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| Hi all
New to yoga and learning by myself through the use of videos and the web, try to practice a bit everday and feel myself loosening up but with downward facing dog it seems as if its going to be near impossible for my heels to reach the floor its as if my Achilles tendons are just too short, is this the same for everyone who starts out and they just gradually loosen up or is it something that some people never achieve.
Thanks
Chris |
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| Hi Chrissss,
Welcome to the forum.
Tight Achilles tendons are very common when you begin Yoga. They will loosen over time, though will your heels touch the floor? Who knows?
They may or they may not. Everyone is different.
Jonathon
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Heels on the floor is not a requirement, or even a goal to strive for. Lift the hips and sitting bones and lengthen the spine. If you are not enjoying that lengthening and loving the opening in the spinal muscles yet, keep practicing until you do  I thought it would NEVER happen to me - but it did.  |
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| Hello Chris,
I'm not an Ashtanga teacher or practitioner but I thought this question might span across yogas:-)
It is more likely that one is bound by the hamstrings rather than the Achilles Tendon. Anatomically there is less give in connective tissue like tendons than there would be in muscle. But it is possible it's the tendons.
And the reality is that your heels may never come to the floor while the pose is in integrity. It is also possible they will come to the floor tomorrow. It simply isn't all that significant. The efforting without agression or violence (in the body) is far more pertinent from my particular yoga perspective. |
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Location: London, England | Hi Chris,
I would have thought that the muscle most diractly responsible for what you are experiencing is the gastrocnemius, one of the muscles on the back of the calf-although, obviously, other muscles further up the chain can also have an effect
Nick |
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| I think they gradually loosen up. Depending on how dedicated you are, injuries, but yea, they will open and the heels will go down. The can even go down in dolphin...
Keep pressing them down! |
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Downward facing dog
