When you next do your practice, watch when your mind subconsciously makes a grimace and you feel yourself stiffen. What pose are you doing?
It could be the full wheel backbend (aka crab) Urdhva Dhanurasana or a classic seated forward bend — Pascimottanasana.
Back off a little and assess your technique and why you don’t like the pose… but try not to back off so much that you ignore the posture and leave it out!
Observe whether your breathing changes and whether your mind wanders, races or freezes. Chances are both your breath and mind are freezing at the very thought of doing the pose. Noticing your reaction is the first step to conquering the posture — or your feelings towards it! Instead greet the asana like a contrary old friend… or willful child. A child can sometimes be very annoying but give them the attention they need and transformations can happen! So, instead of whizzing through the posture as quickly and half-heartedly as possible, lavish some time on it! Pick some props or tools to help you work into the pose in a different way… a bolster at the wall for your hands in Urdhva Dhanurasana perhaps and/or help from your teacher. And before you start Pascimottanasana forward bend, notice if your pelvis is rolling backwards so you are rounding into your lower back. Sitting on a blanket or block (or two) can help lift the pelvis into an upright position to support the natural curves of your spine. Then, when you are sitting comfortably, you can begin to move forward from your hips and breathe yourself into the pose!
Enjoy your experiments and pick your favourite posture in the fun poll to right!
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| The perfect pose is one you do anywhere just for fun... |
