MsBagel

Hi Ela,

I have been practicing hot yoga five times a week for about two months now and still I can’t reach my feet in bow pose either. My instructor recommended this strategy:

For the first set, reach back with your right hand, allow yourself to twist around if necessary, and grab only your right foot. When you have a good grip with your right hand, allow your left hand to reach out straight in front of you on the floor. Realign yourself as best as possible, and practice the stretch as described by your instructor (lift, look up, kick back, etc.); then, for the second set, do the same thing with the left foot/hand.

It’s been working great for me – it’s allowing me to directly build some of the strength and flexibility I’m going to need to eventually do this with both hands and feet, and I’m getting closer every day! Just one thing, make sure you really focus on your alignment, straight and with both hips in a line on the floor, or you could stretch your back in all the wrong ways.

Hope this helps. Best of luck. We’ll be pros before we know it!

Rachael