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Veteran
Posts: 243
 
| Are there other studios that don't teach toe-stand in the second set of tree? My studio just says "if you've been instructed to do toe-stand go ahead" but in almost 2 years I have never seen them instruct anyone. A tiny few will do it, some students I recognize as regulars or students who competed in the yoga championships. Other studios I've been to and other styles of yoga don't seem to thing it's such a big deal, so why do they not do it? It's part of the 26 poses and I'm curious why it's okay to skip that one... |
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| I don't know what a studio would skip it. I would say probaably 1/3 of our students do it.
maybe the particular class you were in had a lot of people who shouldn't be doing it? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | That seems pretty lame. I've practiced in 10 studios now, I think. And all have said the dialogue for toe stand. It's true, some studios don't have quite the expectation that you try. I've been in studios where I've been the only one actually trying toe stand. I've been in studios where it seems more like people go to stretch and get in an exercise and the details and finer points in the poses are missing. While in other studios as you look across the room, you can tell by their practices, that the set up and instruction is top notch.
If you asked for instruction on Toe Stand, do you think they'd give it? If not, you might try sending an anonymous Email asking for full dialogue, or asking why they don't do it. |
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| The ones who do it at my studio don't do it right.
They put their foot on their thighs instead of in half lotus.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | hina: They put their foot on their thighs instead of in half lotus.
Well, the goal is to have the heel up there at the waist like in half lotus. But in going into the pose the dialogue says something like bring your foot to the middle of the thigh or where ever is comfortable. It's totally ok in Bikrams to not have your heel way up. Some people just don't have that kind of flexibility in the knees or the hips. I don't. I was instructed that, when you're on one toe and balancing, it's perfectly acceptable to grab the foot that's on the knee and adjust it and bring it in then.
 I've screwed up my left knee so I can't even get down on the left toe. But I can do the right side. I can't get my left leg parallel to the ground. But I can rise up. It's still may favorite posture--despite the limitations.
One of the keys is in the dialogue: focus four feet on the floor in front of you. I had been practicing almost a year before I actually tried Toe Stand. Then when trying it suddenly I heard that part of the dialogue and it was huge. Then I could nail it. Though I do have the flat tire, (I was going for the photo-op)... this was me two years ago. You can see the leg isn't parallel and my foot is way out on the knee. Someday I'll be able to do that side again. On the other side, I can get the heel in farther. |
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| Oh, and I always thought they were cheating!
My problem is that I'm like rubber. I have to press my heel into my belly because there is no resistance in my hips or knees to help me balance. The toes that I'm standing on end up on my other hip and I can't seem to find any resistance to balance for the entire posture.
Thanks Dre. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | Hmm. I'm pondering your usage of resistance. I love this pose, lemme think about that. |
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| Hehe, nope, not cheating, just not gumby!  Hnia, I have a question for you: are you resting your butt on your heel or are you lifting up? The "last step" is to create a half-inch gap between the hip and the heel, but my teachers had me start practicing the posture that way the whole time (i.e. I never touch my butt to my heel at all), and it makes it totally different. At first I couldn't do it AT ALL, but then it made me develop A LOT more thigh strength (it feels kinda like the third part of awkward, but with only one leg, if that makes sense.) Maybe you could try experimenting with that!
To the original post: quite honestly, I think that it is incorrect for a studio to not teach toe stand!! It is not an advanced posture and most people can do it, or at least work towards it, within a few classes. At my studio the teachers often say things like "if you had knee surgery YESTERDAY, do a second set of tree; otherwise, give toe stand a try." So I am frankly baffled that a studio would omit the posture altogether, and I agree that you might try emailing them just to say "hey, I noticed that you don't teach toe stand but I'm interested in it, could you tell me more about that posture?" and see what they say. |
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|  Juliana - one of my instructors always says after you lift up 1/2 inch - "ok now spin around 3 times"
original post - all the instructors at my studio say "if you've been instructed go ahead...." so some of the more advanced students can just go into it.....but they still do the whole dialouge for those that are still working on it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 243
| thanks for the responses- weird, I expected people to say, oh yeah they do that at my studio too!
I believe my studio teaches students in special sessions but never in the regular classes. I've heard them say "we don't teach it until a student's knee is in alignment with the other knee" (or something like that), but it doesn't seem other studios have that.
Sometimes when I'm feeling cheeky I'll go ahead and do it, because I HAVE been instructed- at other studios. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Oregon | hnia: My problem is that I'm like rubber. I have to press my heel into my belly because there is no resistance in my hips or knees to help me balance. The toes that I'm standing on end up on my other hip and I can't seem to find any resistance to balance for the entire posture.
I've been turning over I can't seem to find any resistance to balance in my head. As I practice the pose, I'm not sure where resistance comes in, unless your heel pops out of lotus. When I see that you end up standing on your other hip, finding balance might have to do with the placement of the heel of the toe you're standing on.
What is your instruction for where the standing heel goes? It's not said in the dialogue, I don't think, but at my studio, when the question comes up, "Where does the heel go?" The response is, "Yep, right in-between the cheeks." In terms of finding the balance? Wedge it in there and see what happens. Maybe don't try to rise up for a while, see if you can get some stability and strength in the pose.
Remember after you've landed on the heel and try to balance... don't look up yet. Keep your gaze at one spot in the floor in front of you. And, part of balancing for me is to inhale and extend spine upwards, tall and straight (while maintain the focal point on the floor). I can't balance unless I get my spine vertical. It's also best when I extend and straighten it slowly. If I rush, I won't get off my finger tips.
Did I say I like this posture?
yoga-addict : I've heard them say "we don't teach it until a student's knee is in alignment with the other knee"
I'd never get to do toe stand if that was the case. I'm years away from getting my knees in alignment. I think they're going against Bikrams philosophy there. It matters that you try the correct way, not that every aspect of the posture is perfect. That's how it's reiterated at my studio, anyway. |
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| Hi DJ. Dre,
It's probably a combination of things. I can balance for a few breaths...But I think I'm getting lucky and not really using the strength of my body. I"m just good at aligning it up and hoping for the best.
Just seems like it would be easier if hip was tighter. My knee drops below the other knee...
I've tried doing it all kinds of ways, but I feel like a rubber doll and can't seem to find the right afford for the posture.
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toe stand
