How do you overcome stiffness, especially when you have been feeling stuck in the same place for a while? The answer is to try doing the same pose in a different relationship to gravity.
Some people shun props, but the three functions of props are:
To create stability.
To increase the amount of time you can stay in a pose.
To create movement in the body in area that previously didn’t have movement.
I like to joke that there are only 12 yoga poses and you do them in ways: right side up, upside down, lying on your side, on your back, on your abdomen, standing on your head, balancing on your hands...
While I have not really sat down and tried to figure out how few general categories of asana shapes you can make, there are some obvious similarities between poses. These three poses all have the same shape, they are just done in different relationships to gravity: In Ardha Chandrasana, you are balancing one one leg and one hand, in Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana II you are balancing on one leg and in Vasisthasana you are balancing again on one hand and one foot.
Ardha Chandrasana
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasna II
Vasisthasana
Each one of these shapes requires different core strength. Because of the different gravitational pull on the body, the poses will stretch and strengthen you body in unique ways. It is important to challenge your body from different angles so that we don’t become habituated to the same old asanas, done in the same way.
This is especially important if you are stuck, or are experiencing stiffness in a certain family of poses.
Take for instance in Forward Bends:
Dandasana
Adho Mukha Virasana
Adho Mukha Swastikasana
If you are experiencing stiffness in these basic poses, you can try them in a different relationship to gravity. For example, Hanging from the rope wall in these downward facing variations:
Urdhva Dandasana
Adho Mukha Virasana
Adho Mukha Swastikasana
For a more advanced version of these basic forward bends, we can practice them in hanging in an upward facing direction.
Paschimottanasana on the rope wall
Swastikasana on the rope wall
Baddha Konasana on the rope wall
These are some of the fun variations we can play with on the rope wall in my Home Studio (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 9:00 am) or at The Solebury Club (Tuesday and Saturday mornings at 9:00 am).
Need help getting unstuck? I’d love to see you in class!