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Baddha Konasana - to open the feet or not?
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childofthetao
Posted 2011-08-06 4:01 PM (#209041)
Subject: Baddha Konasana - to open the feet or not?


Member

Posts: 23

Hello, I have recently switched over from David Swenson's Ashtanga DVD to Richard Freemans. I want to ask about one difference in Baddha Konasana. David Swenson says to "open the feet like a book" but Richard doesn't say that.

Can you tell me the difference and/or give me your opinion on opening the feet this way. Does it make the pose more effective? Does it even make a difference at all?

Thanks
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Iraputra
Posted 2011-08-10 4:00 AM (#209050 - in reply to #209041)
Subject: RE: Baddha Konasana - to open the feet or not?


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Posts: 113
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Location: Uppsala, Sweden

Yes, the soles of the feet should be facing upward, because this helps a lot with opening the hips, which protects the knees, and you should not lean forward unless your knees are on the floor without pain. Gregor Maehle explains in his book (p. 100-102, Practice and Philosophy) how this pose is basically a double-sided Janu Shirshasana A. And you really want it to be a hip-opener, not a knee-destroyer.

The difference is probably that you need to be a lot more flexible in your hips if you don't open and point the feet (making the heels slightly move apart) right from the start when sitting up straight and bringing the knees towards the floor, and just because Richard Freeman may not have included this instruction (I haven't seen it) does not mean that you should not do it the safe way (i.e. with knees on the floor and folding forward) — eventually the soles/toes of your feet touch your chest when completely folded forward. Beginners may want to just sit up straight (remaining there) and possibly with their sit bones elevated on a folded blanket. David Swenson also gives the advice to keep the soles together and the knees off the floor “if you find it to be too intense to open the feet or lower the knees”... (p. 108, The Practice Manual)

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Nick
Posted 2011-08-11 2:04 AM (#209059 - in reply to #209041)
Subject: RE: Baddha Konasana - to open the feet or not?



20005001002525
Location: London, England
childofthetao - 2011-08-06 9:01 PM

Hello, I have recently switched over from David Swenson's Ashtanga DVD to Richard Freemans. I want to ask about one difference in Baddha Konasana. David Swenson says to "open the feet like a book" but Richard doesn't say that.

Can you tell me the difference and/or give me your opinion on opening the feet this way. Does it make the pose more effective? Does it even make a difference at all?

Thanks

Hi Calvin,
This is one of those postures where teachers and different forms of yoga have very different opinions-who is right?
Personally, I don't teach turning the soles of the feet up-anatomically, this movement consists of at least two actions in the foot, inversion (sole of foot turns towards midline), and adduction (big toe brought towards midline)-both of these movements happen when the ankle is twisted, which obviously damages the ankle, foot, and also the knee.
My feeling is that the first series is full of postures which are made easier to accomplish by twisting the ankle-half-lotus, janu sirsasana A and B, etc. Even the straight leg often displays a turned ankle-the weight-bearing part of the foot moves from the back of the heel towards the outside of the heel.
Again, it also happens in vinyasa-both on the jump-back and the jump-through.
My feeling is that, starting with straight legs and the back of the heel on the floor, pull the leg towards you by externally rotating the hip and flexing the knee-this should help keep all three joints of the leg travelling in the same plane-very important.
Only the very flexible will be able to accomplish the whole movement without using their arms to put the foot in the desired position-try to use your hands to complete the movement of the leg, rather than using your hands to twist the foot, which super-imposes an action on the whole leg which is not ergonomic-twitsing the foot, internal knee rotation (which opens up the knee), and external hip rotation-all the joints are hindering each other's actions-not good, I don't think.
I think one reason why you see these fooot movements is because it is much easier to twist the ankle and damage it than it is to 'open the hip.' So turning the foot means the hip's movement does not have to be so extravagant-every time you allow it to happen, you are then wasting time-and injuring joints, and training muscles to allow these injury-producing movements to take place.
Lotus is reputed to be a dangerous posture for the knee, but I think the injury production is started right from the basic postures-best to fix the movement towards these postures then use these trained actions to approach the more advanced postures.
As many here will know, I could go on, and often do, what are your thoughts?

Nick




Edited by Nick 2011-08-11 2:05 AM
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