Hot Yoga Pose Forums > Chapter: Sit Up
Chrissy - this is common - the double/jerk/double/exhale go together and the strong exhale facilities a deeper relaxation for lengthening more between the vertebrae. Good catch on this valuable nuance.
Lisa, I'm not as concerned as Gabrielle about hooking the thumbs but yes, do lift HIGH to the ceiling to lengthen from the lower back - you wont find this cue in the traditional Bikram yoga classes but I feel its vital to lower back health.
In addition when you "double jerk" your gaze should be at the back wall so you can pull with a flat back - no rounded-back pulling - for deeper lengthening combined with strong exhale breath
After the double-jerk it feels wonderful to relax and round your back and drop your forehead to knees - a complete curl to relax the separated vertebrae after creating so much new space between them
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Wow I’m right with Chrissy. I’ve been doing the double jerk wrong too. Oh this is going to be fun to play with! As a side though, when Zach came back to teach, he showed us the other sit up. I really really enjoyed this one because I felt my abs working and the power my core holds, however, I would not be able to do that if I had not first learned our sit up. I feel the other sit up is best for an advanced or experienced class. I remember my first class, I couldn’t do the sit ups, let alone the one Zach taught us.
Stephanie
In Rhonda’s first post regarding the reaching up with a long back first in the sit up is something I have been more mindful of lately. During a class Brittany had taught she also reminded me of that cue. I believe the long back is important because it enables me to get as much of a forward reach with the flat back.I remind myself to also suck my stomach in to protect my lower back during this pose. It helps me reach up higher with that long back.
All the posts clarifying the double jerk and double exhales is great because now I can see how this also can enable someone to picture a flat back. This for me is also a pose in progress because of my tight hamstrings trying to grab for the toes is sometimes a struggle. Rhonda mentioned in regards to Tina and Grace’s (and more recent to Chrissy)posts that dropping the forehead to knee then rounding the back allows this connection at the end of sit up to open up the vertebrae. I will incorporate more of these cues continually in my practice.
maria
Need to focus on double jerk exhale too. I love reaching up with straight flat back. When Zach introduced the lift with core emptying breath and round back, I got a bit confused. Liked his suggestion, then went back to flat back. So, work in progress, like Maria and sounds like many of us.
amy
I am a BIG FAN of lengthening before pulling (lift then double jerk) for what seems like obvious reasons - longer things stretch easier! However be aware that the classic Bikram method does not advise the life to the ceiling - but STILL it IS encouraging a flat back when you double jerk...its just more subtle: the long back is achieved by sucking in the stomach as you lift (as you observed Amy, and as Zach instructed) and staying MINDFUL of the flat back as you double=jerk...but in my experience, the sit up itself goes too fast to instruct on this and students may be pulling on a rounded back before you have a chance to align them with cues. For this reason I love the "reach for the ceiling" cue and I incorporate it into our scripts. No pain, all gain
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
I like the focus of the sit up to lock the body but I really think of tightening my core and back muscles and the all important back supporters, especially the deep low abdominals. I also agree with Amy that the stretch-up feels so great as does the rounding as you drop forehead to knee. I inadvertently used to fly right pst that in a hurry to move on.
Jeanne
As Jeanne said, the lock the body cue is super helpful because you lock all the spinal supporting muscles . I think I missed reaching to the ceiling for a long time. When I first started Hot 26 I was usually just trying to keep up for the first couple sit ups but as my practice has gotten stronger and more stable I find that the sit up is a pose to refine also.
Paula
Yes Paula, reaching for the ceiling is not a cue you hear all the time in the Hot 26...its sort of like the "up and over, up and over" we say in Arda Chandrasana warm up: its subtle but that extra lift makes all the difference to lengthening and protecting the lower back. Oftentimes if its not said, student will throw themselves over in a curl and pull on the curled back - not good ! And yes, the extra lift gives you a moment to hold in your stomach which strengthens the core AND further stabilized the lower back!
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
After reading about the sit-up and reading through this thread, I realized this week that I've been doing the double jerk wrong. For some reason, the cues never really clicked with me when I did this pose. Zach actually got on the floor one time and did the sit-up so I could see it, then it made a lot more sense. I'm excited to play with the double jerk this week and see how it feels, I hadn't even been grabbing my feet until the very end when my back was rounded.