- Purvottanasana - I just couldn't hold my pelvis high off the ground. Key: tuck the tail bone under, strong bandha and squeeze shoulder blades together.
- Urdhva danurasana - back bending was just the bane of my life. Hated it. Key: tuck the tail bone under, point the pelvic bone toward the sky, strong moola bandha action.
- Setu bandasana - can't release hands from floor - still can't. Key: Not exactly sure yet.
- Janusirsasana B - WTF?
I used to think WTF is this posture all about? Janu A, yeah, I get that, Janu C, OK, I get the toe crusher thing (still not too sure what the hip action is meant to be going on there though - any thoughts please advise), but Janu B, so you sit on your heel, knee out to the side, then what? 'Awaken my perineum'? OK, it's awake now, I feel it. But what's the intended hip action action? I'm not feeling a thing! My outstretched knee is in hyper extension and I'm just wobbling all over the place hating the entire experience!
Last night D said we needed to look at my Janu B. Nooooo! Arrrgh! He pointed my foot forwards, heel facing upwards, which was like, a massive feat in itself trying to get the foot to be comfortable there. Then I lifted and sat on it. With the toes facing towards the front of the mat my knee went out further to the side, giving a bigger angle between the two legs. He held my hip down, rolled my thigh back and down then pressed my "kidney wing" (thanks Richard Freeman) towards the outstretched leg. Man, that felt weird, but in a good way. So now I feel like a have a new posture, completely new and quite excited about doing it again. On my own. Without falling off the heel. Does anyone else have an "issue" with Janu B? Or just me?
Hamstring update: still cannot do wide legged forward bending, tittibhasana, konasana. It's not budging, even though the pain is subsiding. Will stay off these postures for a few more weeks.
Jump back update: I'm now attempting the jumpback properly all of the time. I've only been doing this each practice for about 7 weeks, ever since I was chastised by B for my useless "lift bottom, place bottom down, then rock onto hands and jump back" jumpback. But wow, the difference the effort has made in just a few weeks is phenomenal. SCOOP: One major thing I've realised about the jump back and forward is the importance of the weight in the fingers as well as in the palm. I've been keeping it all in the palm. This has made a massive difference. Just try noticing what you tend to do if you don't already jumpback like a pro. Let me know how you get on.
David Swenson: Just so looking forward to this weekend's workshop with Swenny. The Swenson. Big D. I'll update you on any Swenson goss next week. Huzzah!
oh no!..so is the lift bottom, etc approach a complete dead end? my teacher just had me start on that today. (i have tried it before, and it tends to do in my wrists)
ReplyDeletethere's a kino video on janu A where she talks about B and C being more extreme versions of A, in terms of external? hip rotation. but as i am a relative newbie to the practice, i am not sure i feel that yet.
love your blog btw
suzanne
Thank you Suzanne! I've been doing the lift bottom, place bottom back down, then rock and jump method for 4 years. It never really did anything for me. It might give you some strength in your arms and shoulder girdle though, especially if you cannot lift your bottom at all (actually, there was a time when I couldn't lift my bottom so maybe it was a good approach after all..?!) Anyway, I can now lift my whole body up in utpluthi, so that suggests I should be able to jump back. However, I was being lazy, not making the effort and I've been spotted! Damn. I think the best approach would be to cross and ankles and lift, lean forward and shuffle feet through hands, then either step or jump back from there. That's how Kino teaches it too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the scoop on Janu A, B, C, hip rotation is a difficult one to get your head around, especially as there is definitely contradictory advice as which way to roll.... Micqui
thanks Micqui! i got spotted doing chakrasana (although i dont have the breathing down yet), so i think that is what led to the new jump back program. while i can lift up for utpluthi, i can't lift up for the 20 or so times i would need to during seated. the kino approach sounds good, but i know i dont have the strength for that yet. suzanne
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