beginner's yoga question... can you help?

feetjustgo
feetjustgo Posts: 36 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hoping a more experienced yogi can help me out...

I generally do Bikram's beginning yoga class, so I don't have much experience with flowing through a sequence. I added a sequence for stronger arms to my routine and I'm really struggling with the transitions between poses.

Here's the sequence:
Downward Dog
Plank
Side Plank
Chaturanga
Upward Dog
... and back to Downward Dog, etc.

I think I should be able to move through the series with my hands in roughly the same place, but I find myself having to adjust them constantly. I start with them beneath my shoulders, go into Down Dog, have no problem transitioning into Plank and then Side Plank, but I pretty much always have to move my hands back for Chaturanga and Upward Dog. I also sometimes feels like I need to move my feet forward for Downward Dog.

I know this probably makes very little sense without seeing it, but I am so far from being able to flow gracefully through the series.

Any suggestions on how to improve flow generally? Or maybe specific pointers about getting into Down Dog properly, since that's the beginning pose?

Replies

  • SpleenThief
    SpleenThief Posts: 293 Member
    if you do a google image search for chaturanga, you'll see the hands are generally set back, well behind the shoulders. For planks they're typically directly beneath the shoulders so there would have to be some movement between plank and chatarunga.
  • cadaverousbones
    cadaverousbones Posts: 421 Member
    It sounds like you are doing it right, just need more practice. I love yoga and if you wanna ever talk and get advice or anything feel free to message me! Sometimes you have to re-adjust between poses, especially if you are just getting started. Over time you will be able to flow better in between ;)
  • feetjustgo
    feetjustgo Posts: 36 Member
    Thanks, y'all!

    I got the routine from a fitness magazine clipping a friend gave me. Since the directions didn't mention adjusting the position of your arms, and it looked like the model's hands were in the same place throughout, I think I got fixated on the idea that I was doing something wrong. And I'm honestly a little embarrassed that I didn't think of looking at other pictures of the poses before posting here :embarassed:

    Now I realize it probably just feels awkward because I still am a beginner. Gonna stick with it and stop obsessing over whether I'm doing it perfectly!
  • agdyl
    agdyl Posts: 246 Member
    One of my instructors regularly points out that if you want to step your feet forward a bit in downward dog, do it. Maybe in a perfect world you never need to adjust, but it's better to move your hands and feet as you feel you need to to get your hips and arms feeling aligned than to flow without adjusting hand and foot placement. We're all built a little differently too, so don't worry about it! :)

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