Hot Yoga Pose Forums > Chapter: Dandayamana Danurasana
The hardest part of the pose for me is staying in it! I've been working on locking my standing leg, and that's helping. But when I go for the full extension, I feel that moving my abdomen parallel to the ground makes me fall. I know I should kick back harder, but when I'm so close, I don't think I can kick back any harder! It is helping though to grab at the shin...
KristinaS
Kristina try lifting your chest as you move your abdomen parallel. Kicking back harder will help you balance, as long as you're reaching forward equally hard. Try kicking UP as you kick back, getting your kicking knee up toward the ceiling.
CarlyM
For me it's the standing leg issue, I loose myself in the set up some days although I really like the slow controlled movement I get when I focus in this pose... I notice during setup that as soon as I bring my arm up against the ear and my knees in. I feel more even
AlexandriaS
I know that 'even' feeling. I too feel it when I get the set up correct and it my makes my pose stronger. Now, for me, the question is melding the physical with the words. The script for this pose is very, very hard for me. But I love exploring this pose in class and have been making progress with my own practice. What's with this physical/mental disconnect? I'm loving this pose more and more, but the words in the script are just not coming out!
KristinaS
I find that lifting the chest up right before kicking up helps me best visualize and feel my way into the pose. The more I kick up before lowering the abdomen, the closer into a standing split I can go.
I find the grip super important, when it really 'sticks' I feel the two opposite forces nicely locked together in an equal tension in my arm, so the grip helps gives stability.
Question about hiding shoulder in mirror at set up: aren't you rotating your upper body, thus affecting hip alignment?
I can’t really ‘feel’ when hips are aligned, it's tricky in the mirror, especially when my foot is definitely centered above my head.
Melina
Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think…..about BALANCE! I’ve found that thinking about balance in a pose never brings it, yet I do it anyway. It was good to be reminded, rather, to CREATE balance by pressing the kicking leg back and up and stretching the arm forward and up, all on a locked standing leg foundation.
Mallory Maier
Melina, you are correct: the slight upper body twist when you pull your right (or left) shoulder behind you, thus getting "both shoulders into one line," indeed affects the hip alignment, making "both hips to the ground" challenging; and it is precisely this back-and-forth constant adjustment push/pull that deepens your pose (shoulder back, hip down, pull the shoulder, square the hip). A "tension" between two points exists in all hot yoga poses, differently. As you find these yin/yang moments (ie, "elbows up/shoulder down/Pranayama), the poses become pleasurable and you find....balance. The more you push at the edge, the further out it stretches. Move your own horizon line and watch your "limitations" vanish.
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
I agree, Aimee - it's a little like thinking about riding a bicycle: figuring it out doesn't work; the balance comes when you just do it - ALL of it - at once. Fortunately there is a teacher to guide you and you don't have to think at all.
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
This pose is difficult for me. I have recently started to kick back and charge forward with some control and can hold it for a bit some days. It feels great to finally be extending my body with some degree of balance. Even just learning the beginning of this script has helped me a lot. Some teachers kind of leave you hanging, so at least I have the words in my head to kick hard and charge forward. It helps to keep me there and I'll take any few seconds I can get. I like reading the past posts here, thats helps a lot too!
KimA
The kick is the key, Kim! Just keep kicking it into high gear and soon you'll be kicking your heels right up through the ceiling (thats how it will feel anyway!)
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Just keep kicking, just keep kicking....Sorry I had to Nemo popped into my head. I personally love love love this pose. Probably the dancer in me. For me the amount of the kick has to equal the amount of the reach otherwise no chance of holding for long and getting into the full expression.
GabbyL
I have seen some people get into this pose beautifully (coughGabbycough)! I struggle with balance on my right leg so I don't start to kick out so that's been the hardest part for me but one of these days, one of these classes, it will lock and I'll kick!
HeatherS
It sure will, Heather: the day you give up struggling. When do you think that will be?
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Im with Gabby - love the pose but have to equally stretch in the kick and reach in order to stay in the pose. As long as my standing leg is locked, I can increase the amount of time I hold the pose with the reach and kick. I think everyone looks so beautiful when they do this pose at any stage.
Marguerite
It's a lot to do with the standing locked leg for me too - yesterday in class you pointed out to me, Rhonda, the continual locking/unlocking of my thigh on the standing leg in this pose. You suggested I stop thinking about it and just commit to it being locked for the entirety of the pose. The second I stopped focusing my eyes and attention on that leg, and just thought, "It is locked," it just stayed locked for a heck of a lot longer than it did when I was focusing intensely and visually on it. This allowed me to look at myself in the mirror, keep my chin parallel to the floor, and focus my attention on the strength of my kick backwards and up.
I love how Gabrielle Raiz describes the ROTATION of the parabolic shape of your body versus the hinging of the torso at the hip. It helps me to visualize what I am doing when I think of myself as a shape that when reached can then rotate forward toward the mirror.
"It is only an illusion that the body has to come forward to create this pose," Gabrielle writes.
For me - the most important factors of keeping myself away from this illusion: chest up and facing the side wall and consciously relaxed shoulders. Just like I recently realized in Dhanurasana, Floor Bow, if you actively use your shoulders you will get them into mal-position and they will hinder your depth in the pose (and create a whopping amount of neck/head tension). Relax them down and back, and let your kick pull them properly into place. Keep the arm as high as possible by your ear until you are ready to pivot at the hip and lower down.
Grace
i am starting to love this pose. in the beginning of my practice i could hardly hold it for 1/2 the time before falling out. like grace, once i realized that i can look at myself smiling in the mirror instead of on my locked leg i can stay in the pose much longer... its amazing what a smile can do! :)
danielle bumber
Good awarenesses, Grace. Yes, if you "actively lower the body" in this pose, the back stays flat and there goes the curve of the spine. It is an illusion that the body lowers down in this pose - you are not lowering anything you are kicking UP , "kicking your back into a bow," kicking the habit of a closed chest and heart, kicking to pull your shoulders back and apart...its all about the KICK and yes, the locked standing thigh is the foundation for getting a kick out of this amazing pose
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Danielle - a smile is the secret of every asana! Remember those little side channels alongside the corners of the mouth that squeeze your gut when you clench your mouth and allow a full release when you smile...and come on, how easy is it to smile! Employ the smile in every asana and feel the fullness of the pose
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
I do find the same issues as Kristina sometimes and trying to lift my chest more. I figured how the hips should go parallel last week It was a brand new feeling for the entire pose and the leg went up much higher like there is no limit and kicking is easy. Love the pose with all my heart!!!
Alfia
Im more flexible on the right side of my body, so this pose feels more comfortable when i kick back with the right leg up into my semi standing split. I can also see my foot pierce the center of my head in the mirror easier and quicker on the right side.
Once i square my hips to the floor it seems to change my center of gravity throwing me off balance. It takes a moment for me to adjust this and regain my balance. Once i plant the foot of my solid standing leg on the ground and keep the leg locked, i can hold it a bit longer. I just keep looking for that dimple above my knee!
I can't believe that Kristina said "The script for this pose is very, very hard for me." If you ever took her class you would NEVER NEVER KNOW that she felt this way. She delivered the entire script just beautifully when she taught!
TinaA
i personally love this pose! i fall out every time but only because i want to see how much farther i can get this time, i'm excited to try the new technique Rhonda had mentioned the other day, to slide the hand to the shin, excited to see how this will improve my pose today in class.
Becky
Yes, Becky, once you consistently see your foot come up and it "pierces" centered behind your head in the mirror you can start the pose grabbing at the ankle and slide the hand onto the shin to get to standing split. Watch the alignment of the hip. And consider that there may be other non-physical reasons for falling out of a pose (there always are because you are always more than your physical body) but if you can laugh and come back into the pose, you're doing it right
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Like Becky, I love this pose. It gets my heart racing and provides an amazing stretch for my lower back. I think it is cool to see my leg pierce the center of my head, but I know that sometimes I allow my hips to get crooked. When my foot comes up behind my head, I always remember to square my hips before going further. Some days I can square my hips and continue further, and other days the old dancer in me resists the squaring of my hips. So I just stay where I am in the pose and work on squaring my hips.
I like envisioning the parabolic idea that Raiz mentions. This helps me to envision the standing back bend idea rather than focusing on the kicking and lowering of my upper body. When I first started doing this pose, I remember thinking: "This is an easy one. Kick my leg up and lower my body." Not so much. There is much more to it. Get the curve, square the hips, and then lower. Three steps that seem so simple are always changing based on the day and what my body can offer.
On the days that I am able to go further, I like to see how far I can go and challenge myself to hold as long as possible. I get into the pose and allow myself to be guided by the teacher's voice. It helps to focus me and hold the pose longer. I personally think that the teacher's voice plays a huge role in the success of students in this pose. I used to like to see how far I could go and welcome falling out. Now, I feel like my body releases when I hold and stretch a bit longer.
Brittany Yard
I have an issue with this pose. It's because of dance. This step (in dance) is called penche (pon-chey). To go to a standing split you have to release the hip, not a lot, but you have to. Because of my training and being able to get to the full extent of Penche, "Standing Bow Pulling", keeping the hip under is really hard for me. It actually hurts my back. It hurts my back so much that I am sore for the rest of the week. I've stopped kicking hard in this pose because I can't be out of commission with back pain all week. Not really sure how to fix this problem.
Dani
The pose everyone loves to watch and hates to do...but when you do it correctly you have effectively stretched your body 360 degrees from the top to bottom, and you can feel it! What is the hardest part of this pose for you?