Using Reciprocal Inhibition in Stretching

Having only skimmed the exercises previously, I'm now giving Ultimate Flexibility by Sang H. Kim a good thorough cover-to-cover treatment. While I've been stretching every day for at least eight months now—and have enjoyed some benefits—I probably haven't been as efficient in my efforts or visualization as I could be. For example, I haven't been focusing on reciprocal inhibition in my stretching, and I should be. Reciprocal inhibition refers to your muscles operating in pairs: when one contracts (the agonist), its partner (the antagonist) relaxes. I think actively concentrating on this phenomenon will help my stretching. From the book:

The result of this function is that the muscle that is not contracting is inhibited, i.e. its ability to contract is suppressed. This principle can be used to enhance the results of your stretching program by inducing the inhibition response just prior to stretching a muscle. For example, when stretching your hamstring muscles in a forward bend, focus on contracting your quadriceps by pulling upward, as if you were pulling your kneecaps up toward your hips. The contraction of your quads signals your hamstrings to release further, allowing you to achieve a deeper stretch. This technique also develops strength in the quads. If you apply this principle to each stretch, you will build both strength and flexibility in opposing pairs of muscles, a nearly perfect model for increasing your flexibility.

Even just skimming the exercises I knew the book was a keeper, but now that I'm getting deeper into it, I'm finding it even more valuable.