Past emotions, thoughts and impressions are stored in the mind and manifest themselves in the body. Past anger is stored in the hamstrings. To help release this, humbly and gently let go into forward stretches when practising your asanas. Emotional pain is stored in the chest, where it functions like armour, hardening around the heart. This armour may be dissolved by backward stretches. Extreme stiffness can be related to mental rigidity or the inability to cope with unknown situations. Extreme flexibility, on the other hand, can be related or the inability to take a position in life or to set any boundaries. Yoga is the middle path between these two extremes.