In Sunday's Led class we did full primary followed by 2nd half of 2nd (starting with LBH). Having all those forwards bends and supta K behind me, I managed an unassisted bind in Titti B for the first time and I actually eked out an unassisted Dwi Pada A as well.
That Titti B bind makes the whole thing feel so much better - I've noticed this before when I was adjusted into it. I feel tighter, more grounded and oddly more balanced...better able to straighten through the legs.
Are Supta K, Yoganidrasana and Dwi Pada easier than Eka Pada? For me they are, and I think it probably has a bit to do with my body proportions. In the video below I am trying an Eka Pada after a Led primary class for scientific purposes...how will I ever get it back there! Hahaha...my legs are longer than my torso...one tip I got from Kino in Dwi Pada was to lock my feet, which helps quite a bit but in Eka Pada with nothing to latch onto those suckers will not stay put.
Videos are great to temper my Titti B ego-fest! Especially the second side :-)
I'm confused about how to approach the movement from the very beginning. Should the hip be a bit open to the side or not really? I usually open my hip to the side a bit to get my shoulder back there, then swing it back to the front to take the leg over my head. I think different people approach it different ways but I have to wonder what the best way is for my body, with my long limbs and shorter torso. Clearly I've got some work to do to open my hips and keep my gangly tibia from slingshotting off my shoulder-neck! Of course, practice, practice, practice...
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4 comments:
Don't forget your hamstrings in Eka Pada. For my money there are two things: hips, hamstrings. Hip openness, I measure by whether or not and how far, I can get my knee behind my rib cage (while sitting as upright as possible: aim for sit bones on floor).
Hamstring openness (which again, allows one to sit more upright) can be measured by taking the leg as straight as you can get it. Imagine your hand-to-foot connection making a "window," and then put your head through it. You wind up toward/in seated "compass pose" or what some call "sundial pose."
Kino's Eka Pada advice on her DVD, I think it is, is LOOK UPWARD.
hi!!
I've been reading your blog but not commenting- been sorta busy lately. But just wanted to say hi and keep practicing.
I fully believe that all the legs behind the head poses just come with practice. You slowly open up. I'm not sure there are tricks with this one- it's just opening and letting the body do it's thing over time.
By the way- your legs are AWESOME!
Hi Patrick - my hamstrings likely need to be more open. We don't do "flat back" in primary in the studio I go to so I think some of my back-rounding history may be coming back to haunt me! I'm familiar with compass pose but haven't tried it in a long while, I'll check it out tonight at home as a gauge to see where I am in the hammies. Thanks for the tips :-)
Hi Liz!! I'm with you on the time. The LBH has actually come a long way for me in the past six months which is really encouraging - it makes it easier to keep trying when I see little changes over the months. I totally have faith it will happen someday! And I can't wait to check out your new Bolsa Bonita website!
I forgot to add that you're already really, really far! You've gotten past the crazy hard part (actually putting the foot behind the head), not it's moving it farther and being comfortable in it. You'll love having this video to look back on!
Thanks about the website... it's coming... later today!
(my word veri is aguito- which sounded Spanish to me so I looked it up... Spanish slang for bummed out! ha ha!)
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