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What is ‘Tension Free Body’?
What is ‘Tension Free Body’?
A philosophy to live by. A goal to strive towards. Ultimately, it is a way of life.
As an ancient martial art technique, Taichi explains:
‘Move light or not at all. Use energy strength not muscle tense.’
These two sentences sound simple but convey deep wisdom.
To create lightness, the body condition needs to reach a certain standard. To be agile and elastic, a muscle needs to be supple and free of blockages.
Unlocking the fascial adhesions and learning to remain light and well-balanced for foundational postures and movement sequences creates a practice of observing, developing and becoming more aware. As our body and character unite to be in harmony with gravity as we move in space, eventually that sensitivity will help us to be more aware of how to save power. Then we can be more aware of others. Their blockages, limitations and intentions become more obvious, making it easier to navigate relationships.
The path to be free from suffering begins with a body free from physical blockages. This supports psychology to have no stress and the mind to remain free from worry.
Tension Free is a standard for Physical conditioning that also carries on to not being blocked emotionallly and physically too. If body feels in harmony, mind and emotion follow. If one falls out, they all follow.
What Is Tension?
What Is Tension?
Muscle tissues are amazing. The fascial network in particular is astonishing. It is a web that spreads across our whole body in slings that wrap and interweave around our structure, allowing for amazing abstract strength and agility.
These tissues are like mini elastic bands that pump blood with every contraction, conditioning to become better at whatever stimuli they are exposed to.
Sitting or holding in place for too long creates knots or adhesions, restricting and stiffening up the elasticity, length and strength of the entire fascial network.
Untreated, the range of motion is limited to a new, reduced normal. Although the system does its best to work around the restrictions, we are still influenced by cause and effect. This is where structural compression appears.
When something is no longer centred or balanced, it destroys much more rapidly. When a structure is in motion and the slightest imbalance appears, the rate of destruction is magnified. Our body is a very complicated structure and can be a very efficient athletic machine if maintained properly.
The physical, emotional and mental states all need to be free from blockages to remain in harmony. If one falls out, they all fall out.
when the body has a problem, everything else almost seems less important.
To have a Tension Free Body is a lifestyle meditation. A discipline to maintain the Temple.
Some of the most common blockage sites can be maintained with regular myofascial release and movement therapy.
Below are some of the most underrated movements for reorienting muscle length, strength and condition at common blockage sites.
Proceed with caution. Pain free range only.
Recovery is the missing piece for most people.
In a fast-paced, ever-changing world, taking time to decompress and reset is rare, but essential.
This simple daily practice of nasal breathing and spinal decompression is one of the most effective ways to realign posture and calm the nervous system, unlocking more health benefits than most realise.
From here, we start rebuilding awareness of the fascial network, reprogramming meridian and nerve point pathways so the body works as one.
Just like an electrical circuit, when signals are disrupted, something stops working.
Recalibration and whole-body awareness, from foot to crown are vital for lasting harmony inside and out.
Active Glute Hold on an Incline Bench is an awesome way to create new range of motion and awareness of elasticity and strength in the hip.
The front leg is stabilising in an externally rotated position while the straight back leg drives the hip under. Alignment with navel in to support the lower spine, time spent loaded and open will encourage active range and new levels of agility and elasticity.
Reorienting hip and glute can take pressure off spine and knee discomfort as well as rib cage and neck positioning.
Balancing awareness, strength and range to be more equal on both sides will improve stability and function and reduce blockages building up due to inactivity. Regularly checking in reorients hip and glute to remain agile.
Changing the angle of the incline will increase difficult as the leg is rotated further externally.
Overhead Straight Arm Pulls can be helpful restoring range and strength to the Lats and front line tissues. Start light and only work the pain free agile ranges until familiar with the motion. Use the hip tuck, navel in, balloon chest, neck charged straight disciplines for building, maintaining and moving with a straight centreline. All these techniques and more taught in the Awareness Centre Global Foundations course.
This Incline Dembell press with a well aligned and stabilised Hip, spine and neck positioning can be helpful in restoring range and circulation to the upper torso and front of the shoulders.
Look for smooth, stability and coordinated relaxed motion more than heavy weight. Build awareness and strength not muscle tense.
Unlock & Retrain Your Upper Back with this One-Arm Row
This helps restrengthen and lengthen the muscles of your upper back while restoring posture and shoulder mobility.
Stabilise on floor and a flat bench, row with the free arm. Keep hips, chest, and chin stable, creating space from in to out. Pull your elbow without shrugging your traps, cranking your neck, or flaring your ribs. Hold briefly, then lower to hang. Repeat for 12–20 reps.Benefits: This exercise unlocks and conditions your back, building strength, balance, and mobility. Learning to coordinate and stabilise the whole body together, in alignment, is balance. Also known as harmony.
The shoulder rotators play a vital role in overall strength and stability, building and bulletproofing these ranges unlocks tension and restores pain free agility.
Preparing for throwing or striking with these can help balance out the explosive forces. Often neck and forearm problems can be traced to shoulder instability.
Awareness of correct technique is ideal before increasing load / weight. Start light, build energy strength and elasticity not muscle tension.
Prepare the biceps for strength at full range of motion while keeping the hips, chest, and chin perfectly aligned with the bench. By adding external rotation and allowing the arms and elbows to fully straighten, you’ll build both length and strength in the muscle.
This is a mobility and stability drill that improves bicep function, joint health, and posture.
Maintain a pain-free range, add load gently as needed.
Start light to build agility, awareness, and control.
Develop true strength to reduce elbow, shoulder, and bicep injuries.
Life’s too awesome to be in pain.
Unlock & Retrain Your Upper Back
This movement is designed to restrengthen and lengthen the muscles of your upper back while restoring shoulder mobility and posture.
Keep your hips, chest, and chin stable as you pull your elbows behind you — without shrugging your traps, cranking your neck back, or flaring your rib cage.
Hold the squeeze for a moment, then slowly lower back down to a relaxed hang before repeating.
Aim for 12–20 reps to open and retrain the back, shoulder, and pec muscles, improving balance, mobility, and strength.
To learn more awesome wisdom and practical healing and training techniques check out the Awareness Centre Platform
A community for healing, training, development and growth.
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