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| I've been practicing Anusara for almost a year and have done vasisthasana successfully a handful of times. Lately when I try and go into it, my wrists can't seem to support my weight and I experience pain. Is this an alignment issue or a strength issue. I love this pose once I get into it, and don't want to stop doing it.
Samara |
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| This seems like an alignment issue to me. If it is strength, you might not be able to do the full pose but there should not be pain. Get some advice from your teacher on this pose ... also, try modifying it with your lower knee on the ground. That should make you more stable; with the lower knee on the ground, you can try moving your supporting arm around (closer to/further from the front of the mat; closer to/further from the center line) to see whether there is a place where the pain goes away.
Be careful with this & do get advice from a teacher asap. If your body is not aligned right in this pose, you could injure that wrist! |
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| thanks. why would i have been able to do it in the past and not now? That's what I don't understand... |
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| Samara267 - 2006-03-27 8:14 PM
thanks. why would i have been able to do it in the past and not now? That's what I don't understand...
Well, that's hard to tell, but if your alignment is wrong your body may hold up for a while, then get strained.
I know that the usual instruction for side plank is to put your wrist directly below the shoulder. Sometimes this instruction actually causes the arm to go too far back when you raise up. Move it forward 1-3 inches from where you normally place it and see if that's ok. |
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| Our asana practice is like our moods. Students eroneously think that since they've been x flexible they will be x flexible the next day. We are, in fact, changing constantly. Some days the groins are open. Some days they are not. This is one reason to fully experience the pose when you are in it. You will never do it the same way again.
So it doesn't matter why you did it five times before. This time you did not.
The pain is another matter. This too could depend on many factors, how you use your hands in work (computer keyboards, carpentry, etcetera). Are you experiencing the same pain in other poses like AMS
Tell me...
What actions are you doig when you are in the pose and how are you coming into Vasisthasana?
In what direction are you rotating the humerus please?
Edited by purnayoga 2006-08-17 1:05 AM
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| Hi Samara
According to my teacher, he has advised us to place the hand slightly in front of the shoulder. In fact, he asked us not to put direct below the shoulders as it is not good and might strain the wrist.
You can see below what I am refering to :
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/783_1.cfm
When you are in the pose, try to think you are "floating" and lift your pelvic higher ( it does help me alot ). Your core strength is supposed to help you lift as well, so engage your core. If your entire body is engaged, you will feel lighter.
hths 
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| It's also too easy to sink into the shoulder and not firm the muscles of the arm and shoulder. If you use your muscles to lift your weight out of the wrist and transfer the power of the pose through the arm and into the shoulder upper back and abdomen. This way the body supports its own weight rather than completely depending in a small area. |
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| The wrists should not be supporting the weight. The hands should not be collapsing.
The tips of the fingers should press into the floor. The rest of the finger should press into the floor. The mounds at the base of each finger should press into the floor. The thenar and hypothenar mounds should press into the floor, keeping the carpal tunnel from being compressed by the floor. Enigmatically, all this pressing into the floor, is actually a hugging in of the muscles. In balance with the hugging in, allow a expression outward of energy as well.
Regarding the pain: If the sensation indicates to you an injury or impending injury, seek medical attention or take the standard recommendation of RICE, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. If the sensation is just sensation and doesn't tell you to stop what you're doing, work on your alignment and your organic and inorganic energy expression. If you don't understand these terms, ask your Anusara instructor to help you with them or consult the Anusara Teachers Training Manual. Your instructor should also be able to spot for you if you are losing energy in your pose through misalignment or collapsing.
All that being said, be happy with were you are. If you have to sit this pose out until your wrists are ready again, that is just as good, if not better, yoga lesson than getting the picture perfect pose.
Hope that helps.
Peace and Love,
--John
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Vasisthasana and wrist pain
