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 Urdhva Dhanurasana, againModerators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
| Yoga -> Iyengar Yoga | Message format |
karmann |
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442      | Hi Karen - you are using your bed in a similar way to how we use a chair in Iyengar yoga. I don't really understand how you feel that a chair wouldn't work for you, but if you don't own a suitable chair, it doesn't really matter  I would suggest that you don't lie there for 5 minute periods - that is just too long. A couple of minutes at a time will probably give you the same result without strain. I also would suggest that, rather than holding a sand bag, you take your arms overhead in urdhva hastasana (palms facing, arms rotating inward like you probably do in tadasana in class). Work your legs and keep your lumbar long so you will start to get the working you need for urdhva dhanurasana. It does sound like your upper back and shoulders are probably tight. Even for those of us who had that flexibility when we were younger, all the driving and computer work we do these days will soon tighten that up It is also possible that you did "banana" handstands as a kid and used your low back to get over in walkovers. Body parts are much more forgiving when we are that young and we get away with all lot of bad form. Have fun in your Iyengar classes and let us know how they go! | ||
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| kulkarnn |
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karmann - 2007-04-15 4:33 PM A little background- I am a 46 year old woman, in decent physical shape. I have been doing yoga regularly for four years now (off and on before that.) Last summer and fall I took Level 1 Iyengar yoga lessons from a certified teacher. Because she is not in my area year-round, I have to wait until May to resume classes. Per my teacher, I will be in Level 2 this time around. I will also mention that in my early teens, I had a bit of gymnastics training. Nothing fancy, but I was able to do handstands, back and front walk-overs and a decent backbend. I have retained the ability to do handstands (though not of my teacher's liking : she abruptly informed me that my "banana" handstands would have to go in favor of close-to-the-wall upright ones.) Anyway, I don’t mention this history because I expect I should be able to do what I did at age 12; just to say that at one time I had the physical capability. However, no matter how much I’ve tried over the past two years I cannot do Urdhva Dhanurasana. I can barely push myself up for a breath or two and I cannot straighten my arms. And if I’m not using blocks under my hands, my heels come right up off the floor to give me enough arch, I guess; I cannot help it. A previous yoga instructor thought my problem was in my shoulders. I’m not sure. I feel very weak in my arms when I try to push myself up- and yet I can do handstands and cataranga. It also feels like my back is very tight when I'm trying to push myself up into a backbend. When I asked my Iyengar teacher for help last year she said she doesn’t teach Urdhva Dhanurasana to Level 1 students. I'm hoping this summer she can help me. Because of my height (5’10’’) I cannot do some of the suggested ways to practice like using a chair ( I don’t have the right kind of chair anyway.) Can anyone suggest where my problem may lie? Would it help if I posted pictures in some poses, including my pitiful backbend? Oh, one more thing- because I think the problem (or part of the problem) may be inflexibility in my upper back I do the following: (please tell me if this is not good for me.) I lie on my bed with my head at the foot of the bed. I slowly push myself backwards off the bed until I get to where the area just below my shoulders is off the bed. I stay here for about 5 minutes. Then I push myself just a little further off and stay there for the same amount of times. I continue on until just before I get to my lower back (I feel that it may not be good for me to line up that part of my back and just hang there.) And sometimes I lift my arms back over my head and hold a sandbag, hoping this will open my shoulders back and down. And while I’m not sure that this has helped me any with regard to the backbends I want to do, it certainly does feel like it stretches my back and gets rid of the ache I have at the end of my workday with all my forward bending. I’m sure that my Iyengar teacher will have a good idea where my weaknesses lie with this pose, but it’s still 6 weeks away from my lessons with her and I am hoping to get a decent start on this pose before class. Do any of you have any suggestions or ideas for me? I can try to post pictures if you think that would help. It would give me such pleasure to be able to do this pose again. Thank you in advance. Sorry for my lengthy post. Since your teacher has refused to teach you UD now, and you want to learn it now: a) you have an option to go to another teacher who shall teach you. ( I am one of them.  ) b) if you do not wish to go to another teacher, the only other option you have is to learn it yourself (  ) c) if you could not get it after a lot of try, you must consider a private class.  | |||
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| OrangeMat |
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My first question to you is how is your bridge pose? Because the foundation for urdhva dhanurasana is laid in setu bandha sarvangasana, regardless of your arm strength. Starting from the feet, you want the feet about hips' width apart or maybe even less, with the toes turned slightly inward. This will encourage an inward rotation of the thighs. A cue that's been working well with my clients (all beginners) is to move the inner knees away from the body while grounding all four corners of the feet. Work this action in your bridge pose so that you feel the lift of your hips not from the contracting of your glutes but by the lengthening of the torso and the lift of the chest. Sending those inner knees away will also allow you to not push so hard through the groins, further compressing the lowback. Let's see, what else... yes, the lower ribs should not be jutting out. Think "length" rather than "lift" in the torso, hips and thighs, and think "backbend" in the thoracic spine. As for the arms, yes, having open shoulders is key, but also knowing how to draw the shoulderblades down the back is vital. Once the shoulderblades are integrated BEFORE you push up, the lift from the arms will be effortless (I promise). But baby steps: work your bridge pose first. Maybe that's why your teacher didn't want you to progress here yet? Thanks for having the courage to post your picture. Forget about talking about your weaknesses: being able to put your picture up here is truly a strength! | |||
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| OrangeMat |
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Heh, I replied too soon. OK, on bridge pose, your feet are too close to the body, or rather, your knees are past your ankles. How are your quads? If they tend to be tight, you should work on opening them up before attempting any of these backbends. The hand clasp behind your back is a great idea to see: practice that with slightly bent elbows, that will help you learn how to integrate the shoulderblades down the back, as opposed to just squeezing them together. And yeah, the feet again (back to bridge) -- toes slightly inward, please. Relax the groins and glutes to create that inward rotation of the thighs. The lift of the hips and thighs should come from the strength of your backbend, not from your lower body's clenching and gripping. OK, I've written enough! Hope some of this helps! | |||
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| OrangeMat |
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karmann - 2007-04-17 10:16 PM As I look at these pictures, I am amazed. Amazed at how crooked I am and how I feel as though I'm much higher up than I really am. Like the bridge pose. Shh, enough with the negative comments already! Yes, look at your bridge pose. When you're in the pose, what do you see in front of your face? If you can see the ribs and belly swelling up higher than your chest, then that's the area that's rising too high, which gives you the impression that you're higher up. Seriously, soften that area down, press down on the feet evenly, lengthen the torso, then think of only the breastbone rising to the ceiling. Same thing for camel, as if you had a teacup on your upper chest and it needed to stay level, while the rest of your torso stayed vertical. For me, I think of the heart-opening expansiveness and surrender of my 4th chakra, and that's how I know I'm accessing my backbend correctly. If that makes no sense, don't worry about it: just try to feel those concepts anyhow, maybe something will happen. Edited by OrangeMat 2007-04-17 10:38 PM | |||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | I agree with OM and purna - a few things to look at but generally, you are on the right track. If you can find a slightly higher prop for your hands (I have an old aerobics "step" that I use) and put that against the wall in place of your blocks, you may find you can straighten your arms more. A plain non-swiveling chair works as well, though I would get your photographer to hold the chair at least the first time Oh - rubbermaid step stools are a great prop for UD as well (and other poses) and relatively cheap. Get two. | ||
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| OrangeMat |
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tourist - 2007-04-18 10:02 AM I agree with OM and purna - Tourist, you've made my day! I'm so honored!! | |||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 |   | ||
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| tourist |
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Expert Yogi Posts: 8442 | The pose is usually done that way when the person's shoulders are more open than their hips and back. Teachers interested in alignment would have her work on making the back bend more uniform. It would be more difficult for this student to stand up out of the pose than someone who is working the legs more, but apparently not impossible for those bendy types - just us mortals | ||
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