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| I've only been practicing Bikram Yoga for the last 10 weeks and have practiced Tri-Yoga, Iyengar and Hatha at other times in my life. I love the heat and the sweat and it has been absolutely wonderful. What I don't love is the level of instruction I get with different teachers. After 10 weeks it took me reading Bikram's book to understand the Rabbitt pose: mainly, that I have to REALLY pull on my ankles until my arms arte stretched, lift my thighs and arch so that my forehead touches my knees. I had not been lifting my thighs prior to that. Well today is the day that I REALLY pulled on my ankles/feet, lifted my thighs and arched. And then i felt a pop or snap or something in my spine. Not good. It felt like a vertebrae moved or something. I stopped the rest of the poses and just lay there until the class was over. Now, it wasn't painful or a sharp pain, it just didn't feel right and now, my spine is sore (a first) and I have to watch my movements so that i don't aggravate that area. I'm pissed. I'm not sure at what, yet: me, for not doing it correctlyand trying too hard to do it right; or Bikram Yoga, for having a system that should focus more on posture specifics than regurgitating "the dialogue?" Can someone tell me what I did wrong, or what I should do? I think I'm going to stop going for a while (I'd been going 3-4 days a week). I'd love some suggestions. I love this method and don't want to stop. Thanks all |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
  
Location: A Blue State | That's really not good. I'd suggest that you *don't* follow the Bikram dialog or the
parts of the Bikram book that contradict what you've learned in your other yoga classes
about not using too much force/effort and not misaligning your joints (especially
not your knees in Bikram yoga). You should read through the Bikram forum, where
there have been a number of similar comments posted over time...although you
are the first one that I can recall to have that problem with Sasangasana (*Rabbit pose*).
So far as Rabbit and other similar stretches in Bikram yoga --- you hear "pull pull pull"
more or less in the dialog and the atmosphere of the class. Pull pull pull is bad.
It's not unusual to have enough strength to pull until you tear. I did that during my
first months of Bikram --- too much enthusiasm leading to a torn hamstring. It wasn't
a big deal and healed fine, but it taught me not to listen to nonsense about pulling
until your head touches your toes. Pull only in a way that gives a gentle stretch, not
like you'd pull to curl the 12th rep with a barbell. You aren't pulling iron against gravity,
you are pulling muscle against muscle -- one or the other will give eventually.
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| I've pulled something in my lower back from either seated forward bend and pulling too much, or standing forward bend and pulling too much. It resulted in the lower one or two vertebrae - the ones just above the sacrum - being quite sore for a few days. The lower (lumbar) spine region is prone to injury, so pulling hard is NOT a good idea. It's better to gently relax or "let go" to deepen the pose - not pull.
I'm much more careful now.
Audrey
Edited by audreyh1 2005-03-26 12:32 PM
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
 
| I looked at some of the competition photos and almost all of them had rounded lower backs that looked (to my Iyengar eyes) to be in danger of muscle tears at minimum and disc herniation as a worst case scenario. Forward bends come from the hips.
Hey - did they heat up that whole auditorium for the competition? Poor audience! |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | tourist - 2005-03-26 12:37 PM
I looked at some of the competition photos and almost all of them had rounded lower backs that looked (to my Iyengar eyes) to be in danger of muscle tears at minimum and disc herniation as a worst case scenario. Forward bends come from the hips.
So that raises a question for me --- what about the shape of the lower spine in
Prasarita Padottonasana? I've been told that I should round the back, rather than
straightening it..seems to contradict the what we learn to do in seated forward bends?
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Prasarita Padottanasana is a pose where the back is somewhat rounded - although the shoulderblades are lifted as in sirsasana. It isn't a really big rounding, which is why we tend to work on the first stage on the fingertips for quite awhile before we put the head to the floor. In fact the back tends to round in most forward bends for most people until the hips really let go. I guess the difference is in focus and emphasis. In Iyengar classes (and many more who now use similar types of alignment "rules") the emphasis is on the actions of the legs which permit the spine to "receive" the action rather than pushing or pulling at the expense of the more vulnerable parts of the body. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
Okay, let me get more specific. If you were to draw a line between the arches
of my feet, I could place the crown of my head in the middle of it quite comfortably.
I mean comfortably --- if I pull at all it is couldn't possible count as "straining".
Whether my back rounds or is flat is only a function of how far apart my feet are
(I can do it either way). So what is it about this pose that I don't understand?
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Eh! We've had the very same discussion in teacher's classes. One of the things to look at is whether or not the legs are working properly. Because I have a long torso I have always been able to do this pose relatively easily as well. Once I learned to bring the aductors into the thigh bone, I had to reach more and get more length to put my head on the floor with legs at the same distance apart. So head to the floor is a secondary goal to getting the action in the legs, hips, buttocks.
But I agree. There is still discussion to be had on how far apart the legs should be to be the optimal pose. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | Okay, so it's adductors I should think about. That rounded back thing
had me wanting to engage the outer hips or hamstrings...it's exactly the
kind of curve around the sacrum that is a no-no. I still don't see why not
to do this pose as a forward bend, however, and I don't find that I get
much from it unless I am using it as a hamstring opener. This pose is a
puzzle.  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| I saw Geeta Iyengar teach it a few years ago and she took a rank beginner into the most lovely pose. There is a LOT to it. Yes, of course the hamstrings get a good workout but the whole inner side of the leg has to lift away from the floor into the leg bones, the outer hips lift, the sit bones actually broaden away from each other, the tops of the back thighs broaden, the sacral band broadens while the tailbone tucks and the abdomen lifts up and in as in Adho Mukha Svanasana. Knee caps lift of course, inner arches and inner ankles lift........and on and on But I LOVE the pose anyway  |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
As it is time for my practice, I will have to try all of this out.
Namaste!
Bay Guy |
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| tourist - 2005-03-28 12:43 AM
But I agree. There is still discussion to be had on how far apart the legs should be to be the optimal pose.
this is my questions as well! i have really long legs - one of my teachers told me that i should not spread my legs to wide as to get the maximum benefit....i have experimented with this a lot and i seem to feel the pose more with my legs closer together. but part of me still thinks i am not doing it correctly....hmmmmm???  |
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| tourist - 2005-03-28 12:43 AM
But I agree. There is still discussion to be had on how far apart the legs should be to be the optimal pose.
sorry i am bumping this up as i would love to hear everyone's view on the legs and how far apart the "should" be. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
| Kira - I tell my students it should be wider than their trikonasana stride to start with. Anyone else? |
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| mr iyengar says in LOY : 4 1/2 to 5 feet - but my legs are more than half my mini height! i find it does feel like i am working better if i am at 4 feet. in iyengar are there some asanas that compensate for things like extra long limbs? what about anusara....christine, are you there? |
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Sore Spine from Rabbitt Pose
