“It is not muscular strength that gives us the feeling of ease and lightness in the body, it is the flexibility of the joints, of the connective tissue.” –Grilley (2002)
As the joints and connective tissue becomes tight and stiff, so too does the body become heavy and the step without a spring in it. We strengthen the muscles, which helps the body cope with many of the weights and strains of day to day, but if we do not stretch the same muscles, it is all for naught.
A flexible body, a supple body – and I refer to all body tissues here – is ready for anything, has less pain and discomfort, and is with far less stress. As the body softens into an easier, lighter state, so too does the stress, tension and weight of the world slide away.
One Thousand Days of Yoga 