TheHotYogaDoctor

One other little query - is it best to lock out the leg and then pick up the other one or to pick up your leg and then lock out the knee.

To lock or not to lock - that is the question

Hi Trixiebelle

OK! Let me see if I can help you.

in standing bow pose when the Teacher says kick and stretch - I find I kick and then I stretch ... to me I cant go in different directions at the one time.

I hope it makes it easier for you when I say you don’t really need to think of 2 actions at once. If you are stretching upward in set-up the only thing you need to do (besides maintaining your arm up high trying to resist it coming down) is to kick! Your body will find its position. The difficulties will come if you try to position your arm somewhere. Just kick. See other posts on Standing Bow to help you!

In Standing Head to Knee: Lock out the leg (it can be hard sometimes to keep it fully locked out as you position your leg and hands) but do what you can to keep the focus on a solid active leg. Try this too… Lock the leg, bend the other into position with leg at right angles and foot flexed, suck in stomach then round over to interlock fingers under the foot. Don’t lock your thumbs together. If they touch or cross that’s great but fingers provide a flat bed for your foot.

Again there are tons of points to learn by going to posts on that pose too!

Let me know how you go

And remember to relax

Namaste
Gabrielle

Gabrielle,

I just wrote a reply which disappeared! Hate that.

Thanks for your advice. I went yesterday and used the advice of keeping the feet slightly apart (ie not touching) made me realise how wobbly my feet are. I was able to hold the standing position on the second set - on the first I was too wobbly and unbalanced - slowly but surely I will get there. Tomorrow I will work on flexing my foot (I take it that this is to point the toes towards the body).

Step by step I will get there!

I will also use you advice on the Bow pose - basically hold the arms up and just learn to kick.

Thanks so much for that!

As for trying to relax - between focusing on knees locked, tummy in, trying to take in air when have bad sinuses and can hardly breathe and trying to balance it is hard to relax - that will be the day I know I have nailed it!!

Thanks for the advice