About this balancing stick posture

About this balancing stick posture2008-03-06T19:43:55+00:00
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    Post count: 134

    Posted by edgeH20

    Just a few things:
    1. this particular posture “scares” me. I think it is the projecting forward. Has anyone heard of this?

    2. because of #1, I tend to fall out maybe at the number 6 second. Then it seems to late to get back in so I go back to standing posture with the arms above my head, hand together, etc.

    Is #2 the way to go, or what should I do? I suppose the answer is overcome the fear???

    hannahjustbreathe
    Participant
    Post count: 15

    Hi Edge,

    Balancing stick used to be my least favorite posture of the series. Now, go figure, it’s one of my favorites. I can’t say much in response to the fear factor (Gabrielle???), but I can try to address the second question in your post.

    I’ve found the key to this posture is tightening/extending/stretching every muscle in my body, “from my fingertips to my toes,” from the very first second. As soon as you take the “big step forward,” before tilting down into the posture, give yourself one nano-second and tighten up everything. The reason you fall out of the posture, more often than not, is because you lose your balance, i.e., your muscles go slack. The balance comes from stretching your fingers forward as hard as you can and pointing your toes backwards as hard as you can. I know, I know, sounds easier said than done. What isn’t?!

    Another thing about this postures is that because it’s so short, it’s even more important to shut your mind off and just breathe and let your body work. Your mind will tell you it’s tired, it wants the posture to be over, it wants to fall out. But, you’re in balancing stick for only 10-15 seconds. Your breath and your body can do anything for 10-15 seconds.

    Good luck! And keep us posted. 🙂

    Hannah

    Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
    Forum Owner
    Post count: 3047

    Hello Edge and Hannah

    thanks for your question and response.

    You are not alone Edge. Lots of people fall out and / or have some apprehension in this one.

    As usual Hannah, you have given us some great observations. I would like to add a couple more distinctions.

    What most people do to set up is step one foot forward. But what they tend to do is leave the back foot pretty much evenly weighted compared to the front. This places the center of gravity behind the front leg but not through it. Then when they enter the pose it really feels as though they are diving forward without any safety net. They have to find a stable axis, all while they are moving. This could partly explain the fear factor.

    Pretty much people who have the greatest difficulty are those where the back foot rests on the ground while the body starts to launch forward – with the back foot being partly or mostly weighted.

    Instead, for correct technique the front foot takes ALL the weight BEFORE entry. With one leg forming the foundation the rest of the body behaves just like a see-saw on its firm unmoving axis. If you have the weight (even partly) on the back foot then it throws everything out because you have no sure balance but are moving the see-saw over a shifting foundation.

    The way to set this one up:
    @ Arms up (and back) and steeple grip
    @ Step forward
    @ Pick up the back leg as if you were to take another step forward BUT then extend it backward long, strong and straight. The foundation of your pose has now been set, vertically down through the hip, knee, ankle, foot and into the ground.
    @ It is at this moment that you square your hips to the mirror and floor. The toes will either just touch the floor or hover just above it. Taking this moment to align yourself is not taught in class, but will really help you create better alignment in the finished pose. You may have heard teachers ask you to roll a hip down mid-pose – this will help minimize this kind of adjustment.
    @ Activate all your muscles through all 4 limbs and stand with a slight arch in your spine, chest lifted. It feels really strong.
    @ Now enter the pose with activated body, arms and legs by simply hinging at the hip. Concentrate on preserving this straight line, and if you started with ALL the weight on your front foot then, as you lower your body, your leg raises.
    @ If and when you notice any slackness in either the legs or arms or any collapse of the body then retreat a little, re-commit and recover the straight line in your body and limbs. Only go in as far as you can keep your straight line form. For some students they may only make it to 10-20 degrees. Others will get to 70 degrees. It simply doesn’t matter. In fact, it is better to be partway in and strong than body down parallel to the floor with bent limbs looking as if you are a ‘broken umbrella’. Visualize yourself as a see-saw.

    Hannah is right about the breath. The exertion in this pose is quite strong and comes on quite quickly. Often students need to be reminded to breathe. Of course with the body stretched out like it is, the lungs and ribcage are also stretched and the belly is often sucked in. So breathing often either stops or becomes short and shallow. Feeding the muscles with oxygen will certainly help ;). Slow the breath down and take it away from the anxiety producing short breath up the top of the chest.

    OK, so what do you do if you fall out at 6 seconds? Ideally you go back in as if you had the whole pose to do again. Pretend you have another 10 seconds and listen to the commands. That way you can be more present. Let go of judgment. And just do it. Don’t care if you have only stepped forward on your foot and you are told to release. I do think however that much of your problem will disappear with correct technique.

    It is tricky to learn the right speed of entry. Go in fast enough to get there and work the pose but not so fast that you fall out.

    Looking forward to hearing your results
    Namaste
    Gabrielle 🙂

    obidoo
    Participant
    Post count: 4

    How about just working into this posture by increasing the angle every class. Tilting forward at the nearest angle that you feel all of those back, shoulder, glute, hamstring muscles working-and hold it for the 10 seconds. Next class increase the angle toward the floor a bit more. Next class a bit more etc. Hopefully we will be in a Bikram studio regularly for the rest of out lives. We have plenty of time to work into these postures and aclimate to them.
    Namaste,Amanda

    Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
    Forum Owner
    Post count: 3047

    Hello

    Amanda pretty much puts different words to the idea in my post, so thank you!

    I don’t know if you meant it this way, but I would certainly be very careful to approach the yoga in a way that didn’t encourage too much pre-emptive thought. You are trying to be ‘in the moment’ while making observations about your body position and sensations. So go to the fullest expression of the pose that you can handle (which could either represent change in a ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ direction) make an assessment as to the activation of your muscles and your body position, make corrections and take each day as it comes. Generally we will move forward with progress and rather than being conscious about stopping at a certain point, make the movement come first by setting your parameters with respect to what the pose is asking of you. The prize is in the process.

    Namaste
    Gabrielle 🙂

    edgehH20
    Participant
    Post count: 41

    well I first posted my difficulty is staying in balancing stick.
    I am here to report I am still having problems in the posture – BUT my set-up is FANTASTIC! So that’s good.
    Sometimes I tip over and sometimes I just fall out.

    I am still working on it.
    I would love to know how the rest of the practitioners in class stay in for the full 10 seconds.

    Part of my problem may be locking both knees. I was reading in the Standing head to knee pose about trouble locking the knee and perhaps it is the same problem/trouble. . . . .

    Margot
    Participant
    Post count: 1

    Dear Gabrielle,

    Thanks for your very insightful comments!
    May I ask for a wee clarification on this one.

    I can create a straight T, but then I tend to rotate
    the hip on the side of the leg that is kicked back
    upwards. So not a broken umbrella, but not quite correct
    if I understood you well?
    So, it is better to rotate over a smaller angle than 90
    but keep the hips inline?

    Thanks, Margot

    Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
    Forum Owner
    Post count: 3047

    Hi Margot

    You show very good body awareness by your question. 😉

    It is so common for one hip on one side to be up. I know it is hard but your mission is to try to roll that hip down. The hint there is to START with great alignment. Work on your hips being parallel to the mirror (and square to ground) first and then try to maintain that right through til you are in position. Yes, I know, not easy! The other thing is to put your effort into elongating yourself.

    One hip is often more flexible than the other, which means that by adjusting the other leg into alignment (even if only tiny amounts of change) you may find some improvement.

    If you find that your hips are really out of alignment then try first set at a smaller rotation getting to the point just before your hip rides up, then second set in the ‘T’ while working the hip.

    Namaste
    Gabrielle 🙂

    fraseram
    Participant
    Post count: 356

    AWESOME tips!!! I have always had a rough time w/ this one and will try these in class today and let you know

    fraseram
    Participant
    Post count: 356

    armed w/ my new knowledge i headed off to class……. my stick was SOOO much better!a couple more times and i think i’ll actually ‘get’ this one LOL any way… thanks

    fraseram
    Participant
    Post count: 356

    NAILED it !!! thanks so much for all your helpful tips. I can stay up in this pose now and feel the length and stretch (not to mention the muscle work needed … abs of steel or what!?) LOL thanks again and talk soon

    Lisetica
    Participant
    Post count: 6

    Hello everyone!

    I come to this topic because this is my best pose and I am still surprised about it. I don’t know what it is, but it is very easy for me. To the point that I can’t wait to get to it. Mind you, I can’t do tree pose no matter how hard I try. I do have very big thighs but still, I see men that do it. I just don’t get it???

    yogahabits
    Participant
    Post count: 1

    This was my absolute horror pose for years. With tight shoulders and almost dead at this point of class. I did lots of shoulder stretches agains the wall and It became easier to manage the full 10 seconds. This days i love it. This is me now in Bikram Yoga Poses.

     

    cheers

     

    Nicklas

     

    CEO of https://www.uppsalahotyoga.se and https://www.yogateket.com/

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