Hot Yoga Pose Forums > Danurasana: Floor Bow
It took me a while to get the feeling of kicking into that spot, but that's exactly what it feels like. When I kick hard enough, I freeze on my hip bones; and I can go even higher. I always have to fight the urge to let my knees come a part to get even higher.
I am really glad that we spent sometime talking about not squeezing the glutes in this pose. When I squeeze my glutes in any of the back strengthening series, I get an insane aching in my lower back. I guess this makes sense because this goes with the idea of agonists and antagonists. I can't exactly expect to get more opening in a pose if I am contracting what needs to be opened.
I am wondering if anyone has any tips to keep my knees more together when I kick up into that spot that feels like I am frozen in the pose?
Brittany Yard
I have yet to get to the spot you're talking about Brittany, where I'm on my hip bones and not rocking. The picture on our script looks amazing though! For me, the part I'm focusing on is how I'm gripping my feet. Earlier in this thread, another TT had talked about grabbing too far in with the hands, and that's what I've been doing before this week. Now I'm focusing more on grabbing the tops of my feet and not bending my wrists so much going into this pose. Maybe that will help me get to the place you're talking about.
Chrissy Graziano
I find myself rocking as well in this pose, Chrissy. Since we have talked more about this pose in TT and reading more about it, I focus now first on kicking back hard into my hands then up with my thighs followed by lookin up with the eyes, chin and chest. I don't feel anything in my back in this pose. I only feel my thighs, hamstrings and arms activated.
Lisa O'Rourke
So many great comments here! Yes Brittany you got it - squeezing the glutes cuts off blood supply to the delicate lower back and that aching is your back screaming for flow! Notice that your glutes will contract and engage naturally when you do things like poses like Danurasana that build strength in the lower back...thats the body's natural protection for your lower back. It happens also in poses like standing backbend,,Standing bow pulling. ustrasana....your body has amazing checks and balances so breathe and trust and follow the teachers instructions and you'll continue to feel great
Alas, spreading the knees is the fastest way to kick higher but NOT recommended - not worth the long term damage. You might try moving the hands towards the ankles now just as we do in Standing Bow Pulling when you're ready to kick harder/go deeper
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Chrissy - you can stop from rocking if you are kicking as hard as you are stretching your chest up. These two equal and opposite things stablize the body onto the hips and prevent rocking - which often happens when the kick isnt hard enough
Its what Lisa said!
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
Kicking back and UP is key in this pose. I focus on this first then relax my shoulders back and look up and back. It feels like a really powerful pose.
Jeanne
Jeanne, you got it. Relaxing the shoulders back is just as important as kicking. This pose used to be “easy” for me when I began I would kick back and Webble wobble on my hip bones until I found somewhere to stop. Now that I am stronger though, this pose has posed more challenge. Now, I hardly ever wobble but I go right up where I am supposed to be that “sweet spot” if you will. However my bigger challenge now that I am working on is my wrists. They have a tendency t curl inward. Aimee gave me a great tip of “climbers hands” that I’ve been doing to keep my wrists straight.
Stephanie
Love doing this pose when I can stabilize on my hips, balanced, eyes, chest up. Yes, agree with you Stephanie and Jeanne, relaxing shoulders important as kicking.. And for me getting that extension in my arms to hold my feet with commitment. That's where I feel the stretch is in my chest and quads.
amy
Yes I agree with the kicking back then up first. But for me When I inhale I have to engage my abdominal muscles to be able to get anywhere near rolling into the hips/ pelvic girdle. This is a very powerful pose once I’m in it because my heart chakra is totally opened and exposed, once I realize this and let go I can kick back a little harder and higher to come to a new edge.
maria
“Cut out the thinking and do the yoga.”; “don’t think; breathe, do and breakthrough”. These quotes from Gabrielle spoke to me for obvious reasons. :)
One common mistake mentioned that I need to correct is not looking at myself in the mirror. I am looking for my toes to pierce my head but didn’t realize that would take me out of the pose.
Visuals are very helpful though, and I am grateful for this book that is showing me what the correct form looks like since we don’t always get to see it since we aren’t looking at ourselves.
Pamela
Pamela, I totally get that , I still catch myself looking for my toesies over my head. I think I am starting to feel when they are there. I don't rock back and forth as much lately, but I don't think I knew I was supposed to be on my hip bones. I need to concentrate on that more because for some reason I end up on my stomach which is not comfortable. I wonder if its not enough lift in my chest to match the kick in my legs.
Paula
I love this pose--it is such a nice stretch for me, especially in the thighs. I do have to watch that my knees don't flare out, but that is improving with time. I am also getting more comfortable with looking up and back in this and other poses.
irenem
For a while I had a problem with the pose. Just like in a standing bow, it would compress my lower back. I think it was happening because I was focusing on the pulling with the arms instead of just kicking. Like Irene, I still have to work on not flaring the knees out, but I am slowly getting there. I do enjoy the pose more and more now.
Irina
Yes, as with all Asana it is a plurk in progress. When I was a painter, I learned that every part of your painting affected every other part...so when you deepened the shadow on a piece of fruit in one corner, you would check the entire painting to see how this affected all the light everywhere else. It is the same with Asana - when you kick higher, you check in on the knees to make sure they are still parallel, and check in on the shoulders to make sure they are totally relaxed and allowing the kick to pull them and not the other way around, etc. Its one reason we have SO MANY CUES in our script! Each small change you make affects the whole - and the whole is everything to how your body feels in the asana. The ultimate goal is to feel a sense of freedom in your body in asana...and when everything is aligned you will SOAR, especially in the flying poses like Danurasana! And Pamela and Paula yes, you can still look for your toesies behind your head...just look up to the ceiling! Thats where they're going to end up!
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
I have never made it to the roll to the hips stage of this pose due to cramps in my calls one or both. I drink a ton of water all day everyday and add sole before and after class. Other than dehydration what might cause this?
Erica
I think i found my solution- the chest and legs have to be equal opposite forces...i need to be activelylifting the chest as hard as kicking back and up.
Lisa N
Lisa, thats a good tip - try it for yourself and post what you experience.
Rhonda Uretzky, E-RYT
The real beauty, Becky, is when you STOP rolling: you freeze into place and kick HARDER and HIGHER. This keeps you stable on the mat while your hips open and you kick your toes through the ceiling!