Supta Kurmasana and Rolfing Insights...
I can get into supta kurmasana - but if I want to bind hands and have the feet crossed behind the head someone always helps me. Dr. Disco was showing me her supta kurmasana pointers - which were helpful but I still was putting my left leg behind my head while sitting up and then rolling around trying to get the right foot behind. My knees are on the floor in baddha konasana - so it is not a hip-opening issue. I can get into yoga nidrasana alone - which is the same asana flipped. I was looking for the reason for the problem because understanding the issue is the key to the problem.
Ken the rolfer asked me - out of the blue - how my supta kurmasana was. I told him and he said that I have a slight side-to-side spine curvature. Apparently my tailbone curves to the left - which is news to me. So when I go into supta kurmasana (left leg first as per the ashtanga orthodoxy) both my natural curve and the curve of the pose is very to the left. Then, while balancing on my left-leaning tailbone (so gravity is sealing the left-turning) I try to get my right leg behind my head. The reason others can put me into it is because my right hip is open and I am on the floor - not on my tailbone - when they adjust me. He suggested that I try doing supta kurmasana right leg first (not during practice of course) to counteract this.
So at home I tried going into yoganidrasana right leg first by taking my right gluteus maximus in my right hand and pulling the cocix firmly to the right - rather indelicate but effective. Suddenly getting into yoganidrasana is easier and I could feel the whole issue in my body and recognize that, for example, I would rather throw my left leg than my right over a motor scooter seat - because I feel that I prefer a left side bend. This new understanding does not solve the problem of balancing on a sitbone that is curved in the wrong direction to get into supta kurmasana. Perhaps I will have to get into supta kurmasana while still on the floor in kurmasana, reaching around and adjusting myself indelicately. If you are reading this and have any helpful thoughts, please comment...
I asked Ken if I should try to change the curvature of my spine and he said, "well, it is not terribly important... it shouldn't be the focus of your life... you should be happy that you are doing second series poses and have done ashtanga for as long as you have with no chronic injuries." So, apparently this is not something that will affect my health in some important way. He also told me, "I think you have the loosest feet I have ever worked on" and, "You have toes that most yogis would die for." I probably blushed. Perhaps I need to show my feet off more in social situations and wiggle my toes ...
posted by Matrika at 10:38 PM
2 Comments:
First thing, The body is not, nor meant to be symetrical. The heart is on the left, liver on the right, Spleen, pancreas, intestines, etc. So don't think of trying to always "balance" sides. Thats why its always right leg first in padmasana. Its balancing the natural balance of the body, not imposing a symetrical one. I have that same kind of curvature in my spine, mild Scoliosis. and I can do Supta K pretty easy. Its normal for it to be a real pain in the ass to get the second leg. try this:
When you sit up, put the left leg up, then as you start to lift the right leg, squeeze the left thigh in toward the torso, so as to press it to your right, this will help balance the hips and allow the right hip to open deeper.
Someone showed this to me during gurujis last tour and the next day, TA DA!!
post note, I can do supta K no problem, but I still need lots of help getting my knees to floor in baddha K. They are two different hip stretches, They feel sort of the same but there is a big difference.
the opening in the hips in Mari A is closer to that of supta K.
Hope this helps, love the blog, keep it up.
thanks Neti... esp "...squeeze the left thigh in toward the torso, so as to press it to your right.." is very useful for me. The muscular way of doing this interests me...
Also... the other comment from a FL pal disappeared somehow... about the my hog. Yes, I have been thinking about a hog blog entry - and I suppose I will have to rent one when I return...
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