Rethinking the Role of Stretching: A Conversation with Yogi Aaron

In this episode of The State of Yoga Podcast, host Shelly Coffman welcomes Yogi Aaron, a trailblazing teacher and founder of AYAMA™—Applied Yoga Anatomy and Muscle Activation. Known for his bold message, “Stop Stretching,” Aaron challenges the traditional approach to yoga and offers a fresh, anatomy-informed path to living pain-free.

With warmth, humor, and grounded wisdom, this conversation explores what it means to practice and teach yoga with integrity and intention.

From the ER to Empowerment: The Wake-Up Call

Yogi Aaron shares that his journey to AYAMA™ began after landing in the emergency room with severe back pain. He had always believed that flexibility equaled health and youth, but despite years of dedicated yoga practice, he found himself facing a potential spinal fusion. At the same time, friends and colleagues—including long-time yoga teachers—were undergoing surgeries related to over-stretching.

This became a turning point.

“If I’m not going to teach stretching, how am I going to teach yoga?”

That question led him to reexamine everything he thought he knew about yoga and the body.

Stop Stretching? Really?

Aaron’s philosophy isn’t just a catchy slogan—it’s a serious critique of how modern yoga has equated success with flexibility. He explains that stretching doesn’t strengthen or stabilize the body; in fact, it can create instability and lead to injury.

His alternative? Activation.

“Muscles move bones. Muscles stabilize joints. In order to do that, they have to be able to contract.”

Rather than pulling ourselves into deeper shapes, AYAMA™ encourages teachers and students to focus on what muscles need to be active in any given movement—bringing greater safety and long-term resilience to the practice.

Flipping the Script on Anatomy and Mobility

The conversation shifts into anatomy education, where both Aaron and Shelly note a major gap in many yoga trainings. Memorizing muscles, they agree, doesn’t equal functional knowledge. Instead, teachers need to understand how muscles work in real movement—what contracts, what stabilizes, and how the nervous system communicates with it all.

Shelly adds her own Ayurvedic lens, noting how Vata dosha governs movement and can wreak havoc when left unchecked. Together, they affirm that many people who say they’re “tight” aren’t tight at all—they’re shut down. Their systems are offline, and stretching only reinforces the disconnect.

Teaching with Clarity and Care

Yogi Aaron explains how he teaches students to notice what’s driving a movement. In a forward fold, for example, rather than pulling with the arms, he teaches students to place their hands behind them and engage the muscles that create the movement—building strength and awareness instead of collapse.

He emphasizes that when we stop forcing flexibility and start encouraging safe muscular activation, we’re not just helping bodies—we’re improving the entire neuromuscular communication system.

Beyond the Practice: Building a Yoga Life

Aaron opens up about his early love of the outdoors, his struggles with attention, and how yoga helped him find focus and peace. From cross-country skiing and dog-sledding to eventually founding the Blue Osa Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica, his journey has been anything but typical.

He shares the highs and lows of studio ownership and business management, confessing that he found more peace living in Harlem than running a retreat center. Still, what keeps him inspired is the sense of community and the lightbulb moments when students awaken to something new within themselves.

“There’s nothing more profound to me than watching the lights of consciousness turn on in somebody.”

An Invitation to Learn, Question, and Evolve

As the episode winds down, Yogi Aaron encourages listeners to explore his programs—from retreats and teacher trainings at Blue Osa to his AYAMA™ education. Whether you’re a teacher or lifelong student, his work offers a path to deepen your relationship with yoga through anatomy, awareness, and self-inquiry.

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