The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Sasangasana › Slightly confused about Rabbit
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Sasangasana › Slightly confused about Rabbit
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What is the objective – or rather – focus of Rabbit?
Like another poster, I am also not sure whether the position of my head is correct in this pose. I always have to walk my knees towards my forehead – but my head ‘rolls’ with the result that it’s not my forehead that is resting on the floor but a part of my head further back. It does not hurt, but I wonder if it is indeed correct.
Also, once I feel everything’s “in place” – hips up, feet and knees together, tummy tucked, arms straight, grip good, I wonder “now what do I do with my shoulders?”. Should they be pushed down – i.e. away from ears – or left ‘semi-relaxed’?
Hi Cyberry
You may have meant the top of your head, but you did mention getting your ‘forehead on the floor’. Your forehead should land adjacent to your knees and the top of your head on the floor. It can start to get dangerous if the back of your head is contacting creating too much leverage on and rounding of your cervical spine. Your head can contact just a tiny bit further than the top of the head. Here are Some Photos of Rabbit to demonstrate that for you!
As for your shoulders move them up away from the floor. It’s an active position but it encourages shoulder and neck relaxation…
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Don’t let the nickname fool you, I’m no expert. But I do enjoy this pose. The instruction I’ve been given is to not ‘roll’ beyond the ‘crown’ of your head, and when that happens, pull a little harder to compress your front side more. And shoulders, they say, should be away from the ears. Somehow, I have some issues keeping shoulders like that AND keeping tummy sucked in. huh. It’s a new pose every day.
One strange side effect of rabbit: I always feel a significant opening/release in my breathing in savasana after this pose. Good stuff that the dialog never talks about.
Hi Gabrielle and Wabbit
Thank you for your replies!
Yes, my forehead does touch the floor – that’s step 1 – but as I walk my knees up in order for my knees to touch my forehead, and lift my hips, my head rolls so that it is indeed the top of my head that connects with the floor. I do however take care that I don’t roll my head beyond the crown simply because it feels wrong and dangerous due to the compression it creates. But as I can’t see myself! 🙂 I’m not a 100% sure whether my head is correctly positioned.
Re the shoulders: I am inclined to push my shoulders down – just like Wabbit suggests – and just last night in class we were also told to ‘push shoulders up away from ears’ whatever that may mean. But I see in the photo and in your answer they should be relaxed.
How come there is no unanimity on this matter? Could it be because it’s not addressed in Bikram’s book either?
Thanks for the clarification though.
And Wabbit, good of you mention that feeling – I look forward to this pose one day having a positive impact. Right now it just makes me grumpy 😉
Hi Cyberry
As for your shoulders move them up away from the floor. It’s an active position but it encourages shoulder and neck relaxation…
Because you are upside down moving your shoulders up means away from your ears. Wabbit and I have said the same thing. Sometimes I find students get a little confused because of their inverted position. It’s very normal.
So yes, shoulders are relaxed but they are actively up away from the ears. If you have tension in them they are generally much closer to the ears and the floor.
If you pull without positioning your shoulders in the optimum position then there is the possibility of creating strain in that area.
I specifically address all the details of each pose in the Hot Yoga MasterClass manual so you will find it there. 😉
I look forward to hearing how you go, because at the very least that ‘grumpy’ feeling should disappear. If not, there may be some other pointers we can explore to help you find the ‘ease’ (along with challenge) in this pose. I like to call it ‘the sweet spot’.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂 -
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