Cannot turn my palms down in locust pose

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#1000

Posted by Ela

It will come with time?

Ela

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#2820

Hello Ela

I hope you don’t mind, but I would like some detail about what you can do.

Do you mean that you can’t turn your palms down on the ground under any circumstances?

Did you know that it is perfectly acceptable to place your palms down beside your body if that is as close to the centerline of your body that you can get?

The instructions are to get your palms down on the floor under your abdomen with your little fingers touching. But what if you can’t manage that? You don’t have to sit this one out. 😉 Many who have tight wrists can lay their arms down by their sides, maybe with their baby fingers just hidden under their waists.

The important part of the strength-building process is to have the arms symmetrically placed by (and preferably under) the body. When you push down with your palms into the floor you are building strength in the shoulders and upper back. You will feel that in any position. Your wrists and elbows and shoulders will cleanse and open little by little, and you will be able to move them closer together.

Let me know if that helps and we can explore that further if you need.

Kind regards
Gabrielle 🙂

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#2821

Posted by Ela

Hi Gabrielle,

“Did you know that it is perfectly acceptable to place your palms down beside your body if that is as close to the centerline of your body that you can get?” no, i did not!
I will try tonight.

Thanks!

Ela

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#2822

Woo hoo!
I look forward to reading how you went.

:cheese:
Gabrielle

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#2823

Wow!
I did it, exactly as you said:placed my palms down beside my body. Big difference!
Now I do not feel like I am cheating anymore…
Thanks!

Ela :coolsmile:

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#2824

Posted by Ela

Gabrielle,

I’ve read again your “instruction” and
“Many who have tight wrists can lay their arms down by their sides, maybe with their baby fingers just hidden under their waists.” – their waists? Not thighs?

Sorry for confusion,

Ela

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#2825

Well, what can I say, I stuffed up. I was seeing legs in my head and wrote waist – go figure!

I am SOOOOOO happy that you are successful. Keep it up.

Warm regards
Gabrielle 🙂

[slipper12]

#3066

hello again,
this posture confuses me. the single legs are fine, but bringing both legs up together has always been a big challenge. I have never been able to lift my legs up off the floor more than probably about a foot or so. I am aware that this posture is meant to strenghten the middle, upper back, but I always feel a tightness in the very top of my hamstrings, rather than feeling any sort of engaging or strengthening of the back muscles. I am not sure I have my hands in the right location either. I am able to bring my hands side by side underneath my body in between my hip bones, but when I slide them closer down to my knees, as the dialouge instructs us to do, this makes the posture even more challenging. I have played around with various hand positions, some work a bit better than the others, but nothing too significant. I would thikn that you would want to put your hands directly underneath your hips. As the legs go above parallel and start to come up toward the head, it appears that the body hinges from the hips, meaning the legs are coming forward from the hips and the rest of the body remains on the floor. In this case, I would think you would want to place your lever (your arms) directly underneath the axis of rotation. does this make any sense?

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#3076

Hello Susan

Ahh, the elusive double leg lift! 😉

Firstly hand location:
Yes, place them close in next to each other. That makes sense. The position between hips and knees, well that is going to change for everyone. The proportions of bodies changes. And then women have breasts! And some people have bulk as well which can make this pose all the more challenging. So what I am saying is it comes down to more than position, it has to do with bulk, shape, and strength (mainly upper body strength at that too!).

Don’t be so concerned as to the physical location of your hands. Instead work on planting the maximum surface area of your arms and shoulders on to the floor. So instead of working your hands down closer to your knees (as is commanded in the dialog) rotate your arms inward (ie externally rotate your shoulders to bring your elbows closer). When you do this you should be aware of your shoulders and the area between them coming closer in contact with the floor. If this pose is about strengthening your upper back then ground your upper back into the floor!!!

Get a good, strong and solid platform against which to lift your body and of course use your hands to push hard into the floor. Your arms are straight. If you consciously try to bring your arms closer to your knees (without spreading your shoulders) then you will probably find that your shoulders move closer together. Not good and very unstable.

Concentrate on creating the platform and forget about a specific spot for your hands.

Try that please Susan and then get back to me. If that hasn’t sorted out your issue (even with your hamstrings which should be better supported now) and I suspect it will, then we’ll delve deeper.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

[slipper12]

#3086

thanks gabrielle, I will use your advice when I practice later this afternoon, and will get back you.

susan

[slipper12]

#3100

hi gabrielle,
i took your advice and tried flatening out my shoulders, and managed to get more of my upper body to press into the floor. it made a HUGE difference. doing the posture this way, i realized how weak my forearms are, and how much they are needed to delve deeper into this pose.

I have recently been diagnosed with having slight carpal tunnel in my left hand, which exlains why my fingers are so stiff and tight. and now, after doing this posture using your instructions, i realize that not only are my fingers weak and inflexible, but so are my wrists and forearms. i have a lot of work to do, but i am so happy I was finally able to pinpoint my weaknesses so i can heal my body. thank you sooooo much.

thank you for all that you do,
susan

[Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)]

#3103

Oh Thank YOU Susan

For your willing participation and for letting me know your successes.

I am so happy for your discoveries.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

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