Hi Richard
It must feel great for you to be able to do that pose.
I am sure you will know from your own experience that it does take great strength, upper body and core strength included, to get into the “full version”. There is a point in that travel where it ceases to be just about strength but also includes quite a bit of surrender and flexibility (once your legs start to bend and to get your feet near or on your head). This is where you are not fighting to keep your legs up against gravity. And also that upward travel of the legs has some momentum as they legs pass through the angles of effort through to where gravity assists the fall on the ‘other side of the hill’.
What you say is partly correct: it’s neither one nor the other. :cheese: It can be that the person photographed has not yet sufficient strength to get to the “full” version and it can also be that they choose to continue the challenge by holding the body at that angle from the floor.
There is no direction to keep the sternum on the floor. Those students who are able to go into the full version of this pose are not supposed to do it on their first set and only tend to attempt it on the second. Both parts of the pose challenge the student differently.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
