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Bad down dog, Good down dog….. Yoga Teachers ar

Bad down dog, Good down dog…..

Yoga Teachers are very picky when it comes to how your Downward dog should look. Yoga Teachers often think that certain Downward dogs are more dangerous than other Downward dogs.

Yoga Teachers will cue that hanging in the shoulders (longer range of shoulder flexion) in Downward dog is dangerous for your shoulders and spine.

But this is simply not how our amazing anatomy works. All variations of Downward dog are fine. Your Downward dog can be short, long, backbendy, bent knees, on a chair, on the floor….

The shapes we make in yoga are dictated by a wide range of motion in joints like our hips, spine and our shoulders. Our joints naturally have a shorter range and a longer range - its how we move in life.

What does determine what we can do movement wise in a healthy way is how much load we can take in ANY range.

We can be strong at ALL ranges. Ask @rangeofstrength

Progressive Downward dog loading - in short AND long ranges. From harder to easier.

1. Handstand Shoulder flexion changes: Handstand to Shorter range and Longer range. Adding some spinal extension (backbend) - backbendy down dog.
2. 1/2 Handstand Shoulder flexion: Longer to Shorter range. Reducing spinal extension - like a bent knee down dog.
3. Downward dog shoulder pushes: Different ranges of shoulder flexion down dogs
4. Short to Long down dog: Lots of hamstring flexibility to less hamstring flexibility requirements.
5. Wall Downward dog: More shoulder flexion and backbend to less
6. Core Downward dog: Long to short - short requires more hamstring flexibility
7. Simple shoulder range movements: Plank to Short Down dog to Longer Down dog.

Be as STRONG as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. At ALL RANGES💪
#downwarddog
#downwardfacingdog
#handstandsforeveryone

Handstands. The wall as a Yoga prop. Building stre

Handstands. The wall as a Yoga prop. Building strength in my arms - all my favourite things.

Balancing in handstand requires good straight arm strength - shoulders, triceps, forearms and hands.

But it’s a bit chicken or egg. In order to balance we need that arm strength but we can’t balance so we can’t get the arm strength that way.

So here are some fun ways to build up your arm strength one arm at a time.

Straight arm strength will make downward dog and side plank (Vasisthasana) feel more comfortable, and help with straight arm balances as well as handstand.

And it’s fun.

Exercises from hard to easier: choose where you are and work progressively
1. Handstand tummy taps - start by leaning without lifting your hand, then to cupped hand, then to tummy taps.
2. Wall Vasisthasana - an oldie but goodie. Progress from side plank to full Vasisthasana
3. Downward dog one arm with weights - these are actually really hard! Hello triceps!
4. Wall Warrior 2. If both feet up on the wall is too hard place your bottom foot on the floor.
5. Chair Move stuff from side to side - weight or a tennis ball.
6. Downdog Alternating Ankle taps - stolen from the amazing @strengthforyoga program. Love these, thank you!
7. Supported side plank on the wall. Foot is pressed agains the wall. Progress from staying in side plank, to tree leg, to full Vasishtasana leg.

Be as STRONG as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. 💪.
#sideplankpose
#handstandsforeveryone
#handstandsforbeginners

Spilts is often taught with an emphasis on stretch

Spilts is often taught with an emphasis on stretching passively - you know the lying down with the strap hamstring stretch, pyramid holds and half spilts type movements.

I am not a big fan of passive stretching - not because its ‘bad’ for you but because it offers only that - passive stretching.

I am a huge fan of using load to increase my flexibility. Our hamstrings work at different ranges - when we fold into Uttanasana they are working eccentrically - towards long range to stop us face smashing. And concentrically - when we come up from Uttanasana. We can add load - weight or body weight to many yoga movements.

By working like this (if we load enough) we get to stretch AND strengthen our muscles and connective tissue at the same time (yes its possible to do both I promise).

For splits we need good flexibility in our hamstrings and quads.

Some ideas for you to try: If any of these drills are easy for you then simply add weight to make them harder. None are easy for me 🤣

1. Standing splits slides. I got this movement from @kat_beyondthebody - see my stories to see how strong and flexible @kat_beyondthebody is at doing this movement (and so many others too). I am still learning and need to use my hand on the wall to control the slide. Quads and hamstrings working very hard.
2. Hero Pose lean backs: Really hard quad work here. Burning!
3. Wall handstand toe taps. Quad stretching with some load (lots of good arm and core work as an added benefit)
4. Slide Bolster splits: both quads and hamstrings working more in the concentric (the coming up)
5. Hamstring wall holds: Hamstrings really working hard to come up here. Got this challenging idea from @jenni_rawlings - really fun to try.
6. Pyramid deadlifts: Hamstrings - no need to say more.
7. Camel lean backs: similar to Hero pose but with toes tucked. Quads quads quads on fire!

Be as STRONG and FLEXIBLE as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. 💪

#yogasplits
#yogastrong
#yogastretch

Many of you have heard me complain, many times, ab

Many of you have heard me complain, many times, about the cue ‘if you can take Crow do so, everyone else just stay here and breathe’.

That it isn’t helpful. It isn’t encouraging. It makes people feel bad and useless, that they are incapable, when in fact it is the job of the teacher to help them to ‘learn’ how to train to do Crow Pose.

I spent the month doing the EPIC @strengthforyoga Strength program for Crow Pose and more. So many exercises, so much fun and bliss for me as a teacher to have such intelligent teachers come up with ideas for me to work on. Highly recommend the program.

All things Crow Pose:

1. Where to put your arms and legs for bent and straight arm Crow
2. @strengthforyoga Down dog push offs -short down dog, lean forward, bend your arms and push back up to standing. Then fall forward again. Great for pushing and for fear.
3. @strengthforyoga Supine hollow body rock - one knee bent elbow rock, getting some core in here
4. How to move into the pose - look forward, come up on to your toes, then lean, one foot at a time - props can help
5. @strengthforyoga Forearm plank tricep extension wall and floor - the floor was really hard for me - I could only do one arm at a time - next month!
6. @strengthforyoga Push up variations- planche, bent knees, plank - elbows in for tricep strength work
7. @strengthforyoga Hanging leg raise - knees together, a sneaky Crow leg raise, straight legs. Nice core and hip flexor work.
8. Weight vest Crow. @jenni_rawlings and @fitness_pollenator challenged me to do Crow with a weight vest. Such fun and great way of adding load
9. @strengthforyoga Staff pose lift - sitting up and leaning forward - nice hip flexor cramps here.

Be as STRONG as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. 💪
#strengthforyoga
#yogastrong
#yogastrength

There is no pose without the person in the pose. W

There is no pose without the person in the pose. Without the person the pose is just a shape in a book.

Does putting your top hand down in Wild Thing feel impossible?

Wild Thing into Wheel comes easier to those with good shoulder mobility (flexion), spine mobility (extension - backbending) and long arms simply get you to the ground a little more easily.

Me. Not good shoulder flexion nor spinal extension AND I have very short arms which made it even harder.

So what can we do?
1. Weird Bendy arm Wild Thing. Focusing on coming up on the toes to help to move the knees forward to move closer to the ground. Bending the bottom arm slightly to lower down more.
2. Crab walking. To do the Weird Bendy arm Wild thing we need to get used to our wrists being at an unusual angle (a greater degree of wrist extension) - these crab walks take us through ranges.
3. Chair Wild Thing. This is harder than it looks. Almost like a half drop back and gets us used to being up on the toes and spinning the base hand.
4. Half Wild Thing. Our base hand is already pointing in the right direction so we can focus just on the push up onto the toes and hand placement
5. Wild Thing from standing. Nice to reduce the load on the shoulders and focus on toes and hands.

Be as ADAPTABLE as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. 💪
Check out @yogizain upcoming workshop on all things Wild Thing to help you too.

Losing a pose or movement that you have worked SO

Losing a pose or movement that you have worked SO hard on for YEARS can be hugely frustrating resulting in lots of mini tantrums and toys out of cot throwing.  Press to Handstand humbled me completely. It took 2 years of consistent focused practice - just on press - in my early 50s- to get there. And now it’s gone.

I am way stronger AND more flexible than I was when I could press to Handstand.

So why can’t I do it anymore? I believe I have lost the skill element.

I stopped practicing it. But do I want to put all that energy and time into getting the movement back?

No.

So I have decided to reframe my press practice to a less zealous 2x weekly session of movements that give me joy, FUN and may help me to press again. Or maybe not.

Loved this session: Theme….Push hard. 🤣
1. Negative straddles lowers.
2. Wall push side sweeps
3. Negative wall slides.
4. Balance leans.
5. Straddle Handstand holds
6. Hip compression work
7. Flexibility work.

A BIG thank you to the incredible Handbalancer @tashas_handstands for sharing that even great arm balancers like Tasha can lose a skill and get it back again. IF they want to.

Be as strong as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. AND HAVE FUN 💪

To be square or not to be square….that is the qu

To be square or not to be square….that is the question.

We are told to square the hips to create alignment in Triangle. Then we are told if we square the hips in Warrior 1 it’s dangerous and our sacrum might explode (it won’t).

Our hips can be square and our hips can be skew. When we walk we move from square hips to skew hips back to square - for our whole lives.

So in my opinion BOTH square and skew hips can be useful depending on your body and what movement you wish to make in the pose that you are practicing.

Skew Spilts: Skewing our hips may help us lower further to splits. Skewing moves us more into hip flexion (we have way more range in hip flexion - what our front leg is doing - than we do in hip extension - what our back leg is doing). And skewing allows the back hip to turn out which can help too.
Square Splits: Great if you want to add a strength element - you can lift up here using your hamstrings and quad muscle to hold you off the floor.

Skew Hips in Handstand Spilts: Allows more of a Spilt for the reasons above
Square Hips in Handstand Spits: May give us a feeling of stability in the balance as our pelvis will be ‘level’.

Skew Hips in Trikonasana: Allows more hip flexion (forward folding) so we can move closer to the ground.
Square Hips in Trikonasana: Gives us more of a side bend style of Trikonasana. Great for side bending!

Skew Hips in Crescent lunge: Moves us to Warrior 1 with the back foot down. May feel more stable.
Square Hips in Crescent lunge: More of a Balance. Great for stepping directly forward into Warrior 3.

Play with variations. Be open to ideas to help your body to do the things you want to do 💪. #yogasplit

Headsand to Pincha/Scorpion Tips. The key to thi

Headsand to Pincha/Scorpion Tips.

The key to this transition is to move the load (weight) of your legs and pelvis behind you, and away from above your head, so that lifting your head becomes easier.

Here are some ways you can play around with moving the load - even if you aren’t yet happy to be in a Headstand balance away from the wall.

1. Stag legs Headstand to Pincha: You will be surprised just how much weight is removed from above your head by having one toe on the wall! Of course this version does mean you need be fairly happy in kicking up to your Headstand
2. Headstand to Pincha/Scorpionh. A harder version. Take both legs over then lift head.
3. Kicking to the wall block Pincha Split.Really great if you are happy to kick up to the wall. Having legs in spilts distributes the load of your legs and gets you used to having weight behind you.
4. Block arms Pincha Spilt. Facing the wall block option if you aren’t ready to to kick up and gives you time to experiment with using the block version of Pincha.
5. Headstand arms Pincha Split. A nice option to explore headstand arms Pincha and build up shoulder endurance.
6. Headstand to Pincha push ups. A good way to get a feel for pushing down into your forearms, flipping your hands and lifting your head.

To explore normal Pincha see my previous post on many ways to learn Pincha

Be as strong as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. 💪
#pinchadrills
#forearmstand
#pinchapractice

So many Yogis believe that adding heavy arm weight

So many Yogis believe that adding heavy arm weight training to your exercise practice will make you lose flexibility and give you huge arms.

This is simply not true. What arm weight training has done for me is make me MORE flexible and stronger. Thank you to @fitness_pollenator 😍 Which has in turn given me more confidence to do things like jumping from downward dog.

And the weights I use are fairly heavy, and I do not have big arms. (Although I would be super happy to have bigger arms - maybe when I am all grown up🤣)

Jumping from Downward dog to Forward Fold is so scary and intimidating for most Yoga practitioners. A lot of momentum is needed for jumping and this produces a real fear of falling and hurting themselves.

Having strong arms gives us the confidence that we can control that momentum and be safe.

Jump small, then build. Be progressive.

1. Shorten your Downward dog. The shorter the easier the jump
2. Donkey kicks. Think hips up then heels to bum
3. Eccentric jumps. Lower slowly
4. Squish a foam jumps. Helps control our legs.
5. Butterfly jumps. Way easier to jump up in the position
6. Odd looking wide leg jumps - easier to jump up
7. Arm strength work. Start with weights that make 3 sets x 6-8 reps accessible and build up

Be as strong as you need to be for YOUR body to do the things YOU want to do. 💪

#armstrength
#yogastrength
#yogastrengthening

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