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in reply to: Lifting torso up… #3691
Hi Annie
Thanks again monkeypicked!
OK Annie, just interested in your shoulder comment. Can you describe that? I wonder when you feel the tightness. Is it all the time, even in the single leg lift. Or is it as you lift your legs your shoulders start to roll in toward each other because of the tightness and you feel a little stuck? Or maybe something else? 😉Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Floor bow: why are wrists straight? #3688Hi Martina
I see your point. Let me see if I can explain this.
Many students grab too far around the foot. They don’t just grab the feet with their fingers, they put the heel of their hand around the foot, and when they do that they bend their wrists right in. If you are doing this pose correctly you are holding with fingers only. Having said that some poses like this one actually strengthen fingers so you may find (or have found that) in the beginning when you have not yet developed your finger strength that you will have to grab further around the foot. People have different length fingers, short or long. This pose can be about body geometry when it comes to the hands and wrists. If you are grabbing too far around you will certainly be causing undue bending of the wrists. The important consideration here is that many folk then pull with their hands instead of surrendering to the kick of the legs – which is the driver of this pose.
In a nutshell the right grip, which you may take time to develop the finger strength for, prevents activating or engaging the strength in the arms.
Esak on the left is doing a great floor bow pose. You can see his shoulders are beautifully open and he is holding on to his feet with only his fingers. You can see he is using the principles of an active stretch to open up his body. His arms are straight and through his work and because of his arm position (with arms very high because of his excellent flexibility) his wrists bend ever so slightly in because of his body geometry.
The straight line you want to consider that goes through the wrists is from the shoulders to the fingers. Esak has a straight line there. With fingers on his feet in this proper grip he is neither thinking about, nor has any control over the inward bend of the wrists as they surrender to the force of the kick.
The bend of the wrist that you want to avoid is the lateral bend (which breaks the straight line and active stretch set up from shoulders to fingers).
To set up this pose you are literally hanging from your feet with your fingers only. (It can help if you imagine you are hanging from your feet as if you would be hanging from a branch from your fingers only without any other action from your arms involved – hence the straight arms and wrists). So long as there is work in your legs and you are kicking up and back as strongly as you can, without any component of work from the arms then if your wrists bend in slightly to reach your feet, it happens without breaking the vector of stretch! (no energy is dissipated and the benefits contribute directly to opening up the body. There is no conscious bending of the wrists in. Because the arms are passive in this pose they just yield to the stretching forces by virtue of the strong kick…
Now let’s get to that other photograph.
While it looks impressive, please tell me if you think this person is demonstrating how flexible she is or if she is doing bow pose. Frankly it is very hard to tell the amount of work that is being done here. It looks beautiful. I would really have to talk to this person to work out if this is a kick we are seeing (that is being able to determine the signs that she is hanging on to the feet). The grip does not seem correct here. The fingers are over the top of the toes.
Many of us would love to be this flexible. One of the great things about yoga is finding a balance between flexibility and strength. The stronger yogis find challenge in finding flexibility. The more flexible yogis find challenge in finding their strength. When someone in floor bow pose works the pose as it is intended they are kicking their legs back and up. The thing that stops the legs being kicked straight backward behind you on the floor is the hooked grip of the fingers. So as the feet get kicked up and back the arms get pulled back and up with them.
Martina the ideal is that you use your legs’ strength to drive this pose. Let that work be in your conscious awareness. My hunch is you are doing it fine! Kick and surrender!
PS I only see 2 photos posted. Would you like to email me the missing one. I have only answered in reference to the 2 I can see.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: very flexible! #3687Hi albenanger26
I would like to add to what monkeypicked has offered! Thanks mp 😉
It appears your alignment is good. So if nothing is needed to fix that, then work the weight back into the heels and pick the toes up off the ground. You will feel your muscles working to hold you up, on both the front and the back sides of the body. Be careful that you are not simply moving your upper torso back because some people have a tendency to cause a twist when they do that.
When you take the weight back there is the potential of the chest collapsing a bit so lift up through the chest as you bring the arms back…
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hello sschlus
Congratulations on your pregnancy.
I do not know of any definitive proof that hot yoga is harmful to the woman or the fetus.
I assume you read the post I made in March. And I am guessing that you simply want some reassurance that everything you are doing is OK.
It is interesting that many people don’t get confirmation that they are pregnant until somewhere between 2-3 months and that is when they start modifying their lifestyles to suit. 4 weeks is early to know! I guess I knew then too though. :cheese: I had a more regular practice and felt absolutely confident that I would and could carry on practicing the entire pregnancy. I wonder how you feel about that when I say that. Hmmmm let me know!
Go with your feeling and pay close attention to what your body is telling you. I felt fabulous and many others do too. Some feel unable to do the poses in the heat, while others bow to the pressure of a spouse or a doctor who may be worried. And there may be times you just say ‘not today’ or ‘not this week’ and can go back again later.
The busiest obstetrician where I live says there is no reason why you couldn’t do it.
And ultimately it is you who has to decide.
You are familiar with the practice and that means a great deal. You are already acclimatized to the series and the heat. The hard work is done…
As I said there are pose adjustments you can do. If you can’t get help with adapting the series to the hot room then come back here …
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Flabby legs #3674Hey there New2This
I am guessing you are feeling a little frustrated. Just in the same way that your body has to physiologically acclimatize, your mind is getting used to some new repatterning as well.
Your experience is very common. Just know and trust that you will soon feel more confident with your own abilities. You will not care anymore what anyone thinks of you inside the studio. You will no longer worry (much if at all) if you fall over, lose your balance or not have the best class. You will simply notice your feelings and move on. I can already sense that your breath is opening up for you and that can in itself be quite scary.
You are right on ‘schedule’. There is nothing else to do but simply surrender to the process. Not care one way of the other what you or anyone else thinks…
And just … be
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Crampy Rabbit! #3669Oh 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 🙂Hi Nina
Great stuff. OK now that you are more aware of your alignment, start to notice the sensations in your body as your spine starts to realign. For me it started at the bottom and moved its way up my spine over a number of months. It was sometimes uncomfortable. I even remember finding it hard to turn over in bed. BUT I LOVED THAT because I felt my body was changing.
Please keep us posted.
Also you will find that poses present different challenges to you as your body transforms.Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga #3656Hi Ilyzium
Thanks for posting. I enjoyed reading about your recent wins. You sound confident that you are on schedule for realizing your goals.
Ranting and raving? Huhhh 😉 not at all. I LOVE reading about how you are going and what motivates you. And I know thousands of others come here also to be enthused by others’ stories. So keep it up!
Now for something that bothered me a little about your post. Learning self-discipline is part of your own personal yoga-journey. You are only 2 weeks young here so please consider the following when you are in class.
Your teachers are facilitators and not supposed to be bullies. I am sure that none of them would like to know that you are feeling pushed into NOT drinking water when you feel you REALLY need it.
There are provisos however. Drinking water at the ‘wrong’ times is often the classic technique for students to avoid confronting their own issues (it can mean a myriad of things). If you feel thirsty and you are honestly, truly, rooly (LOL) in need of water then drink it.
Here’s what to do when you feel that thirst sensation. Observe it. Notice whether you are using this intense sensation to flag real thirst, or whether your mind is using it as a decoy to stop you experiencing something that you could work through by say, continuing your pose, or continuing to stand and look at yourself in the mirror. If you work out that you really ARE thirsty, then NOTHING and NO ONE should EVER stop you from taking a drink.
The other proviso is that you TRY to take an opportune moment to take the drink. This means you wait until between poses (which is better than between sets). You are an adult. And yoga is not about law enforcement!
I can tell you having practiced for 2 weeks, that you have probably reached the point where you body is now physiologically acclimatized to the heat and the conditions, so you may actually find from now that you find it much easier to get through the class.
Please keep mindful of supplementing your electrolyte levels and hydrate well. It won’t hurt to take some powder or pill supplement. But remember you are in conditions that are potentially risky. If you need a drink, take it. Learn how to recognize a need and a desire to move out of your focused state and work out what is going to best support your practice by listening to you.
Generally what your teacher offers you regarding drinking or ANYTHING are recommendations. It is their job to make it compelling enough without forcing your will, to do what will support your wellbeing in the best way and with caring and compassion.
Thanks for listening to my rant :cheese:
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: First part of locust: how and why… #3653Hi Meissa
You will feel compression in your lower back for sure!
And the way to feel your upper back is to consciously and strongly push your arms and shoulders into the floor. This pertains to the points above re paradigm shifting!
Nah, you aren’t paranoid 😉 just becoming more conscious and body aware…
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: So what do you wear? #3650Psssst… Just for the record what Robert is actually referring to as boy shorts on me are actually mid-thigh bike shorts. I actually don’t wear those tiny things at all (used to – but I prefer better coverage with no concerns about modesty checks). I also wear knee length and 3/4 length capris…
And all from Lorna Jane, of course! 😉
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: pain in legs and feet #3642Hello BonMar
Putting my mind to this I am wondering what kind of final position you are in…
So a couple of questions: where are your hips in relation to your knees in both parts 2 and 3 in final pose? Also are your hips hurting going into it or rather once you are in and staying there?
My first thought is that in Part 2 to distribute more weight into the toes by leaning into them. And in Part 3 I feel reticent to say “remember to really squeeze your knees together” because that is very basic instruction for someone who as been doing this for 8 years. At the same time however, many times the tweak can come from refining something very basic and simple. 😉
Another reason hip flexors hurt in Part 3 is when the student lifts their heels up off the floor too high and keeps them there (unnaturally) instead of only focusing on the travel of the hips with a straight back. You probably don’t do that but it is worth a mention, to let the feet do what they will by only focusing on the squeezed knees and straight back otherwise the hips are having to work hard to recorrect your alignment and keep the back upright.
If you remove yourself from the situation and look at solving the problem of hip flexors in general then I would be focusing on hip flexor stretches. They are present in the series but you may need more than that in the form of a yin class, or go and pick up Lucas’ at home stretching guide from the Poses Section of the website.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Crampy Rabbit! #3637Hi!!!
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 🙂in reply to: Muscle Weight? #3636Hi Cindy
Woo hoo! A six-pack eh? You must be so pleased to be showing such progress towards your physical goals. Thank goodness muscles is heavier than fat. :cheese:
I wonder what it will take or even if it is possible to let go of the numbers side and focus on what creates and maintains the feeling of wellbeing. Although a system used and enjoyed by many, calorie counting is a guide and not an exact science as your body and your metabolism change over your lifetime. It is an approximation of what could happen.
Congratulations on your shape change and your obvious joy in the process.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Flabby legs #3635Hello New2This
I loved the fact that a person called YogaLifer answered your Newbie post (with great worthwhile comments too).
To answer your question specifically:
I believe YogaLifer has done that in essence. I would like to add the following:
In my experience it seems that generally (ie not in every case but as a general experience which may pertain to you) the older the student is and the older they embark on instituting changes the rate of change can be slower.
For example, a 20 year old who comes to do 3 classes per week, may experience faster overall body shape change than the 40 year old, who experiences faster change than the 60 year old. GENERALLY.
And regardless of age the more you go per week the faster the change occurs.
Also changes to your physical being WILL occur. Regardless of rate of change, these changes may not be visible to YOUR eyes as they happen, but tend to hit you in the face one day. What I mean by this is that you could be going 5 times per week for 5 weeks and not notice any shape change until end of week 3. And all of a sudden you CAN’T BELIEVE how toned you have suddenly become.
So New2This here are my recommendations: If your schedule permits it, give yourself a wonderful gift of fast-tracking your benefits by going AS MANY TIMES PER WEEK AS YOU CAN for a couple of months. Then settle down to your 3 times per week.
This has many benefits. My husband Robert has a wonderful analogy: just like storing the butter in the fridge, the more often you bring it out to use, the softer it becomes to use and the less waiting around for it to warm up. You mention you have some spinal problems which would so welcome some tender loving hot-yoga-care. Less time between classes in the beginning will really loosen your problem areas up. And the more you do it the more you will create the changes you want and the young feeling body you deserve. Plus it will have the effect of building that wonderful strength in your body again and giving you visible toning. You will enjoy your transformation.
You should feel so encouraged by the fact you are not sore. Your heat acclimatization process is a 14 day REAL physiological process. With patience you will feel much more at ease in the heat very soon. FYI: even the most regular yogis sometimes emerge looking lobster-red occasionally.
Yes absolutely, and especially with an intensive start, you will see a massive difference by next summer with 3 classes per week. And more importantly, before long you will be living pain-free. Aaaaaah. No more putting up with pain. That has GOT to be the best reason to go.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: First part of locust: how and why… #3634Hello Martina
I agree! The photos of the single leg lift on the website do look as if the leg on the floor is engaged. I can assure you that the one on the hotyogadoctor Pose Gallery is totally relaxed. How do I know? Because I have another photo in the Pose Gallery that shows the same pose at exactly the same moment in an aerial view.
It is very hard to tell from the side.
How do you get to see the aerial photo in the Pose Gallery? VIP members get access to all the photos and not just the first 2. I won’t tease you anymore 😉 but will get on with answering your questions (which are incidentally also answered in detail on pages 213-215 in Hot Yoga MasterClass).
Leg height:
Have you ever heard the teacher say you are supposed to lift your leg to 45 degrees? Most people lift their legs to between 20 and 30 degrees. When you see 45 degrees it looks very high. You are right, you stretch it back to find length in the leg and then lift it. Too high is when you lift it up and the hip comes off the arm and one hip is higher than the other.
Paradigm shift:
Most people lie there and simply lift an extended single leg off the floor. And then they work like crazy to lift 2 legs up, as if they were 2 different poses.From today I would like you to treat the single leg and double leg lifts as part of the same pose, inextricably linked, and not as separate poses. From today your link between them is the way you use your arms and NOT the way you lift your legs! Weight your hip as you lift your leg BUT use your arms to push into the floor. This is when the pose will change for you, forever. You will now find challenge in this pose. Once you really feel this link you will actually enjoy the transformation.
Go and experiment and then come back. If this instruction doesn’t revolutionize this pose for you, I will give you further instruction. If it does, come back and tell me too!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂PS my feet are blushing!
in reply to: How to progress into full camel #3630Hi Martina and Meissa
* It is always much easier to work on a tangible goal to know when to proceed into full camel than it is to be told that ‘you are ready for full camel’. So here are some steps for you:
* First step is to keep the hands in prayer position until you see your toes.
* Next, when you see your toes, you bring your hands out of prayer and place them palms facing forward in front of each shoulder.
* Continue to deepen your backbend.
* The more flexible you are the closer you can get your hands and head to your heels.
* When you are in the pose you will then focus on bringing your arms in parallel to each other. Let them land where they land as you familiarize yourself with the pose.For those proud owners of Hot Yoga MasterClass you can see photos and the full description on page 253. :cheese:
VIP Members see extra photos in the Pose Gallery (some of which are unique to the VIP forum).
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: How to progress into full camel #3621Hi Martina
:cheese: It definitely seems that you are ready to move on through to at least the intermediate part of this pose where you will really feel both flexibility and a great strength building in your back.
So for the intermediate pose this is what I recommend:
First set. Do what you are doing now.
Second set. Set up by pushing hips forward, stretch up and then drop head back. Place your hands in prayer position. Then go back into your backbend. Look for your feet.
Some points to notice: you will at first have to build the confidence that allows you to know that you can get up out of this pose without any assistance; finding the strength to propel yourself out. The first few times you may not go back as far as you physically can because you are learning your capabilities and learning how to push your edge and maintain that ability to come out safely. You will really notice how important it is to use your eyes to determine how deeply you go. In regular Camel your hips are forward of your knees. In intermediate and full positions, you will get to a point where the hips start to move backward behind the knees, simply to create that deeper backbend.
Keep looking for your toes. When you see them, come back and we can go through the steps to get into Full Camel.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: how to swap your legs keeping your arms up #3619Hi Martina
Do you know that it is common not to be able to swap your legs over between sides of Janushirasana without needing the support of your hands? I don’t need my hands now but I remember that in the beginning it had to do with hip flexibility (and my scoliosis actually) that I had to put my hands down.
Try releasing up, bringing your body square to the mirror again and moving one leg at a time before twisting to the left. Sounds basic. If that doesn’t work then I guess, just notice without judgment. All it will take is some patience because you WILL manage, and probably sooner than you think. :cheese:
(PS I will get onto the Camel question tomorrow, that will be a bit longer ;))
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hi Nina
Thanks for writing to me about this! I don’t know if you realize but I have scoliosis too. In fact, I put my testimonial on Bikram’s own website YEARS ago and have answered and have been answering hundreds of personal emails about it ever since.
There is definitely the possibility that your scoliosis could worsen. Let me see if I can explain it. Like all spinal imbalances, conditions get set up that allow usage and gravity to effect your body: if your alignment is not close to ideal then ‘normal’ usage can worsen it.
For example someone who has stooping shoulders, and never stands up with their spine in balanced alignment (and I will put a link to a very useful video here: A Transformation Technique for your Practice) will over the years experience a spine that continues to round. So at the moment you are experiencing a change in your lateral curvature (which probably includes some kind of twist as well).
The nature of your curve imbalance will make one side of certain (and maybe most) poses much easier to do than the other side.
Here is the interesting bit: one of the sides of your poses could actually be causing a worsening of your spinal curvature towards further imbalance. This could even be the easier so of the pose; the very side that if your alignment is off at all, could actually be the cause of your worsening condition. There may be a side that is harder for you to do, that you can’t go in as deeply. Just notice this. Notice how once side is easier and the other is harder. Notice that one side you feel you have to work harder to keep everything in alignment. This is the side that you MUST pay extra, super-duper attention to getting it spot-on and square.
I remember how difficult it was to do 2nd side half moon. Yikes that was hard.
Like you I noticed an asymmetry in floor bow. What I suggest is to learn what it takes to get that right. For example I would go into floor bow and then look at my feet in the mirror. My adjustments had to do with my shoulders and that fixed my leg difference. I would square them up and it made huge difference. Once you learn the adjustment you can make it without looking at yourself and you use your mind’s eye (your proprioception).
In all your poses work on alignment and don’t give 2 hoots about depth. Work well and solidly with the best technique you can. One side will be easier in many poses. Work toward depth but don’t get hung up on the differences between the 2 sides.
Here is a hint too that I worked out that helped me enormously: when you are sitting down NEVER cross your legs. You will probably find that one leg feels MUCH more comfortable over the other and this can also exacerbate your spine problems. Sit with feet square in front of you when you are on a chair. BTW: After many months of fixing my back I was able to effortlessly cross my legs in total comfort and still feel symmetrical. This may sound trivial but this made a huge difference to me.
Check out your other habits around whether you tend to lean into one leg even when you are just standing around. If you aren’t already, work on your alignment from the ground up and keep mindful about it until it becomes your solid unconscious habit!!!
Let me know if this resonates with you. I am happy to give you more ideas and specifics about how to approach different poses. Let’s first establish where you are at…
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: no energy for yoga #3614Hi Mathis
I think I can decipher your English :cheese:
You may not realize it but you answer your own question. This is good! You may just be resisting what your body is trying to tell you. 😉
It seems that you get very tired sometimes and very energized at others. You mentioned you are finding it difficult to go to sleep sometimes. And also you mentioned
Ive tried to push myself even then im tired but it hits back and yoga becomes very boring then i force my body against its will…
Both these things are telling you that your mind is very busy thinking about things.
So consider the following:
You could think about doing your classes earlier in the day if this is possible. Maybe the energy in your body (and mind) will dissipate and you will fall asleep more easily.Allow yourself the process of learning how to let go. Let go of expectations of how you should feel, how you should approach your practice, how hard you should be working. A lot of this is tied in with artwednesday’s recommendations: learning how to meditate, how to bring the attention back to the breath, to the present moment. You can look for meditation courses, and/or you could simply keep going to hot yoga frequently and experience how the activity in your mind will slow down all by itself!!! A regular frequent practice does the most amazing things.
Find how to surrender into your poses without pushing against the will of your body. You may find that instantly your energy levels will rise. Your body will be less stiff too. And strength will improve.
And let yourself enjoy the process.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: Weight Loss with Stress/High Cortisol Levels #3611Hello Ilyzium
Welcome to the fold! 😉
I believe and I am sure thousands of others will agree that you have taken the step that will change your life. There is no doubt in my mind that this yoga can help you change your shape and reduce your stress levels dramatically.
I hope others chime in with their stories. I am sure that a search through many of the posts will reveal many others saying how their own stress levels have been managed allowing them to create a better quality of life for themselves.
I remember that my 15 year old neighbor (who has now grown up and moved!) used to come to practice with us. She was overweight and very stressed with school work. Jess came to me the day after her very first class. She reported that not only did she notice how much easier her homework was (she said her mind was calm and there was less chatter) but she fell asleep more easily than she had in ages.
The yoga has a way of toning your body’s systems to allow them to operate in the manner in which they are intended. You will find that your hormonal systems will get reset so that over time they will function normally again. This is one reason why your cortisol levels are extremely likely to drop to tolerable levels quickly…
My advice: go and do a ton of classes! Feel the difference. Enjoy the awakening calm and they way your body will be resculpted.
Here is what waterwatch said:
Even though I started Bikram to lose weight, I gained many other benefits. I no longer have ankle pain (accident injury), no indigestion, no longer need sleeping aids, plus my family says I’m much calmer. This is definitely something I will continue with. It’s a lifestyle change.
You may have already checked out the posts on our most popular topic I am quite overweight and doing hot yoga. There are many wonderful inspirational stories in there.
On a personal note: even though I am vegetarian and healthy, I have been known to have high cholesterol levels from time to time. The yoga reverses it and for me it was very fast.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂PS here is what one of my other students said:
I have had a cholesterol problem in the past. This method appears to chomp through any build up. My hypertension tended to give me recurring nose bleeds. I have not had this problem since I started.
in reply to: exact meaning of "legs together" #3610Hi Martina
Yes, I believe you are creating much better alignment by doing that. Have you seen my latest video regarding feet? It talks about how foot alignment and foot position affect your ability to create good and poor balance, structural alignment or posture. Take a look here: Great Posture from the Ground Up
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: no energy for yoga #3608Thank you artwednesday for posting those technique videos: mini yoga/pranayama/meditation 101 lessons! :cheese:
Hi Mathis
Knowing that yoga is about the breath, and the energy and life giving properties of the breath IS important of course. It is the basis of your yoga practice.
I do want to find out a little more. You seem to feel a little dismayed, you want to know if what you are feeling is normal and when you should expect improvement.
It would be helpful to learn what your experience has been so far with hot yoga. Are you a total beginner? How long have you been practicing?
We can work out whether you body is still in the process of acclimatizing – which is a real physiological process the progress of which can be mapped out – or whether there is something else could be considered.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂in reply to: exact meaning of "legs together" #3607Hi Martina
I am not comfortable with the ‘one size fits all’ approach to instruction. Every body is different. So for example if you have wide feet that make your feet triangular, or bunions, then when you stand with everything together there is the potential for your legs to end up turning out to some degree. This will affect what parts of the legs contact and how.
I much prefer to instruct to square hips and knees to the mirror, and also focus on feet being square on too. Your legs will in all likelihood touch but squeezing them together is not necessary. The squeezing of the legs is through knee locking and also through the glutes etc (whole lower body).
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂PS thank you for your kind words :cheese:
in reply to: Crampy Rabbit! #3603Hi 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 🙂 -
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