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in reply to: Sit up after fixed firm #9788
I experience the same thing to a degree, and I’ve always thought it was normal. I notice it after the first backbend (going into hands-to-feet pose), and after camel. I figured the back bending just made my back a bit delicate after those poses. The other thing to consider is that BEFORE fixed firm, you have done a series of spine strengthening exercises where you are significantly contracting your back muscles. To me, that creates some tightness as well.
Like you said, it seems to work itself out with the next several postures, so I never really worried about it.
You have some other symptoms that I don’t know much about, but perhaps Gabrielle has some thoughts on that.
– Kristin
in reply to: Anxiety during savasana #9638sounds like you have some good insight here. And some things to work on. I agree that the “I will…” carries too many expectations, and involves anticipation. You seem to sense that yourself. Achievement oriented people (guilty here!) are prone to this. I notice it in my classes….there are some women who spring out of the last savasana before 10 seconds have elapsed, and rush to get ready for the next challenge of the day. I feel like they are cheating themselves out of the most important part of the class.
I have struggled with it myself, such as anticipating that a certain posture is going to go wrong (and go figure, it does).
Let us know how things go for you!
– kristin
in reply to: Anxiety during savasana #9632Hi Amy,
I’m curious about a couple things. Does this happen in ALL of your savasanas? Just the first one?
People experience panic in different ways, so I am also wondering if you feel it as a mental thing (i.e., racing thoughts), or more of a physical thing (rapid breathing, muscle tension), or both?
Two important things to work on are your breath (slow and steady) and your eyes (softly focused one spot, not moving). Can you comment on these two areas? What is happening for you?
ideally, you can lay comfortably with no thoughts, but this is tough for a lot of people. Do you use any type of internal statement? (some examples: “inhale belly rise…..exhale belly fall” or “I am here…..it is now” or anything that is just focusing you on the moment). I have in the past counted to 1 (yes 1!) when I find myself thinking of other things. Its a slow count to one, lol….my goal is to very briefly distract my mind, then let the thought drift out and just “be”.
The most interesting thing to me about this yoga, is the series of brief intense postures (especially spine strengthening) followed by the brief savasana. This process is actually a lot like how anxiety is treated by psychologists, and I’ve been impressed with how it works. So that makes me curious about your experience.
I’m just a fellow forum member, so I hope you don’t mind my replying to you. I’m sure others will have some insight for you.
Namaste!
– Kristin
in reply to: Why did you join hot yoga? #9591I was motivated to do something physical because of my emerging hip pain, caused by hours of sitting on my butt and working at a computer. Then I saw a flyer for my local studio. On the front was a woman in standing head to knee pose….with a large bead of sweat dripping off her heel. The text was: “26 postures. 90 minutes. 105 degrees”. For some reason that made me want to check it out. I’m glad I did….hip pain has long since gone.
-Kristin
in reply to: Dialogue refers to 14 major joints #9458actually it was one of my teachers who mentioned the scapulae. I agree, not technically a joint in and of itself, so not sure why they would count. Otherwise, I have no clue. 🙂
As you are well aware, there are plenty of oddities in the dialogue. One that I wish would change is, “Hips nice and contraction”……uh, you mean contracted?
-Kristin
in reply to: Dialogue refers to 14 major joints #9456I think they are including scapula. Not sure if they count!
-Kristin
in reply to: hot yoga for injuries #9371That’s fantastic to hear! It sounds like you found a good place with an understanding instructor to guide you through this. :cheese:
-Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9345Yes, and I have been trying exactly that, thanks to you. It certainly helps keeping the upper body upright. once I’m in the position, I try to sink down lower. I only achieve this on the right leg (standing leg), on the left I’m still struggling with the wrap, the balance, and the alignment. Its so odd to me that one side can be so different than the other. Making small improvements though!
-Kristin
in reply to: Head to Knee #9305I just had a discussion on this pose the other day with someone who had gone to a posture clinic. They had to do the pose with a piece of paper between the thighs….if the paper dropped, pose not right. I’ve thought about this and realize how tightly turned around the hips would have to be to achieve this.
What do you guys think about that?
I’m still struggling in this one too, though my instructor the other day commented to me in class, “Your forehead is not as far away as you think”.
-kristin
in reply to: hot yoga for injuries #9300I’m sure you will get better responses from Gabrielle and others, but I just thought I’d comment. Don’t know the extent of your hip and back issues, but it was hip pain that brought me into this yoga. The combination of heat and postures really helped, and I have zero hip pain now. If I skip a week for some reason, it starts to come back (I’m fairly certain mine is caused by the endless hours I sit at a computer).
The spine strengthening series will definitely help strengthen your back. Triangle really helped open up my hips….and then build the supporting muscles. But its the entire series in the heat that works magic.
Good luck!
-Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9284Gabrielle, I read another post of yours recently about Eagle, about not going so low that you tip forward. I’ve worked on that, which has helped some. I also run into trouble because I can’t get my right leg hooked around the left, and in my attempts to get it there I am way out of alignment (hips tilted and not square to the mirror). For some reason I can do it fine while balancing on the right foot….the left leg easily hooks around, my alignment is better (everything lined up and square) and I can sink down lower through the pose.
Like Helen, my attempts at correction usually mess me up. But even if I’m just trying to hold the position without moving, I still tend to lose balance on the left foot (true with most balance poses for me – my left foot must be deformed, 😉 )
-Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9253So in today’s class, I finally was able to hold standing bow for the 60 and the 30 second set, on the right leg! Haven’t done this in months. The anticipation is gone. As we neared the end of the 60 seconds, I caught my mind wondering “how much longer?” as well as “hey I’m going to make it!” but quickly shifted my thoughts to the physical sensations, such as kicking more up rather than back. it got me through to the end!
Left side (standing on the left leg) still causing me problems, but I just get back in it and keep trying.
Thanks for all the ideas and support.
– Kristin
in reply to: Elbow pain #9252Just checking in after my class today. My shoulders do not touch the floor, and they seem to come up more off the floor during the two-legged part of this pose. I notice the more I push my hands against the floor, the shoulders seem to rise up.
Hope you are enjoying your new-found strength in this posture!
– Kristin
in reply to: Elbow pain #9238That’s awesome! Its so cool when a pose suddenly transforms to something else. I hadn’t thought about pressing the “heart” into the floor but will pay attention to that when I go tomorrow.
I’m not sure I ever really think about a back bend in this pose, but maybe Gabrielle will have a different take on it. My understanding, though, is that this posture targets the upper back.
Its funny, in my early days of this yoga I actually complained that the arms didn’t get a good enough work out. How silly that was….I just wasn’t using the arms correctly in most of the postures! And this was one of them. Hearing that this could help tone those triceps was all I needed for motivation. 😉
– Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9230Thanks, I got it!
I’m happy to “talk eagle” and any other balance pose you feel like exploring. Eagle has slowly improved for me (right side is good, left is always my challenge).
I actually dreamed last night that I held standing head to knee pose for a really long time….maybe my brain is ready to balance. 😉
– Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9220Oh how did I miss that one? I always look forward to those emails. If you can forward it, I would really appreciate it. I even checked my spam folder and its not there.
Thanks!
-kristin
in reply to: Elbow pain #9219I’m definitely pushing my hands onto the floor, fingers are spread out….pinky fingers are touching, but my elbows are not. I move my arms closer together for the two-legged part of this posture (per the dialog) but only go as far as seems reasonably comfortable. So all the rotation is in the shoulder, not in the elbows, if that makes sense. I think that at the same time I am pushing down on the floor, I am also pushing my hands against the floor and back (toward my feet), which helps move the weight into my upper body.
Its funny how you do these things sort of naturally but its hard to think it through! I’ll definitely be more conscious of it next class….Monday probably.
This is actually one of my better poses (its nice to have a couple where I don’t feel like I’m so far from the actual pose!). About half the time, I can feel my hips come off my arms. I believe I’m getting my legs about 45 degrees up. But this didn’t start to happen until after I began shifting the weight forward.
in reply to: Elbow pain #9215Hm, I’m not really sure. As I think about it, lengthening my arms brings my shoulders back (away from my ears) and it may be that they also are off the floor. I don’t recall having any pressure on my shoulders. But I will pay attention to that in the next class and see.
I’ll also think more about exactly how I move the weight forward, and if I come up with any insights I’ll pass them along!
– Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9214Hi Helen,
I’m glad you are improving. The tips from Gabrielle’s kit are certainly helpful!
I think the email you referenced actually sparked my post here….assuming we are talking about the same one.
I’m with you on Eagle….I can only make the smallest changes (like bringing the knees toward center) or else I fall out. Getting a bit better though!
Enjoy your yoga!!
-Kristin
in reply to: Elbow pain #9211Moving the weight into the shoulders is pretty subtle…at least for me. I got that correction in a class one time, and was able to shift forward a bit (maybe with the hands? I’m not even sure), and it was like a lightbulb went off. The instructor could see the change (since she said “Good!”) and I felt it, but I doubt it was a huge shift. I just know it was easier to get my legs off the ground.
Now, before I ever lift my legs off the ground I try to get set up with the weight forward into the shoulders. Its hard to explain, but almost like a lengthening of the arms, shoulders coming down away from the ears….You may have to play with it a few times to feel it.
I hope this incredibly vague description helps in some way. 🙂
-Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9210Hi Gabrielle!
Thanks for inquiring. I’m still struggling with the balance itself, though the anticipation is not at bad as it was. I’ve given up singing for the moment, 😉
I tend to struggle with balance on the left foot in all the balance poses, including Eagle and toe stand. For Standing Bow, I realized that at one point in my practice I actually could hold the posture for the entire time (on the right foot). That happened a a couple times, then has gotten worse over time. Frustrating! So I figured I would “start all over”, and I’ve been trying to focus more on the dialogue again, listening “word by word” like a newbie, and that helps a little.
Ok, so I had to think really hard about an elephant to count to ten without thinking of an antelope! Maybe I see where this is going….
Hugs!
-Kristin
in reply to: Bikram yoga at home #9200well no I guess you don’t! That does seem high. I figured with the increase in heat the humidity would be lower.
Glad you found a solution. Now I’m thinking about what space I can take over for my own mini-studio! 😉
-Kristin
in reply to: Bikram yoga at home #9198That sounds like an excellent solution! Are you doing anything to increase humidity? Or just relying on the heat?
– kristin
in reply to: Head to Knee #9188I will see if someone at the studio would be willing to take some pictures (or even video – gasp) before class. I think seeing them would help me too, actually.
I’ve been trying the posture with my leg straight, and I like that doing so minimizes the other variables (e.g., is my knee bent the same amount as yesterday?). But I don’t know if its helping the posture at all. Forehead is on the shin, and I’m trying with everything I’ve got to move it toward the knee. It actually moves a fraction of an inch….maybe that’s all I can expect right now.
Anyway, if I can get some visuals for you I will certainly send them along. Thanks!!
– Kristin
in reply to: Balance and Thinking working against each other #9187I agree….and I certainly do try to focus on those physical details. I just find it hard to do that for the entire time, so it is something I need to keep working on. My biggest concern was that I was expecting to fall out. “Real yogis don’t anticipate”, I tell myself, but there I was (am), worrying about my balance before it even became an issue. Hopefully I can break that cycle and get back to focusing on the physical aspects of the posture itself.
Thank you for your thoughts. I’ll let you know how things progress.
– Kristin
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