Too much backbend in the first part of Half Moon

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yogalifer
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March 14, 2010 at 9:01 pm

Post count: 106

#1753

I have been going to a Bikram studio for about two years now. This morning I took a visit back to a studio (for a hot yoga class) that teaches several varieties of yoga–ashtanga, vinyasa, hot yoga, etc. Before Bikram I went to that studio regularly and have great respect for the owner/instructor’s knowledge and instruction.

There tends to be some disagreement in this area between the bikram and hot yoga schools as to the right way to do some of the poses. I have no problem with learning different approaches from the different instructors and am okay with adjusting to suit their method as long as it still feels healthy to me.

Gabrielle, I would like to get your thoughts re: the half moon advice that I got today. When I set up in half moon and push my hips forward, lift my chest like there’s a fishhook in my breastbone and point my fingers toward the back corner, it causes me to have some backbend. I really can’t help it. She instructed me that I should not have any backbend and that my body should be straight in line. She had me go back to the wall and do the half moon pose against the wall to keep my body in alignment. Given that I have been doing the hips pushed forward method for a long time, I just could not make this approach feel right. She suggested that I was actually cheating to get deeper into the pose and that the backbend “corkscrews” the spine. Possible, but I didn’t mean to.

I know that you can’t see my pose and it is impossible for you to know, but do you think that I could be backbending too much? Should I try to do this pose like my body is flat against a wall? When I got home, I stood side on to the mirror to see how much backbend I have and there is a bit. I’m not sure how to push my hips forward and not have this happen. Any suggestions?

thanks,
Cindy

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

March 15, 2010 at 7:56 am

Post count: 3048

#6689

Hi Cindy

There are several issues with this one!

It is possible to stick your hips forward too far so that you look like a corkscrew. I have seen that and it’s not pretty. 😉

It does also make a significant difference for many students to set up correctly and push the hips forward (“to open up the hips”). It’s actually an extremely often neglected part of set-up (as are several other features).

I wouldn’t ever consider it cheating to push the hips forward in a Bikram class. But I guess if that class was not touted as Bikram yoga or regular hot yoga then it’s possible that they simply believe it is supposed to be a so-called pure bend to the right.

So here’s where it becomes a little interesting! Your spine has curves in it! You knew that. And your vertebrae are all different sizes and they fit together with structures for spacing, shock absorbing, turning, twisting and so on and so forth.

This means that your spine CANNOT under any circumstances move to the sides without turning and twisting like a corkscrew! Ha. It just gives an impression of squareness. So what that teacher is really expressing is a preference for a pose to be done a certain way. It could be without realizing the mechanics of the spine. But it’s still a preference.

I have a private student at the moment (from the US) who HAD extreme tightness in his body (it’s resolving quite quickly with my help! 🙂 ). His Half Moon was extremely shallow – if I could describe it that way. His understanding of this pose did not include what are considered to be all the hot yoga set-up vital elements and he was simply moving his body to the side. It was when he pushed hips forward that his body finally started feeling the stretch (rather than a ease-less strain). In other words his body was able to surrender and really get this pose. This is my opinion of course and others are welcome to disagree. But it works.

I have to admit that there are students for whom the straight to the side approach has to be tried. These are the very flexible folk who really, at a point, start to misalign at the depth of their pose (and an exception here or there which really requires my presence or at least photos!).

In essence the curve is a slight backward one, with hips a little forward and at the greatest convexity. The curve is gentle and not broken. It looks and feels great. When you get this pose it feels vital and intense, and opening all at the same time. Keeping your body completely upright definitely provides a different stretch and for most people doesn’t give that sense of satisfaction. Still it’s worth trying it that way at that studio if you go there and see if you can find a sweet spot. It could just be your point of familiarization that you are missing and just finding a new point could be equally satisfying (perhaps in a different way).

Perhaps you can tell me what are the instructions they give in class for this pose. Do they say bring arms back for example? I would be interested to know (if you happen to attend their classes again).

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
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