hi gabrielle,
i was just wondering why some teachers instruct you to make sure your palms are flat on the floor? what is the difference between a cuped palm and a flat palm?

thanks!
susan

Hi Susan

Good question! There is a difference and it has, I believe to do with your strength and degree of openness on the day.

The more open your shoulders, elbows and wrists are, the more surface area or contact you can have with the floor. This means the more you can push through all these points and the more you can build strength. You may find that over time that as your strength improves that your hands will be flatter on the floor.

I think it is very hard to have that firm solid contact through palms (to build strength in fingers and the whole hand) if the shoulders are not even contacting the floor. When you can spread the force by creating the biggest platform against which to lift your legs and body then you will naturally and preferentially work with flat hands. Of course there may be injury that may prevent this.

I would love to hear other opinions.

I have noticed students who cannot get their legs off the ground much at all, may even unconsciously cup their hands to raise themselves just that little bit.

It is my experience that when I am feeling less strong (in my hands, or in my arms, or even in my core/body) that I notice the effort is sometimes directed through cupped hands. This I noticed has happened on occasion after a break from yoga.

How about you?

Namaste
Gabrielle

Hi there.  I noticed that I was, without meaning to, using cupped hands.  As we have been instructed not to, I have tried to make my hands flat.  I find this pose very variable.  Over the past 7 weeks of practice I have noticed a good improvement in my leg height, but I never really know when I am going to be able to lift high.  Sometimes I just feel my legs lifting & lifting & other times it just doesn’t happen.  A few days ago I found myself lifting my elbow off the floor & sort of lifting myself with that.  Not good I would imagine.  Hope this helps.  Jacquie

Further to my mail, I have noticed some of my right fingers have been quite sore.  I wonder if it has anything to do with this pose ?

Hi Jacquie

You have made some great observations (the fingers, the cupping, the elbows!). It’s all part of the process. The trick is not to get stuck on it. Sometimes it’s easy and you wonder how you haven’t ‘got’ it before. And then the next day you can feel sapped of energy and need to pull out all stops to do the smallest thing. Don’t reason why. Don’t think. Just notice. That’s it.

Namaste
Gabrielle