Yoga poses you though you could never do

Melonpaul

Hi, I'm Mel and I've been practicing yoga off and on for 4 years now with DVD's and actual studios in my area. I'm partial to Vinyasa flow yoga but I really love all of it, I think there's no better feeling when you've completed your practice for that day.

After 4 years of practice I have finally achieved a crow pose (no feet on the ground) I really want to be able to complete a handstand away from the wall and I know I have a ways to go to achieve that.

But anayway I'd like to know when you started your practice was there any poses that you strived to achieve? How long did it take you to complete it?

yoginimary

Great job on crow/bhekasana!

No pose is ever completed , but here's a partial list of what I've successfully attempted:

Yoga Dandasana (see picture), I'm almost there on one side. Binds are difficult for my body type. This is the closest I've gotten in 14 years, not that I tried this pose when I started yoga - but it is much further along than when I worked on it 2 years ago.

Marichyasana 3 - I got the bind on one side this year, still working on the other side. My pelvis is a bit out of whack and overly flexible, so the other side is especially difficult in twists

Kapotasana - I grabbed my toes last year.

Pincha Mayurasana - balancing - I can reliably balance in this pose - I got this in the past year or two

Vasisthasana - side plank, holding foot - I got this one reliably about 3 years ago.

Sirsasana - headstand - in 2009 I started doing headstand - For the first 9 years of my practice, I didn't do it at all because of neck issues. Two years ago I could do 5 minutes or so. Now I'm up to 7 minutes.

There are others. Many of the arm balances just required being taught well, and I could get them for a little bit. Way too many teachers say stuff like "go to bhekasana" with no instruction. I don't know how people get into it at all that way.

The past 6 years or so, I've really upped my practice, and the poses come more easily now.

yoginimary

Yesterday I did a pose I've been working on for 2-3 years: Mayurasana. It's considered a bit of a "guy" pose - meaning it is more difficult for a woman's shape. I have to admit, that I was in Baddha Konasana and had two straps, but I was still up. I'll post a picture on my profile. It's not the most flattering picture, but I'm clearly off the ground.

odonogc

Wow Mary, that's amazing!

lauradoingyoga

That is amazing!

I have only once been able to achieve a comfortable full lotus and that was after a very nice Yin class where all we did was hip openers. My right hip is completely different and much worse than my left, so I've always been able to do a half-lotus...that darn right hip finally opened up and it was amazing.

I also was so excited the first time I did a side arm balance from a twisted chair pose (I can never remember the real pose names).

I'll have to build my practice up again after my pregnancy. Not looking forward to that.

Shan790

never thought I'd be able to nail crow pose or any kind of head or handstand, I still fall out of crow and its not as pretty as it could be but I can do it and headstands too, still need a wall for handstands, tried once fell hard and now get nervous.

TGKvr

I'm working on crow - can't seem to hold it for more than a few seconds. I think my focus is off and my hand placement perhaps not quite right.

Bird of Paradise is one of my favorite poses... took me about 6 months to be able to transition smoothly and hold the pose for a full 5-10 breaths, depending on the day. I'm still working on getting my leg a bit straighter in the pose, but I think that will come as I deepen my practice and thus my overall flexibility.

djinkx

<---- this one - my foot kept slipping off my arm. it took ages until i realized that i needed to bend my arm more so i'd have a more horizontal shelf to stand on. guess i have trouble with the obvious, lol.

jbee27

As someone who is relatively new to yoga, a few months ago even the "resting" poses like Child's pose and Downward Dog were difficult to hold for more than a breath or two, and certainly were not restful!

Currently my focus is on improving my chaturanga dandasana and doing sun salutations with good form all the way through.

dhall2011

Okay, I know the English names but still learning the sanskrit names for the poses. I am currently working toward king pigeon and within the last few months was finally able to grab my foot and I never thought I could do that. Also, I recently got a headstand away from the wall and if you told me three months ago I would be able to do that this year then I would have laughed at you.

pcknits

I am fairly new to yoga practice. You all give me hope!

Currently I attend a Vinyasa class once a week. There is a yin yoga class available I may check out this week.

I have a very tight right hip and today at class I noticed I could manipulate it more and that was very exciting!

pookeyism

I have been doing yoga for about 25 years and I would like to get back into crow and headstands - however after seriously weakening my shoulder (dislocated it and created anterior and posterior tears ) I would be pleased to create that in my practice again - but it is not necessary.

One thing I want to stress to yogis is that yoga is exercise - so repetitive reaching for a difficult variation can create injury. Be careful. With that said - all the newer yogis fear not - there are modifications for almost every pose and if there is not - or not one that works for you - there is another pose or pose pairing that can help you create exactly what you need.

pookeyism

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esmaythemermaid

Simple headstand. I've been practicing for a month and I finally got it up without the wall! My goal is to get a scorpian down soon . I'm also working on arm balance poses. Working on my crow pose. Hopefully by next month I can get myself off the ground

curvyjew

I second, third and fourth crow. I'll have it for a split second, not even long enough to breathe. In fact, I probably hold my breath the whole time. Ironically.

KellyUVA

Reverse wheel!!! I didn't see how the body could bend like that, and then one day it just happened! Also, crow and side crow. I am working on bird of paradise but can never seem to hold my balance for long.

MyNewZen

When I first started yoga 3 years ago I was a mess I was overweight and had various injuries, the worst one being my back which was pretty much immobile... if I dropped my keys it was a struggle to pick them up.

Every single pose along the way has been an achievement!

Recently I have been stoked to nail my free floor hand stands and finally be able to touch my nose to my knees in a forward fold.

Shokei

Crow Pose is my latest crushing victory over my ego

anyamb

It's not an impressive pose or anything, but lowering down to the floor from plank pose slowly and without my arms shaking or without using my knees, and then pushing out of cobra into downward dog without bending my back in awkward ways, has been giving me trouble since I restarted doing yoga regularly about a month ago. I don't have much upper body strength, so I was worried I would have trouble with this for a long time.

But yesterday, in the middle of my practice, I realized that I had done both movements three times with no trouble at all. I learned that gains are sometimes made so slowly that it can be hard to notice them, especially if you are not focused on being present on the mat.