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| I've only been practicing Bikram Yoga for the last 10 weeks and have practiced Tri-Yoga, Iyengar and Hatha at other times in my life. I love the heat and the sweat and it has been absolutely wonderful. What I don't love is the level of instruction I get with different teachers. After 10 weeks it took me reading Bikram's book to understand the Rabbitt pose: mainly, that I have to REALLY pull on my ankles until my arms arte stretched, lift my thighs and arch so that my forehead touches my knees. I had not been lifting my thighs prior to that. Well today is the day that I REALLY pulled on my ankles/feet, lifted my thighs and arched. And then i felt a pop or snap or something in my spine. Not good. It felt like a vertebrae moved or something. I stopped the rest of the poses and just lay there until the class was over. Now, it wasn't painful or a sharp pain, it just didn't feel right and now, my spine is sore (a first) and I have to watch my movements so that i don't aggravate that area. I'm pissed. I'm not sure at what, yet: me, for not doing it correctlyand trying too hard to do it right; or Bikram Yoga, for having a system that should focus more on posture specifics than regurgitating "the dialogue?" Can someone tell me what I did wrong, or what I should do? I think I'm going to stop going for a while (I'd been going 3-4 days a week). I'd love some suggestions. I love this method and don't want to stop. Thanks all. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 418
Location: New York | Rabbit Pose is one of the few in which I think that the "dialogue" (monologue?) is actually pretty instructive. I do say "really pull" (I am an instructor) because I more often see new (or newer) people not pulling at all or not lifting their hips/thighs than I see them pulling too hard. But I am not one of those "push push push", "pull pull pull" instructors and I try to stress that it is important to find the balance between energy and ease, strength and flexibility as we move throughout the class. I tell individuals that I perceive as trying too hard to "try easy" instead.
I'm sorry to hear that you hurt yourself in Rabbit because I love this pose! My advice is to baby the sore area until it is better. It sounds as though you did the pose correctly (although without seeing you it's hard to tell for sure) other than going "balls to the wall" when you did it.
Here's how I teach it: Start sitting on the heels with the spine & arms straight. Grab the heels (thumbs facing forward, so shoulders rotate externally). Drop the chin and look towards the navel. Begin to roll forward and curl yourself into the smallest ball possible, trying to bring your forehead to your knees. Pull on the heels and simultaneously "roll forward like a wheel", lifting the hips up off of the heels. Forehead is to the knees, top of the head is on the floor. Relax the shoulders away from the ears and try to slide your shoulder blades down toward your hips and you continue to pull and roll forward, almost as though you're going to do a somersault. Make sure you're not digging your head into the floor. The goal is to extend the spine and create space inbetween the individual vertebrae.
If you enjoy Bikram yoga, I encourage you to return to class but take all of the "push push pull pull" BS with a shaker full of salt. If you find a teacher that you really like, talk to him or her after class about your concerns. And continue to work on finding the balance between effort and ease, which I know is challenging when some jackass is screaming at you to push until it hurts. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
 
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | I think that the teachers who do that push/pull, yelling sounding tone are probably only doing it because they *think* they are motivating their students, when really they are not yelling in a mean way, but in their *motivational* way. That is the impression I got from my instructor a couple of times...I took it with a grain of salt and ignored it - didn't take it personally cause if I did it would have been one more thing for me to have to deal with and doing the Bikram series at the studio is enough to deal with. Although...when I'm doing Bikram at home, I can still hear her voice when I'm in a posture, and its a good thing, because I try to remember what has been said in class so I can apply it at home..I guess by her *motivation* I would have never remembered it:~) That's my *positive* take on the yelling/push/pull subject, if I wanted to look at in a negative way, I could, but choose not too and it really has helped my practice to not look at these kinds of issues in a negative way...there are always two sides to everything. Soo, I try to find the positive in everything and it is much nicer and makes it easier to learn Yoga - especially Bikram  |
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| I just threw out my fifth lumbar doing rabbit. But it was my fault. I was trying to push my knee closer to my head (with head on the floor), and I twisted way too much and threw it out.
In a sense it's been a good experience because I know the fifth lunbar is out, but I am not rolling on the ground in agony like I was doing a year ago. I think yoga has helped me stretch to a point where the muscles aren;t as inflamed as they used to be. But until I see the chiropractor this Wednesday, I won't be doing any more rabbit!
Jeri |
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| After my incident in rabbitt pose, I figured out that I was just a little over zealous. A week after, I started going back and by my 4th and 5th session I felt GREAT! Man, I don't know if it's just me, but I go through amazing emotional and physical processes in that class. I did try a Iyengar class/workshop and it lacked a focus. I didn't drop one bead of sweat. Nothing against Iyengar or any other form of Yoga - it's all good, but nothing beats the satisfaction of the workout I get with Bikram. Thanks for everyone's encouraging responses. Trust your own body, go as far as you are comfortable - is what I learnd from this. |
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| Cyndi,
How do you practice at home? Do you use a heater? |
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| I have a Rabbit pose question: Is it improper form to grab onto my toes instead of my heels in this pose? Here's why: I have a longish torso and longish arms compared to my shortish legs. In Rabbit pose I feel my weird proportion is emphasized and by grabbing onto my heels I don't get that much of a stretch. I love the natural traction Rabbit pose gives to my spine.
Thanks for any feedback - Fi
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| Nothing is improper if it does not hurt, just might not be very efficient. I do not recommend you grab your toes. I don't think there is a way to grab your toes and have your wrist and hand in a balanced position. The palm goes really well with the heal. I recommend you keep turning your head in, no weight on the floor from the head. Don't roll foward "to much" but intend the top of the sacrum up as the face goes towards your pubic bone and your shoulders go towards the hips. If you keep rolling foward to do the posture, you can hurt the spine at T1, C7 and C6. The main thing is to get the intention going straight up from the front of the knees. Let me know if this help. |
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| Thanks, Innerline.
I can picture exactly what you are describing. I'll do it in my next class. Also, thank you for reminding me about wrist alignment in this pose.
Fifi |
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| Your spine should not be sore if you followed the teacher's direction. the rabbitt is one of my favorite. If this was your first session, you may feel a little sore. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 5098
Location: Somewhere in the Mountains of Western NC | Hi Seandre,
Yes, I do use a space heater..two of them. In the winter time I run them prior to my beginning, an hour or so before, in the Summer, I run them and turn them off just before beginning cause I don't like it to go above 100 degrees. Then I run hot water in my bathtub which is very close to my yoga room to get some humidity going...although...when it is raining...I don't.
I suggest reading back issues of this forum and then you can get some ideas about how to practice, but it is not difficult at all to practice at home, it is very easy and refreshing. I like being able to have silence if I wish, play the Bikram audio tape, listen to Andrea Bocelli..whatever mood I'm in I can do what I want and it is great! Have fun with your practice at home and don't get discouraged when you decided some days that you don't want to..sometimes motivation comes and goes, afterall we are responsible for our own practice and sometimes self motivation can be difficult or easy. Take care. |
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| fifi! - 2005-05-06 2:25 PM
I have a Rabbit pose question: Is it improper form to grab onto my toes instead of my heels in this pose? Here's why: I have a longish torso and longish arms compared to my shortish legs. In Rabbit pose I feel my weird proportion is emphasized and by grabbing onto my heels I don't get that much of a stretch. I love the natural traction Rabbit pose gives to my spine.
Thanks for any feedback - Fi
In addition to the other good feedback you've received... you might try grabbing just a little bit lower on the foot than the heel -- maybe the middle of the foot. You'll still get a decent fit with the contour of the palm and you might find this lets you avoid bending the wrist outward, away from the body (something I've seen happen with long arms).
Edited by ebenjen 2005-05-12 12:08 AM
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| This has always been an awkward pose for me but with the good advice from Innerline and Ebenjen it feels much more natural and beneficial. It's a great pose for traction. I can feel my lumbar vertebrae separating (in a good way) from each other and allowing increased circulation to move into the area. The minor adjustments really helped.
I can't tell everyone how much I appreciate this website. You know, Bikram yoga can be really daunting, especially if you have a weirdo teacher. I'm really glad there are experienced teachers out there on the internet willing to answer questions and give tips. I might not have ventured back into Bikram if it weren't for some of the excellent posts on this site.
Thanks again - fifi |
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| Welcome aboard Fifi--glad the lads were able to help--liked your assessment of the situation. You seem to be a likable, "normal" person--keep us appraised as you go along. |
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Sore Spine from Rabbitt Pose
