The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Can't Keep My Palms Together
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › General Hot Yoga Discussion › Hot Yoga *faq* › Can't Keep My Palms Together
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After two months of 3-4 days per week practice, I still cannot close my palms in half moon or balancing stick. In fact, when I’m not practicing and I just raise my hands above my head, clasp them and release my index fingers, it’s still very difficult to close my palms and lock out my elbows. What is the source of this tightness? Is it tight shoulders? Anyone else with this challenge have any insight on how to work through it?
Thanks!
Hello kellybelly
A lot of your ability to gain palms together with your arms over head has to do with shoulder, neck and upper back muscles. What you want to do is to hold your arms in a way that is not going to cause damage, and at the same time encourage the opening. Little by little you will find that IF you work your arms in the correct fashion that you will get your palms together, your arms behind your ears, and EVENTUALLY your elbows locked out BUT ONLY IF you are not introducing undue stress and strain into the system. Doing it incorrectly also risks damage to your shoulders.
If you haven’t already done so, I highly recommend taking a look at my instructional video: A transformational technique for your practice.
This information is so CRUCIAL to your WHOLE practice that I have devoted pages to shoulder anatomy and the correct movement of the arms in my manual Hot Yoga MasterClass Manual.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Many thanks, Gabrielle!
I feel your pain….but in my neck! I have no problems getting my hands clasped, but once there, and hearing over and over “press your arms to your ears” it just hurts . I feel like I can’t breath and just want it to end! What am i doing wrong?
Hello looking for balance
Don’t do it!!!! Just loosen up your shoulders, drop them down and back. Your neck will release and be much more comfortable. You will develop the opening in your shoulders which in time will allow you to straighten your arms and also bring your palms together. Remember that you are on your own ‘agenda’ to open your body and to create more strength, LENGTH and peace. You can’t do that with a stresses and a painful neck. I am not surprised you feel you can’t breathe. With the pain your sympathetic response is setting in and you are probably panting with a shallow breath (maybe even panicking). If I were to say you were doing something ‘wrong’ it would be that you are ignoring what your body is saying. This is what it is saying to you: “back off!” :cheese:
Make the “back off!” sound louder than the “press your arms to your ears”. 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks Gabrielle,
I had a new experience today regarding half moon. I was at a ‘hot yoga’ class, not Bikrams, and in half moon they had us grab our wrists instead of straight arms and palms together. It felt MUCH BETTER, and this may have been because it was actually ‘doable’ for me with this injury, but what do you think about this type of form in half moon? 8-/
Hello looking for balance
What a lovely photo of you!!! Nice to put a face to a ‘name’.
Do you mean that one arm was straight up and the other hand grabbed the wrist? That is what I assumed and I would love to know if this is the case. What that does is help relieve the tension that you had in your shoulders and neck. It works, so do it if you have to. If you are in a Bikram class I would still suggest the mods recommended above. Both techniques work well but I think the one above has an advantage: the arm position is symmetrical at all times. In other words both arms have the same action simultaneously. If you are to do the position that you were shown in your hot yoga class then remember to swap hands between sets to give the chance of symmetrical use!
In fact there have been times where I have suggested (and indeed have done it myself when I had a particularly bad shoulder problem) that one arm was above the head (vertically) and the other hand grabbed the elbow (with a right angle in the arm, palm facing forward in the grip). This position is great because it really does allow you to keep both shoulders in their optimal position while using and opening them symmetrically. Keep one arm straight up for one set, swap arms for second set. Even though the arms are in different positions, both upper arms are symmetrical and you can direct the force symmetrically. You may even practice out of class with this one.
Would love to know what works best for you.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Thanks for the lovely compliment 🙂
Yes, it is instructed to ‘grab’ the wrist. I had also done this in a physio class after my accident to stretch the area.
And yes, we alternate to the other side. So we grab the right wrist when bending to the left and visa versa. What I do find is it is much easier and don’t get that abdominal workout to the degree of the correct posture. However, it is where I am at and don’t want to have to dread half moon during this healing process.
I am scared to do this in a bikrams class though :gulp: but i will maybe let the instructor know before hand so she doesnt try to correct it in class.
Thanks again for your feedback. It is VERY helpful. 🙂
Take care and Happy Holidays!
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