The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Dandayamana Dhanurasana › Burning sensation in quadriceps
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Dandayamana Dhanurasana › Burning sensation in quadriceps
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I’ve been practicing Bikram for just over a year, and have steadily if gradually improved my ability to go deeper into all the postures. The one issue right now that is my greatest block to further progress is an intense burning sensation I get in the quadriceps muscles of the elevated leg while in Dandayamana Dhanurasana. I feel like I am tearing the muscle — although I don’t think I am — and my quads are now perpetually sore, mostly on the outside of the leg. Sometimes the burning sensation is so strong I have to get out of the posture before time is up, particularly on the first set. Sometimes I only get the sensation on the first set and the second set is fine.
To a lesser extent, I get this same sensation while doing Camel (frequently) and Floor Bow (not so often). Fixed-firm doesn’t seem to affect the quads.
I’ve tried to do quadricep stretches before class to get warmed up, thinking that its muscle tightness that is the cause, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference.
Any suggestions are most welcome.
Hi Daniel,
I’m Andrea and am a graduate from Gabrielle’s teacher training.
I hope you don’t mind if I respond to your forum post.I would like to ask you some questions regarding that burning sensation you feel!
– Firstly, can you please tell me what your focus is for the action in the elevated leg in Standing Bow?What is your outcome in this pose?
– Where exactly are you holding on to the foot? Is your hand closer to the ankle or the toes?
– Do you feel the pain in the kicking leg on both sides?
– How deeply do you go into Fixed firm, Camel and Floor bow poses?That’s enough questions from me for now! =)
I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Namaste,
Andrea
Hi Andrea.
When I go into Standing Bow, I grab my foot right at the ankle bone, I bring my knees together and try to square my hips to the front mirror. I try to kick straight back first before bringing my chest down. I can raise my foot up to about head level, and when I can see my foot in the mirror, it is always on the far side — for example, if I’m kicking back with my right leg, the foot will be somewhere to the outside of my left ear. I’m sure that means I’m twisting my back in some weird way.
When I do feel the pain in the quadriceps, I typically feel it on both legs, although its only on the left leg that I feel chronic soreness (and thats on the outer part of the quad, mid-thigh). My left leg is my weak leg, and when I’ve had minor lower back problems over the years, it is always on the left side.
Other postures. Fixed firm, Camel, and Floor Bow are all postures that I feel I have made a great deal of progress on in the past 2-3 months. (Or to look at it the other way — during my first nine months or so of doing hot yoga I only did these postures partially.) Fixed firm: I will go back on my elbows but not onto my shoulders. I have to spread my knees wide to be able to go down, and keeping both knees and butt down on the floor is tough. Camel: I can grab both heels and hold the posture for 30 sec. Floor Bow: I have to grab each leg separately. Once I do that and bring my knees back closer together, I feel I get into an OK position, although I cannot really raise my legs over the level of my head.
Thank you for your assistance, Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for your detailed and precise answer, it helped me a lot!
Though I still have a few more questions for you, it’s all coming together in my head =) I just want to make sure I have all the information, so I can be as precise with my answer as possible:
– Does your job require you to sit for long a period of time?
– Have you ever had a lower back injury? Can you tell me more about the “minor lower back problems”?
– When you get down onto your elbows, in Fixed firm is there still a bit of gap between your sit bones an the mat or you are sitting down perfectly and it becomes difficult to keep your lower body on tho floor, after you get the elbows down?I hope to hear from you soon!
Namaste,
Andrea
Hi Andrea,
Yes, I sit many hours in front of a computer on a daily basis.
I’ve never had a specific back injury. However, I have experienced over a number of years intermittent, relatively mild, sciatica symptoms — almost always on my left leg. I know (now) that when I first started Bikram, I aggravated the problem by not doing Hands to Feet pose correctly. For months I thought I was dealing with a hamstring pull, but what I was really suffering from was nerve compression in the lower back. Fortunately, I found a chiropractor who straightened me out and gave me some exercises to do. And I also figured out how to do Hands to Feet more correctly, and that problem completely went away.
In Fixed Firm pose, yes, there is always a gap between by sitz bones and the mat.
Thanks for your assistance, Daniel
Hi Daniel
It occurs to me that you make much mention of bringing your knees back together. Would you kindly confirm for me in Standing Bow if you literally have your knees touch when before you go into the pose?
Let me know because I believe that the fact you have the problem in Camel and Bow but NOT Supta is confirming my thoughts. I would like the clarification from you. Then we’ll take it from there
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Daniel
Just wondering if you saw my question to you about the knees!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Gabrielle, Thanks for the reminder. I wanted to get another class in under my belt and check precisely what I do do with my knees. The truth is, the knees don’t touch. I can bring my thighs together to touch, but I haven’t been. There is usually a gap of an inch or two as I set up for the posture. Thanks, Daniel
Hi Daniel
It appears to me that you make a particular point of saying in different posts that you bring the knees together.
This is another failing of the script or dialog classes. The fact is that one doesn’t actually bring the knees together. One brings the legs into line; the hips are square and the knee is directly under the hip.
I have certainly put myself in your shoes and tried with the legs coming together and then, while trying to maintain that (awkward) position, I track that leg backward into the pose. It hurts like crazy on the middle outer side of the thigh. (Which is exactly what you are here about!)
What I would like you to do is to simply start with your leg where it comfortably settles (in that body-active pre-pose position) with knee in line with hip but with no force to bring the legs or knees laterally together. Have a mind for alignment.
My guess is that with less ‘trying’ and more focus on alignment you may find these poses are more body-friendly.
You mention that you try to kick straight back. This is probably one of the issues because of the slightly odd position you are starting in. You mention that your leg ends up in a twisted fashion. The adjustment above should fix that. I may need to give you some fine distinctions about the leg but let’s see where you get first. It may be all you need.
Moving on… Then you mention you bring your body down after that. This could be the other part of the issue but I cannot be sure yet because I am not sure how deeply you go into the pose and what you mean exactly when you say that you ‘bring the body down’.
In order that I make no assumptions, can you please tell me what your final pose looks like by recounting the position of your body, your ‘kicking’ leg and your front arm. Are you trying to bring your torso down parallel to the floor? Is it when you do this that you are more likely to fall out?
That’s probably more than enough to go on for now :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Gabrielle,
Thanks a million for your detailed comments. I was in a class today, and I took your suggestion of letting the knee stay in line with the hip, rather than trying to bring the knees together. It helps, … but not completely. One of the other suggestions made by one of my instructors to make sure I get a good C-curve in my spine also helps.
As you request, let me try to describe what I do as I go into the pose. (Of course, one is not at one’s best trying to describe one’s own position. At least not me.) For illustration, I’m going to assume the left leg is the standing leg.
When the command is given to pick up the foot with the hand, I have to ‘work’ and twist around to grab the foot. The command “don’t drop the money” is completely out of the question for me. In any event, I do eventually get a good grip on my foot at the ankle bone, with the thumb included next to the index finger.
I will then stretch up with the left arm toward the ceiling. I think I do an OK job of stretching myself up. I am trying to align my hips square to the mirror, and keep my knee in line w the hip. My torso does of course twist to the right somewhat because of holding the leg.
When the command comes to go forward (or kick back) I focus, in the first instance, on trying to kick straight back. Inevitably, though, my right hip will rotate up and back and my kicking leg will veer out over my left side. Once I kick back, I will try to focus on my standing knee to keep it locked out. Keeping my knees locked w the quadriceps engaged has always been a challenge for me in all the balancing postures, though I think I’m getting much better at it.
In the last few days, I have also tried to focus on “getting the C-curve in the spine” and resisting the initial force of the kick to get that curve. This also seems to help with the rotation of the right hip.
If I were to try to describe my final posture, I think I am bringing my body down maybe at a 45 deg. angle, left hand even with my eyes. My right leg I can maybe just see poking out from behind my left shoulder blade — no higher than that. Certainly I’ve got more weight on the outside of the standing foot, though I also consciously try to keep weight on the big toe.
Today, I couldn’t hold the posture for the full 60 seconds on either side, but I could make it through the 30-second second set.
Again, many thanks for your generous assistance.
Daniel
Hello Daniel
Thanks for your patience! 😉
The ‘dialog’ is not a good friend because it tells you to do things that compromise your pose and get your body into positions that create havoc – as you have discovered.
If you can remember that this is a standing BACKBEND then the idea of keeping the c-curve is confirmation of that.
The idea is to press your foot back into your hand (as you have been doing) and then keep the body as UPRIGHT as possible while you activate the pose ONLY by your ‘kicking’ leg. The backbend is created FROM 2 ENDS: the leg goes backward and the front arm stays high.
Next time you are in the studio, try to resist the body coming forward at all PLUS try to keep the arm up. The arm right out in front of you as you have it at the moment is the ‘final pose’ position and you are not near that yet, so what’s happening is by dropping your front arm you are lessening the traction and losing your balance. So, you’re also compensating that issue by working your back leg and I think that is compounding the problem.
What will help you tremendously (as it seems it is difficult to hold that foot) is to hold the foot below the toes (from the ball of the foot down across the centre of the foot). Let the ankle hold go for a little while. You will actually have MUCH more control of the mechanics of your leg. I am positive that I can give you some distinctions to stop that leg hurting. But first, my friend, please try this because I don’t want to overwhelm you. I also think that you can make some discoveries with this new position that could solve this for you completely.
Come back and let me know what you find
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks, Gabrielle. I wanted to get a few classes under my belt trying your suggestions before replying. Your approach to the posture — which is I now see exactly the guidance in the Hot Yoga Masterclass book (!!!) — has completely changed how I am approaching Standing Bow. Focusing on staying upright, keeping the arm elevated, and getting the C-curve in the back completely changes the experience. First, it makes it much easier to keep the standing leg locked (or, alternatively, much harder to cheat on the posture of the standing leg). Second, it is a real workout of the shoulder on the raised arm. Third, its an incredible workout for the muscles in the lower back as they resist the force of the kicking leg. I am wasting less mental energy keeping my balance, and my heart rate is going up even more than it was before. (I should note that one of the more senior instructors in my class, who improvises on the script, said last week to the effect that “many of you would be better off staying more upright and focusing on the kick and the standing backbend, rather than trying to come down.” He probably says that every week, and I just never heard it before reading your post.)
I still feel the posture in my quadriceps, though it is not the same intense burning sensation as previously. So I’m still a bit concerned that maybe I’m twisting too much in my lower back, and maybe more of the twist needs to be in the middle/upper back. I think I need to relax the shoulder on the kicking side more. I am kicking back, but kicking up is elusive. I think I should probably stay several weeks in this first part of the posture, before even thinking of moving to the next step. What do you recommend?
Hi Daniel
I am so pleased that this pose is easier for you now! I said easier, not less challenging. Actually with ease comes more satisfying challenge if you’re doing it the right way.
Now, let me confirm, you are holding the foot not the ankle?
I want you to keep doing what you’re doing and now place some attention on where your foot and hand meet. See if you can create a reciprocal action there. Push that inside of your foot into the hand and see how you can swivel that leg down (and hip down) into a more symmetrical position.
Let me know how that goes!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Gabrielle, You must be clairvoyant! No I haven’t been holding the foot, but I’ve started since getting your note. I will let you know how I progress. Many thanks, Daniel
Gabrielle, I just wanted to comment on my current status, and thank you.
I’ve followed your suggestions and … they work … 100%. A couple of visits to the chiropractor also helped. No more burning sensation. No more surface numbness on the thigh. It really helped to spend a couple of months focusing on locking the standing leg, keeping the hip down and the raised leg in line, and getting the C-curve in the spine, without worrying about getting the body down. Now I that I am comfortable with this, I am able to move deeper into the posture without any adverse effects.
Thanks again … You’ve really helped my practice. Namaste, Daniel
You’re so welcome, Daniel!
There’s nothing like a success story to make us both feel great. :cheese: I am so pleased it has worked for you with such great results.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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