Breathing in Rabbit.... HOW??

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sonidochi
Participant

December 27, 2012 at 5:13 pm

Post count: 7

#2455

When doing Rabbit pose, I find it very difficult to breathe. So much so that I feel a need to lift up out of it just to get some air. The entire front body is compressed so I expect there to be that “choked” sensation, but this is the one pose where trying to get more than the tiniest sip of air is nearly impossible. Is there a trick I’m missing?

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

January 1, 2013 at 3:01 am

Post count: 3048

#10175

Hi Sonia

Quick questions: I assume you’re able to breathe for the entry. So at what precise point do you find yourself unable? Is it when your head hits the ground, when the hips go up, when you walk your knees to touch the forehead? You may need to wait til you go to class to work out this precise moment.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

sonidochi
Participant

January 1, 2013 at 3:59 am

Post count: 7

#10176

Hi Gabrielle,

I can breathe fine during the set up (grasping my heels with towel over them). I touch chin to chest and curl downwards. It’s once I am in that “curled” position (forehead to knees, top of head on floor)and begin to lift up my hips, that’s when the compression begins to really restrict my ability to breathe.

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

January 2, 2013 at 2:41 am

Post count: 3048

#10177

Hi Sonia

Try this: Curl down normally with chin in, but let your head land where it lands on the floor. For this exercise, lift up into rabbit without trying to keep your head touching your knees. Because your head will rotate when you lift your hips up, often a small space occurs between knees and forehead as they naturally separate a little. Allow that to occur.

Also, just relax. Breathe – allow the LOWER ribs to expand in the process.

Let me know if this works.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

sonidochi
Participant

January 2, 2013 at 3:28 am

Post count: 7

#10178

I will try this tomorrow! I’m going to my first class of 2013 so I will certainly give this a try. Thanks! :cheese:

sonidochi
Participant

January 3, 2013 at 7:58 am

Post count: 7

#10183

Hi Gabrielle,

I tried what you had suggested and it did help! Perhaps I was a little too “crunched” to allow my ribs to expand? Well, at least I know what to do now. As my body improves, I’ll shift my focus to trying to get my head to touch the knees again, but for now, at least I can get into the posture and not turn purple! :cheese:

Thanks for your assistance!

Namaste
~S~

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

January 3, 2013 at 8:46 am

Post count: 3048

#10184

Hi Sonia

Actually, the best thing is that you focus on traction in the arms and rounding (up and out) of the spine.

My best educated and intuitive responses without any further description of what you were doing is that when you were in the pose, your attempts to get your knees to touch your head sabotaged the entire pose for you. That tension created in your neck, shoulders and arms was the reason for the anxious breath. You have now experienced firsthand that relying on the dialog instructions has actually caused this problem. What’s better than that, is that because of this process you’re better learning how to listen to, and work with your body.

So don’t be trying to create that head to knee contact again. OK, use it as an experiment. When you think you have this pose sussed, move your knees in again and see what happens! Come back and report! I think you’ll be surprised 😉

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
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