I was watching Matthew's book with full attention, especially the back-bending sequence pictures, when I suddenly got this intuition, or memories, or, you know? when it all comes together. The first step on the routine is to come back up to standing -before doping back from the bridge (Urdva Dhanurasana)-.
Christopher suggested this back in 2007, I am not sure what I was thinking asking about coming up or dropping back at that time, but I did, and he suggested that I put a pile of blankets in front of me (to protect the knees) and try to come back up at once (the blankets would be there in case I fell from the tremendous energetic force of my pulling up, guess he had a lot of faith in me).
I am sure he suggested this because he saw the desire in me to just try, even though I was not ready, he also suggested my arms should be straight, which back then were not at all, I should have seen that was the clue!
So looking at the book a few days ago, I had the illumination of using the edge of the bed. At least it will give me the feeling of being in the right position, with the eyes focusing on the right place (the floor for drop backs) and maybe it might be easier to come up because I am already a bit higher. Maybe.
That was my first attempt. Yesterday I tried again and it felt good, solid, but I was exhausted afterwards. I am also keeping in mind that the feet have to be parallel, grrrr. One day! and that the movement towards coming up needs to be smoothed...
On another note, in the post where I offered the quiz on the Yoga Sutras (have you taken it?) I used a little bit of space in between the questions and answers to inquiry about an electricity shot of sorts I have been getting on my right buttock. Jennifer -a body therapist from Calgary- suggested I get my leg "pulled" and mentioned that the shot-feelings could be related to the sciatica. I actually had James help me pull the leg and it feels pretty good. I am grateful to Jennifer!
If for some reason the video is not showing, it is here.
How was your practice today?
See also:
The disastrous last-year's attempt at using the bed for dropbacks
Christopher suggested this back in 2007, I am not sure what I was thinking asking about coming up or dropping back at that time, but I did, and he suggested that I put a pile of blankets in front of me (to protect the knees) and try to come back up at once (the blankets would be there in case I fell from the tremendous energetic force of my pulling up, guess he had a lot of faith in me).
I am sure he suggested this because he saw the desire in me to just try, even though I was not ready, he also suggested my arms should be straight, which back then were not at all, I should have seen that was the clue!
So looking at the book a few days ago, I had the illumination of using the edge of the bed. At least it will give me the feeling of being in the right position, with the eyes focusing on the right place (the floor for drop backs) and maybe it might be easier to come up because I am already a bit higher. Maybe.
That was my first attempt. Yesterday I tried again and it felt good, solid, but I was exhausted afterwards. I am also keeping in mind that the feet have to be parallel, grrrr. One day! and that the movement towards coming up needs to be smoothed...
On another note, in the post where I offered the quiz on the Yoga Sutras (have you taken it?) I used a little bit of space in between the questions and answers to inquiry about an electricity shot of sorts I have been getting on my right buttock. Jennifer -a body therapist from Calgary- suggested I get my leg "pulled" and mentioned that the shot-feelings could be related to the sciatica. I actually had James help me pull the leg and it feels pretty good. I am grateful to Jennifer!
If for some reason the video is not showing, it is here.
How was your practice today?
See also:
The disastrous last-year's attempt at using the bed for dropbacks
I did the same thing to learn how to come up from backbend. And it worked. As soon as I was able to come up using the couch it only took a few days before I was able to come up from the floor.
ReplyDeleteBTW a friend of mine once replied when asked how was your practice: "What do you mean how was my practice! It is finished! Get a life!"
who says the feet has to be parallel?
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha, that was funny, yeah, get a life... hee hee. Cool, might work then, we shall see... as per the parallel feet, every teacher I have talked to says so... but I have seen many students splay the feet at least in the beginning, till they can get it. As per me, I have noticed that when they are parallel I engage the inner thighs a lot more and get more strenght in the legs.
ReplyDeleteI know several highly experienced ashtanga teachers who teach wide leg stance with feet out for drop backs and coming up. Then working slowly towards a more narrow stance with more parallel feet.
ReplyDeleteSame thing with relaxing the butt in upward dog and also in backbend. Some teachers say you HAVE TO keep the butt relaxed but in my opinion and experience this is just not true.
You are right, there is no one way of teaching. In all honesty I am trying pretty much everything on this, in the hopes of one day being able to do it... so I appreciate the freedom part in your comment :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://auspiciouskitty.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer from Calgary, I think I added you to the blogroll already so I can stay in touch! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGlad the leg pulling helped. Sorry about that last comment, my computer is deciding to be difficult this morning.
ReplyDeleteI loved watching your video, you should capture your whole practice on YouTube....I would love to see it.
I noticed the same 3 things in your back bends. The legs are wide, the leg pointed out at an angle and your preference to bend in one spot in your spine. You have a difficult time getting the movement to start from the low lower back, L4 & L5, so the strength and flexability are not there to support your back bend. Of course, you can do a pretty amazing back bend but you are compensating with your preference area and that is what is holding you back. A stuck kinda feeling. Critical Alignment Therapy has taught me to assess spines through movement instead of still pictures like xrays. I wish I could just come by and help you out but that would be a long drive.
Jennifer, yes now I sort of really wish you could come over too.
ReplyDeleteso, I guess I see what you mean I do have a preference area where I bend I see that L4 and L5 are way back down by the sacrum http://www.makoa.org/scimap.htm
but these do not really bend do they? guess you mean the movement has to start from there... bend from there?
hmmm will be thinking about this...
Good work, Claudia. I don't think the feet need to be parallel, at least not in the beginning. But this is just my very non-expert opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, the closer your arms/shoulders are to your feet, the easier it is to come up. In fact, if you get your arms/shoulders close enough to your heels (even to the point where you can actually touch your heels, like in chakrabandhasana), your body actually wants to come up by itself. Even if you are not yet able to do chakrabandhasana, you can still try to apply this general principle. The problem with using the bed is that it doesn't allow you to walk your arms closer to your feet, since the fixed position of the bed also "fixes" your arms/shoulders where they are. So, ahem, maybe it is better to do without the bed? :-)
Nobel you crack me up with your "ahem", I know that you have been telling me for YEARS now to get rid of the wall/bed/futon and whatever I may want to put... but, maybe I could walk the legs back... I am kind of liking the bed thing... but I am also walking the hands from the floor before I go to the edge of the bed, so point taken... it just hurts... OK, enough complaining!
ReplyDeleteL4 & L5 do flex and extend but do not twist. The passage of movement does start from there. These 2 vertebrae have to start the back bend. Your passage of movement starts higher up in your bendy spot or your preference which causes a break in the movement. It gets stuck. So you aren't using the strength that you could from your legs to hold your upper body weight or to create the momentum you need to come up.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, thanks for this Jennifer. I keep re-reading. Appreciate that you took the time to look and tell me.
ReplyDeleteHi Claudia, you have a very nice backbend and have what is needed to drop back IMO. Standing up is harder and although some teachers say that should come first, others say the opposite. So you get to decide. I have studied with Matthew Sweeney a number of times and he puts great emphasis on standing half dropbacks to the wall. Under control. Helps teach how to use the legs, how to go back with complete control, lenghten and strenghten the psoas. Don't go for the floor until you can touch the wall at a level below your waist. Splaying the feet works for some - lowers your cener of gravity a bit. Better to keep legs parallel and really work on opening the front line. Feel where it is stuck and feel how to work it open. It will come. For me, I need to come up on my toes to get my hands and upper back vertical enough to land tight in. Mostly depends on the anatomy you have to work with. For the leg splaying in regular backbend, consider putting a block between the thighs and coming up into backbend holding it in place. Not fun but it really teaches how to use the legs. Did I mention not fun? Good luck. Dan
ReplyDeleteDan, thank you for all of these useful pointers. The block between the thighs is one I have not tried... I have been thinking that perhaps my issue has a lot to do with the lower back not bending at all, it does look like a board of sorts... I understand how Matthew/you would say that going lower on the wall helps with control and strenghtening the front muscles, I just find myself looking for the wall rather than the floor... but have began tryhing it again -only without the wall- maybe I need a workshop on this!
ReplyDeleteReally appreciate that you took the time to write... Re-reading now
Not being a natural backbender at all and having worked on backbending a lot, I found the dropbacks to the wall to be very beneficial in learning what I needed to do safely. David Garrigues has a 3 part YouTube Asana Kitchen teaching series which I highly recommend if you have not seen it. Part 1 gives some key concepts, Part 2 introduces drop backs onto large foam pads, which I think will help much more than trying to use your bed, and Part 3 is refinements. All the model students show great control and that is what is key. As you get better you can work on opening specific parts of the body that are blocked. Also, can practice this at other times in the day than your regular practice. I sometimes use before practice as a warm up which forces me to do it correctly or it will not feel good. Here is link to David's part 1 dropback video
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVPN07wVF0g
Dan, yes I have watched even commented I think on one of those posts from David... he even suggested I get the foamy things from the Seattle company which I have not done yet out of, well, fear really... but it is a good idea, thanks for the reminder, will probably watch again.
ReplyDelete