Favourite pose / nemesis pose?

[CeaseAndDesist]

I've been regularly practicing yoga now for almost a year and absolutely love it. I still consider myself a complete beginner though and as if I'm only at the very start of a lifetime journey, so I'm trying not to get too hung up on stuff that I 'can't do' right now.

I've learned a LOT about my body - mainly that I have more flexibility than I thought but a lot less strength, particularly my core strength which is pretty much non-existent.

My absolute nemesis pose at the moment is chaturanga dandasana - I just can't do it without collapsing into an untidy heap on the mat. Same goes for any sort of arm balance - I am determined to get into a crow one day but it's a long way off!

But on a positive note, I can do a lovely bound cow-face, could happily fall asleep in fire-log pose and my wild thing is coming along nicely.

What's your favourite pose and which one do you try and skip in class?

[SlantyBaws]

Agree with your assessment of chaturanga dandasana. My upper body strength is minimal! Give me pigeon any day, especially if supported with pillows. Yum.

[HazelWong]

I really like the warrior poses!

Hate downward dog, it makes me dizzy because I have low blood pressure and I also think yoga teachers massively overuse it

[Greenteandchives]

I love dancer’s pose.
Can’t do/avoid bird pose.

[beautifulmonument]

I am the opposite - pretty strong (I can do chatarunga push ups) but not very flexible. Although I have good range in my shoulders. Been practicing yoga for 8 years.
I like doing handstands and balances like bird of paradise.
My nemesis pose is wide leg forward fold. I absolutely hate it and get particularly annoyed when the teacher says "let gravity do the work"! I just don't bend that way at all.

[CeaseAndDesist]

I'm not sure I'll ever do a hand/head stand although I love the idea of being able to. I love me a wide-legged forward fold - now I'm WFH I go into the garden every couple of hours and do one, love the feeling of my spine unlocking and all the blood rushing to my head

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

Chaturanga is no problem, I do Ashtanga so it’s full of them. I struggle with balances though.

[LongPauseNoReply]

Chaturanga is impossible for me right now because I have a bad back and no core strength. I'm working on it every day.

I love floor stretches, I do Yin yoga before bed. My favourite is Parivrtta Anjaneyasana - that side pulling feeling ooooo. My nemesis is Utkatasana and Parivrtta Utkatasana (see back issues above). I really want to be able to hold these but I can just about manage 10 seconds or so before I lose the pose.

[CeaseAndDesist]

@EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus

Chaturanga is no problem, I do Ashtanga so it’s full of them. I struggle with balances though.

I was doing a fair bit of Ashtanga during lockdown via Down Dog - that's where I learned that I can't chaturanga to save my life. I think my elbows bend the wrong way

I also love a good vrksasana and find it incredibly calming and energising. Oddly enough it always goes better for me at home though - I think I find it easier to balance and focus on my own than in the studio. If I see someone wobbling I wobble too (well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...)

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

Oddly enough it always goes better for me at home though - I think I find it easier to balance and focus on my own than in the studio. If I see someone wobbling I wobble too (well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it...)

Same for me, I’m normally better if there’s nobody else around. One good tip my teacher gave me was to focus on a point a bit lower down rather than one straight ahead.

[cheeseislife8]

Crow is mine, I've come closeish a couple of times but always end up in a heap!

[TumbleBingQuack]

I'm so desperate to do a crow pose and I've been sooo nearly there for a couple of months now but I just can't hold it. One day!

Chaturanga is fine for me now I've built up the strength but it took a while. I hate locust, the feeling of breathing into my tummy when it is my only point of contact to the ground makes me feel sick

[CeaseAndDesist]

That's a great tip @EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus

Crow just seems so...unnatural. And it hurts the back of my arms when I dig my knees in.

[Nuffaluff]

I love most of the balances, but particularly tree and dancer’s pose. I also love triangle pose - I feel like I’m floating.
My knee tends to grumble in pigeon pose. We did dolphin the Otha day and I thought my eyeballs were going to pop out.
But my absolute nemesis is anything that involves a bind. My arms are short and I can’t do it.

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

But my absolute nemesis is anything that involves a bind. My arms are short and I can’t do it.

Snap. I just grab my shirt usually, & use a block for poses like Triangle to make my arm a bit longer.

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

@CeaseAndDesist

That's a great tip *@EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus*

Crow just seems so...unnatural. And it hurts the back of my arms when I dig my knees in.

It’s helping me. I’m nowhere near Crow though!

[Choosingmyring]

I can’t do any of it!!

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

@Choosingmyring

I can’t do any of it!!

I started classes about 18 months ago & it took about 3 weeks before I wasn’t in agony the next morning. I couldn’t sit cross-legged at that point either, my knees just didn’t want to know. And there’s still plenty I can’t do but I can really see the difference now. It just takes a while (and some props).

[Blibbyblobby]

Pigeon pose... love it. Melt and melt.

Double pigeon pose...no chance!! Top knee ends up somewhere between elbow and my nose!

[MysweetAudrina]

Practicing daily for 2.5 years now. Main goal is to show up on the mat.

Enjoying balance poses, forward folds, pigeon, twists, boat and wheel, plough, shoulder stand.

Working on chaturanga, crow and headstand, but think I have a good way to go. Binds also difficult.

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

I can’t get my feet on the floor in plough

[Choosingmyring]

I just don’t seem to ‘get’ it. Even the things she says make no sense to me whatsoever

[EmpressJKRowlingSpartacus]

@Choosingmyring

I just don’t seem to ‘get’ it. Even the things she says make no sense to me whatsoever

Do you do online or studio classes, Choosing?

A lot of MNers rate Yoga with Adrienne.

[CeaseAndDesist]

I'm not a fan of Adrienne. She seems lovely but there's way too much chat for my liking. I prefer Down Dog for my home practice as there are no instructors, just instructions iyswim. Even my studio teacher talks too much, it gets on my nerves a bit even though he is a great teacher otherwise.

I agree the main goal is to show up @MysweetAudrina. I've no excuse for not having a daily practice now I WFH.

[beautifulmonument]

Agree about Adrienne. On YouTube I like Yoga with Kassandra.

I do think that you miss out a lot though if you only learn at home and not with a teacher. It's worth finding a local beginners course if you can with a teacher who can answer your questions and correct you. This will help with good alignment, getting the right modifications and reducing the chance of injuries.

If you do practice at home video yourself from time to time to check your alignment! It's quite illuminating!

[Mojitomogul]

I love fish pose with a high block under my back, the chest stretch feels so good. Also pigeon, and butterfly.
My nemesis is definitely crow, need to get that upper arm strength up. Also I don't mind downward dog at the beginning of class, but as soon as my hands get sweaty it's impossible! Must get some yoga grippy gloves.