The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Sasangasana › Crampy Rabbit!
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Hi. I quite frequently get calf cramps in rabbit. They tend to happen near the end of the asana when I am approaching what is for me a full expression of rabbit. It seems an odd thing since my calves do not seem to be playing much of a role in the action in this asana…until they go suddenly bonkers on me that is. I am sure it is a regular comedy routine watching my desperate, sudden and rapid exit from rabbit when this occurs but its not so much fun for me. Arghh. I have been practicing 3-4 times a week for two years. Love this yoga. 🙂 I am confident that my hydration and electrolyte intake is ample. I am an avid bicyclist and wonder if I have developed some problem relating to cycling that is now dogging my rabbit. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
Hi Rozz
It all seemed like a regular issue until you said you have been practicing for 2 years regularly. If I make the assumption that you are approaching the pose with 100% correct technique then one option would be seeking an indepth investigation of your blood. You may have an imbalance. And if not, then rule it out.
I do have a little niggle that there may be a slight tweak to this pose that we can work with. Email or Skype me and we can rule out quite quickly if there is anything to it. The reason is: I want to explore how this cramp could come about since there is little to no activation in the calves in this pose.
Cycling is definitely shortening your calves. If your issue has something to do with this assumption then the poses to work extremely vigilantly with are:
Pada Hastasana
Standing Sep Leg Intense Stretch
Janushirasana
Paschimottanasana
and of course anything else that gives a stretch through thereI particularly mention the above 4 poses because of the way they employ reciprocal inhibition to lengthen muscles. Post again if you have any questions as to how to maximize the lengthening effect. My guess is, that when you go to class next, you will work out if you are getting the most out of them… if not, I am here 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Well, I haven’t ridden a bike since I was a kid and I get calf cramps in Rabbit. It’s very painful!
Hi!!!
I know I hinted it before but, there shouldn’t be any engaging of your calf muscles at all when you do Rabbit. In fact the more relaxed your lower legs are the more you get out of this pose.
I believe the solution is in how you use your legs in this pose, and also how you iron out the tightness in the 4 poses I mentioned in my last post.
Please, both of you, really check into and be attentive to what is happening in your next few classes. I could write pages on how to fix it. I would prefer to get something to make my answers point in the right direction to start with… narrow the focus a bit :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂No matter how hard I try, I TOTALLY use my lower legs in Rabbit pose! I barely can keep the shins on the floor. I MUST try and stop that and relax my legs.
Oh BonMar!!!
There is a tweak for you in there I know. We have to figure out what you are doing.
What else can you tell me about your Rabbit?
You have only told me that you get cramps. I have little to go on. You could be pulling with bent arms. Also what part of your head is touching the ground?
We’ll get there.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂I probably am pulling with bent arms. I find it really, really hard to hang onto my feet, but it’s probably that I’m trying too hard and need to relax more. I also have a large chest and I almost smother in this posture, so I really need to try and keep my shoulders back…
I’m finding in almost every posture I need to relax more. I’m so glad to have this forum to discuss things, and even thinking *out loud,* so to speak, through each posture makes my yoga better every day.
Day 23 today. 🙂
Hi BonMar
Just checking in. Now that you are using straight arms, how has your pose transformed?
I want to know whether I need to offer the next technique. :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂It’s still really hard not to tense up my shins and calves. I also find I do this in Camel! Funny, I hadn’t even noticed before, I was so intent on trying to stretch my back. I also had my back so tense, I don’t know how I could ever stretch it. But I am working on trying to relax all those things and to keep any pressure on my knees instead of the top of my head!
I guess I’m still engaging my shins and my feet in Rabbit as the teacher came and stood on my feet while I was in the pose today!
I immediately stopped pulling on them. I can just imagine how I must look in some of these poses!
Hi Bonnie
Your grip, your head and your arms! These could be worth focusing your attention on. Oh how a live online pose clinic complete with webcams would be great. Hmmmmm :cheese:
How comfortable is your grip? What can you tell me?
Is your chin tucked from the beginning to the end? Or do you feel that at some point you loosen the tuck to help you gain some kind of stability? You may have to get down on the ground now to work that one out?
You mentioned in a previous post that your arms were bending and you would work on that? Bonnie, how is that working out? Are your arms stretched out and relaxed? Are your shoulders relaxed away from the ears, moving up toward the ceiling?It is great to sometimes have someone step on your feet. What were you able to do differently when your teacher was there? You said that you “stopped pulling on them”. Can you explain to me what you did and what your sensations were at that time?
Whew! What a lot to think about. 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂I too have experienced cramping in one of my calves the past few sessions during rabbit as I find myself going deeper into the pose…
For me it definitely happens just as I focus on keeping my heels together while consciously pushing my shins into the floor. When I push my shins down it’s as though I feel the top of my feet flattening out further as a result, giving me this shooting cramp through my right calf.
The first time it happened I spazzed out of the pose (terrible I know, but kind of reflexive), but the second time I tried to really breathe into the area of the calf that was cramping and hold strong in the pose. Is trying to breathe through a cramp like this recommended? I’m pretty sure it’s due to general stiffness from my time off…
Hey Andrew – yes me too, (but not in rabbit – more later) especially if I haven’t practiced in a while (eg couple of weeks). It goes away with a regular practice.
I personally wouldn’t recommended breathing through it – better to release early (or not go too hard in floor bow or rabbit) and stretch out the knotted muscle before it ties itself up more!
Now: Rabbit pose – it sounds to me as if you have some technique in here that needs “adjusting”. You should not have any major tension in your feet – it sounds as if you are deliberately pointing them in an effort to go deeper.
Instead concentrate on pushing your knees into the floor while simultaneously pushing your lower back UP to the ceiling. This should have the effect of you feeling the grip very strongly around your heels.
Finally please check that your arms are straight and shoulders relaxed – the arms are only a link, it’s the hands that do all the work in the grip around the heels. Bent arms could also be causing the foot tension as someone tries to “work the pose”.
Hope that makes sense!
Robert
I still can’t do Rabbit properly – but, Finalspinal – I think my calf cramps in this pose are due to lack of hydration or my electrolyte balance being off. But, strangely, it’s the only pose I have EVER gotten a cramp in and, man, does it hurt! I know what you mean by “spazzing out of the pose,” i.e., rolling over and grabbing at the painful area. It’s sometimes hard not to reflexively scream out loud! Wouldn’t that be an embarrassing thing to do in class…
Robert thanks for the insight. Totally makes sense. I’ll try and make some of these minor adjustments next session – but good to know that the cramping should go away soon.
The one issue is this: I don’t think that I am “deliberately pointing them (my feet) in an effort to go deeper.” I’m definitely trying to focus on pushing my knees into the floor, and I feel pretty good about my grip around the back of my heels.
I have have pretty bulky legs as an ex-athlete so to maintain balance in the pose I guess I am also transferring some of the pressure from my knees into my shins as well. This shin pressure into the ground seems to be forcing my feet into a pointing position and causing the strain in my feet and calves…Should I make an effort to really relax my feet and concentrate the bulk of the pressure into my knees?
And bonmar I’m sure increasing my hydration level definitely wouldn’t hurt! Problem is I tend to sweat A LOT and by rabbit-time I’m pushing my limits so who knows.
Hi Andrew
Yes you should absolutely make sure there is not strain in your feet or calves. The lower legs push into the floor and that should relieve any engagement of the muscles you don’t need.
If you still find you are somehow still activating the backs of your lower legs or your feet then we can look into it again with other ideas to work out exactly what is going on for you here. One could be that it is happening when you are getting your heels together. Pay some attention here and get back to me.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Man you guys are good!
Taking everything you all said into consideration I had the deepest, most fulfilling and cramp-free rabbit in a good long while.
I focused on really gripping my heels and realized I had not been keeping them close enough together during the pose when I was cramping and not getting a good stretch.
This time it all seemed to come together when I made a conscious effort to squeeze them together. Thanks so much for your input.
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