Comments on: Day off

By: lauren

lauren — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:45:58 +0000

And karen – I agree with Cranky and Laksmi that you should just put your hands over your head and finish the dropback. You are really really deep into that backbend. And your legs seem strong. I think you just need to do it. Might it help to put the rope behind the small of your back, padded with a towel, if needed? I have practiced with the ropes and have found that useful as well.

By: lauren

lauren — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:42:58 +0000

I do the SAME series of backbend prep when i have time and when i am not resisting myself too much. I got it from Yoga Journal, just like Patrick said. You must have gotten it from the same place, right? I am happy (for me) that you are also not at the point where you can lie on the chair and grab the bars with your hands. It makes me feel better to know that perhaps that is just waaaaaaaaaay in the future, and I might even be able to do Kapotasana before being able to do that.

By: patrick

patrick — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:46:12 +0000

Nice “Ashtangar” set up you’ve got there, Karen! Rock on! BTW, there is a Google-able piece from Yoga Journal, about “propping” your way into Kapotasana, and it involves chairs and your tricep-opener and some other stuff. Roger Cole wrote it, and I THINK it’s called “Bend it Like This” or something.

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 12:38:17 +0000

In photo 3 (reaching for the legs) it looks like your arms are out. Think of reaching back more like in photo 2; you can also use a strap on the legs to help grap.

That looks like a pretty complete torture chamber you’ve set up

By: laksmi

laksmi — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:06:44 +0000

where is donut?
iyengar says make sure to put your arms out so you don’t land on your head–read it in light on yoga, it’s hilarious. Anyway, when i was learning dropbacks, i did a workshop where the teacher said that there is always some element of falling in a dropback when you are beginning, so go with it. I am only now, after like 3 years, able to go down perfectly slowly and touch very gently with my hands.

By: Arturo

Arturo — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:26:27 +0000

Hi Karen
That’s a nice video. How about if you stand a bit closer to the wall, put more weight on the feet, then get the hands all the way to the floor? The arching of the upper thoracic looks good.
Cheers,
Arturo

By: cranky housefrau

cranky housefrau — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:53:09 +0000

i just find that so hard to believe. look at where your head is in relation to the floor. your bend is so much deeper than you think. soon you will be doing that all on your own, no problem.

By: donutszenmom

donutszenmom — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:50:59 +0000

I won’t actually fall on my head, what with the ropes and all. But to get my hands to the floor, I have to bend a LOT through the knees — ’cause, as I’ve mentioned obsessively my arms won’t stretch out over my head enough to finish the arch. Once the shoulders open up, though, I’ll be good to go.

By: crankyhousefrau

crankyhousefrau — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:56:36 +0000

you think you fall on your head, or you know you will fall on your head?

By: donutszenmom

donutszenmom — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:36:25 +0000

Haha! That’s as far as it goes! End of bend. If I go back any more, I think I just fall to the ground in exactly that configuration.

I’ll play around with it more once I’ve digested my lunch.

And yes, he is the best.