Posted by Ela

This one is a real disaster because I cannot even use my towel to help to reach feet.

Ela

Hello Ela

Please tell me what you have tried.
Also please tell me what your teachers have done to help you here.
Any information is useful, especially when I can’t see you.

Kind regards
Gabrielle

Posted by Ela

Hi Gabrielle,

Its me again.
I am attending classes everyday and teachers are different. A couple of them try to help me by putting a strap around my feet (without a help I cannot do that by myself). Some of them do nothing so I am lying down trying bend my legs and band my torso back. I even do not know what to try!Pathetic!

With standing bow I know what to do to improve (thanks to your help) but this one leave me very frustrated…

Ela

Hello Ela

It hurts me to hear you use that word ‘pathetic’. Please don’t be so hard on yourself.

It concerns me that sometimes you are left there lying down trying to get your hands around your feet with no one to help you. Do these teachers just not see you there? 

Mind you it does take some teachers a while to learn to see ‘everything’ in a room full of people. And then it takes them more time to learn how to respond! They too are on their own learning curve. Perhaps you could give them a little help. Either tell them before class that you will need their help getting your strap/towel round your feet for Floor Bow. Or simply put your hand up while you try to make eye contact during the pose.

On a more positive note, I have had many students who have needed help to grab their feet. There is no specific time that it takes for their bodies to open up, BUT it DOES happen. Eventually they manage to grab their own feet, unassisted. And for you, Ela I have no doubt. You are so committed to making changes, that they can’t help but happen now.

I am very pleased that Standing Bow is easier for you now.

Namaste
Gabrielle

Posted by Ela

You are THE best! 

I am hard on myself because I am the worst in my class!
There are a poses I am the only one who cannot do even close to 20% of correct pose.
I know, I know, I need to be patient and try really hard but it is not good feeling.
As your advice I will talk to my teachers to ask for help,

Thanks!

ela

Hello Ela

Thank you for your lovely words.

I smile to myself knowing that in time you will have a realization that you don’t feel this way anymore.

I love Bikram yoga because of the way you learn to deal with such emotions. Be careful Ela it will sneak up on you.

The teacher gives instructions and hopefully gives pointers along the way, distinctions on how to refine your poses. Remember when you first came to class and just about every time that the teacher said your name, you fell over? Maybe it still happens a bit.

Anyway, the teacher talks about the stuff in the room that is working and the stuff in the room that appears to be incorrect. In time you learn to keep your focus while you listen to the feedback. The feedback may not even apply to you. But little by little you hear everything, you work out whether it is stuff that is meant for you or meant for someone else. Then you start to hear it, check into your own body and instantly you unconsciously make any necessary adjustments if any at all.

You start to take on instructions and feedback without any emotion and certainly without beating yourself up about it. You begin to “be the observer” in a totally unemotional way, being able to comment on the way your skills are developing.

You will not care about your performance and you will stop comparing yourself to anyone. With that, Ela, you will feel free.

Finally please remember that breath comes first. Learn to breathe fully and deeply. Learn to approach each pose with the best alignment. And then, and only then work on depth.

Warmest wishes
Gabrielle

PS Ela I am pasting this answer into the forums on Motivation and Inspiration.

Posted by Ela

Gabrielle,
I am really impress with your writing ability, how clear you are.
As you probably noticed English is my second language but I am able to spot a good one.
Thank you very much. You are a big help and very patient person.
You will deal with my questions ...probably forever…

“Finally please remember that breath comes first. Learn to breathe fully and deeply. Learn to approach each pose with the best alignment. And then, and only then work on depth.” very good advice.

Ela

Thank you Ela

I am honored I can help and make a difference.

Your words are very encouraging to me

Namaste
Gabrielle

Posted by Kayzee

Ela,

I couldn’t reach my feet in floor bow for a long time either, and my teachers would look so puzzled.  My shoulders wouldn’t release “back” if that makes sense....it eventually came.  A lot of Bikram poses ask you for that shoulder release, but you can get into the pose without it.  Turtle is a good one for pushing into the shoulder slowly.  I still can’t reach my ankles in Camel for the same reason even though my backbend itself is strong.

I used to one side at a time in floor bow, once I could reach one at a time but not both.

you need to relax. Just doing what you can do gets you gains. i am a 240 lb 6 ft man and many of the poses are intersing for me to try to get into but i got to my edge and dont force a pose. I had to let go of enough ego to understand that i am doing my yoga not the other persons who can get to all the poses perfectly. Have faith in your instuctor and your yoga.

Thank you so much tcmich for your inspiring comments. It can be the hardest thing for many to let go, find the balance between strength and surrender and simply do what is asked of them without involving the ego. Everyone has their own journey.

Namaste
Gabrielle

Hi Ela,

I have been practicing hot yoga five times a week for about two months now and still I can’t reach my feet in bow pose either.  My instructor recommended this strategy:

For the first set, reach back with your right hand, allow yourself to twist around if necessary, and grab only your right foot.  When you have a good grip with your right hand, allow your left hand to reach out straight in front of you on the floor.  Realign yourself as best as possible, and practice the stretch as described by your instructor (lift, look up, kick back, etc.); then, for the second set, do the same thing with the left foot/hand.

It’s been working great for me - it’s allowing me to directly build some of the strength and flexibility I’m going to need to eventually do this with both hands and feet, and I’m getting closer every day!  Just one thing, make sure you really focus on your alignment, straight and with both hips in a line on the floor, or you could stretch your back in all the wrong ways.

Hope this helps.  Best of luck.  We’ll be pros before we know it!

Rachael

Hello Rachael

Thank you for that input.

I think your technique has great merit.

I have one reservation:
The straining and twisting bothers me. It is definitely the inflexible souls in the class that you can see risking damage when they try to do it by themselves. While you possibly may now be flexible to do this maneuver without help (because of practice), I would suggest getting the teacher’s help until there is sufficient flexibility for doing it safely. In my studio I will help students (with permission ) gently bring each hand to the appropriate foot. It removes the twisting component and they feel safe and symmetrical!

Yes I agree, in time you will be pros and won’t believe how far you’ve come.

Namaste
Gabrielle

Whatis the best way to do this pose? Thank you!

Hello brooklynyogini

I just posted the response to your other question at Dhanurasana: feet are not aligned.

This seems like a fairly straightforward pose. There are some critical elements that I can outline in point form if you like:

1) Grab at the foot just below the toes. Don’t take this one lightly. You want to grab in the place where you are going to get most opening in your foot and ankle. Grabbing more around the arch toward or at the ankle gives you less leverage on this opening.

2) Kick the feet backward. Point the toes. As your feet move back against pointed toes you will FEEL that opening. The resultant leg movement will be in the direction your toes are pointed. This is why you don’t get much height when you flex your feet (because the resultant movement is mainly backward). This is also why you don’t grip at the arch or worse at the ankle.

3) Kick your knees up to the ceiling. It is good to breakdown the kick into these 2 components. It certainly gives me some focus in the pose. I am not just kicking. I have something tangible to test. I can check that I am kicking back or up as hard as I can at any given moment. I can feel what lets go when I am losing stamina.

4) Squeeze your bottom hard. Mind you when you progress sometimes it helps for the very flexible to surrender this area to release up further. However most students need to squeeze their butts.

5) When you kick, your arms become straight but NOT active. The only thing active is the grip. When the kick drives the pose it means the legs are pulling the arms into position. Think ‘surrender’.

6) Consciously let your shoulders release behind you. You cannot do this if your arms are activated or your shoulders hold tension. Transfer all your attention to leg strength knees kicking back AND feet up and butt squeezed.

7) Always look up and back behind you, as far as you can.

8) B R E A T H E.... slow it down. Feed those muscles by breathing as long, deep and slow as you can. This has the effect of making 20 seconds seem sooo much shorter. It is the difference between the perception of 8-10 breaths or 4-5 long ones. It is very calming and creates focus. You will feel empowered with this one little technique.

A really useful visualization I like to use and recommend is this: Kick your legs behind you as if you were trying to straighten them back out to the wall behind you parallel to the floor. The only thing standing in your way is the grip on your feet; and your arms just HAVE to surrender to the kick.

There! Simple

Namaste
Gabrielle

Thank you, Gabrielle! I will definitely try this tomorrow. And thank you for breaking it down. It makes it easier to visualize what to do.