythmic gymnasts stretching and warming up in the gym, i see them do the same stretches i do, although with a lot more intensity and a lot more ease...
speaking of splits, how long do you hold each split for? Do you hold them for a minute and rotate? or do you go for longer periods in your splits? That has been a smaller goal of mine, to sit in my splits more often...
I think if everyone is honest with themselves, they'll also admit that they do one split more and for longer than the other split. I sure do, and its not that i am consciously trying to either. Even with consciously trying to do more right frontsplits than left frontsplits to help even it out, i still feel that i am doing left for way longer and way more intense. Even with the prepatory stretches i do, i still feel that i am more focused on left frontsplits. And then with oversplits, the same happens... (my oversplits are tiny, lol, it just sounds more impressive than it really is, lol)
I have been stretching ever since i can remember. So i guess its about 10 years since i have been putting my legs behind my head, but its only been in the last two years that i have really improved. I have always had an interest and a fascination. ANd i have always tried too, but mostly failed... So its only once i really got motivation and encouragement that i have improved as much as i have. So thats why i want to thank you for your kind words, and your compliments. But i do have to admit that i have progressed quite slowly too, and its taken me a lot of tries before succeeding. But i guess that is one thing a lot of people here have in common, is that they aren't satisfied with just achieving the basics, they continually want to get better and better...
What does your mom say about your contortion ambitions?
Yes, definitely, my left leg is way more flexible than my right leg. So i have to work on it to get them even. So i try to hold stretches for longer on my right leg, and so try to catch up. but its easier said than done, lol... because even with the extra stretching on the right side is still slowly catching up... Do you have a strong side and a weak side? ITs only in the last couple of years that i have worked on getting them even.
But i am also glad you came across this site. You certainly have tremendous talent and tremendous potential. And i can't stop complimenting your back flexibility! You truly have improved significantly, it would be a shame and a pity if you were to suddenly stop... I think you owe it to yourself too to find out how far you can go, and am sure that with consistent training, you could get there (and there is cheststand!!) But you enjoy stretching, so as long as you enjoy the process... And i think thats really why i keep stretching... Because i happen to enjoy the process...
I think so many people feel the same way, that they are the only ones in their area who are interested in contortion, or are practicing contortionists. Thats what i really like about this site, is that it just reminds you that you aren't alone, and that in-itself is quite great motivation. And if enough people join, and enough people participate and post.
I look at your collage picture again today, and you really have amazing backflexibility!
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