Cannot reach my heels in Rabbit Pose

Hello Ela

A question for you: can you reach your heels at all when your head is on the ground?

Or is it that you just can’t reach them on the way down to the floor? These are important questions that are worth dragging out the final answer. 😉

Thanks
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello Ela

Just had to make sure before I possibly launched headlong down the wrong track. 🙂

Ela, you are right, ideally you should grab your feet before rolling down. But next time in class take a look around, most people cannot ‘grab’ their feet. They can position near and touch their feet, but their grip is rarely ever the final hand position before they descend. Their bottoms are in the way. Someone with long arms may appear to be sitting on their feet, someone with short arms may have to wait until they have curled down about a third or half of the way before they can get their hands near position.

Below are 2 ways to get your outcomes: one is to do Rabbit with a prop. If that doesn’t work (see below for what to look out for) then I have an alternative pose for you.

When you don’t have your hands on your feet on the way down there is nothing to slow down your descent and your head can come down to the floor heavily and in an uncontrolled fashion. If that happens then there is a real risk that you could cause some injury to your neck.

When your hands and arms are used properly in this pose they actually stop your head pressing into the floor. The pulling on the feet allows you to create great traction in your spine as your spine opens up to the ceiling. You may have heard teachers talking about the small percentage of weight on the top of your head. It is there, resting, stopping you from rolling forward but at no time should it be pressing hard down into the floor.

So what I suggest you try:
tuck your chin and roll down but walk your hands down your legs to land on the floor probably just in front of your knees. Your hands will support you so that you can minimize the weight on your head.

I really think you will need a strap or towel. This is one of those times where you need the cooperation of a teacher. Once your head is down there, you may be able to grab the towel/strap but without being able to draw the strap through your hands by yourself you risk having bent arms as you pull.

Pulling with bent arms often changes the pose and forces the head into the floor more heavily. So please Ela get some help. Tell the teacher before class that you need it, or put your hand up during class, instruct them to get your hands as close to your feet along your towel as possible. All the other pose principles apply here: chin tucked etc.

If this technique has your feeling that there is pressure of your head on the floor, you can’t work it out, or your teachers are unwilling to help you the I have another suggestion for you:

Skip Rabbit pose for a while. But do a set of Janushirasana. That is the Floor pose of Head to Knee that immediately follows Rabbit pose. You should be able to get your head on your knee. And with your hands interlocked in the right place and with the correct mechanics of your pull you will be able to create the opening through the spine without the risk of damage to your cervical spine (neck). You would do a right side and then a left side (you choose whether you do a Savasana in between). Don’t do a Paschimottanasana, then join the class for their 2 sets of Head to Knee and Stretch poses.

In time you will be able to attempt Rabbit again.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hello K!

I am concerned! There is ALWAYS a way for a student to tackle a pose. If you really can’t do it au naturel (no prop) then the only other option is to use a prop – like a towel or strap. If you want to get the benefits you have to do the pose. If you are going to get there you have to start on the path. So, my next question is, what happens when you use a towel and how are you using it?

Would love to help.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

I too have a gap, maybe 3-4 inches, between my legs in this pose so I’ll be very interested in what others have to say about that. Our teachers also discourage using props but do recognize that sometimes they are needed for a period of time. I was encouraged to give it a try at least once a week without the prop. It always surprised me when I was able to finally start reaching my heel, knee or whatever for the first time.

HI,

I am pretty overweight and I have a problem with this pose because of many things. I can’t hold enough tension with my arms to keep me off my head, without my weight going into my head, and the compression is so tight, especially with my face in my chest, (large) I can’t breathe. I don’t mean the natural non-breathing feeling you get from the compression but can’t breathe cause my face is covered.

My teacher gave me a modification of my hands on the floor in front of me..on all 4’s so to speak. Then tucking my chin down, and curling up as tight as possible tucking up my stomach and arching my spine, creating the same compression as if I was in full rabbit. This works for me, for now until I can get into full rabbit later.

Not sure if it is what every teacher would recommend but at least I am not suffocating. 😀

Pamela