Little victories [smile]

[CoteDAzur]

I did a full wheel today, for the first time in at least 30 years!

This could be a sign of mid-life crisis that I'm so proud, but I don't care

Thank you - I've been really lucky, especially this time. He arrived a couple of weeks early and it made a big difference to how quickly I recovered. I went to 41 weeks with my first and those extra few weeks are so difficult!

hmmm, shall have to have a go at flying pigeon

Did you try it? I've seen the pictures but still can't quite believe that normal people (as opposed to dancers and professional athletes) can do that pose

Was working today .... my cousin (admittedly a yoga teacher when not doing IT) can do it

looking at the Eckhart video
the first half of it is in the current body balance and then it goes through crow ...
will have PLAY TOMORROW AT THE GYM

no idea where caps lock came from, sorry

Let us know how it goes.

I'm not counting yoga teachers as normal people because they tend to be stronger than and just as flexible as dancers and professional athletes IME

Cote
My yoga teachers are all over 50 ....

I'm off down at the gym tomorrow ....

Mine is in her late 40s but still incredibly strong and flexible. The stuff that woman can do leaves me

I can get my leg across, I can get my hands flat, I can take the weight onto my hands and I can lift my back foot an inch off the floor
but there is no way in a million years I'll do the full posture
because my wrists are too damaged by ganglions

but in the current BodyBalance I am 4 inches from the ground in the splits
and am working out how to go from "wild thing" to backbend

Well done. That's amazing

What is "wild thing"?

www.anamayaresort.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/wild-thing-yoga-pose.jpg

Ooh I used to be able to do wild thing to backbend. Not for a few years though!

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I'm a recently qualified hatha teacher and I am not naturally flexible, or an ex-dancer etc by any means. In fact I am the total opposite and very un-flexible by nature, particularly in the hamstrings. Not a 'typical' teacher!

I was able to do upward facing bow for the first time (in my whole life!) about a year ago and one of my favourite poses! I just love the rush I get afterwards, it's blissful.

I remember doing it (or trying to do it) at a yoga retreat when I had just started practicing, the teacher (well volunteer assistant, think she was teacher in training) was trying to get me to do it and just kept saying 'just push up' and getting a bit annoyed/exasperated/perplexed with me that I couldn't do it I literally couldn't figure out how to push up, my brain couldn't process it! I just kept practicing at home, with resting on the crown of my head, for a few months after that and then one day a voice in my head said 'you can do it!' and whoosh! Up I went! It just takes practice to build the strength and flexibility (might be years), and it may never happen, but that's OK too

Still can't do flying pigeon and might never be able to! I'm about to start teaching and worried that people will judge me if I can't do all the advanced poses but just keep telling that little voice in my head to shut up!

"I literally couldn't figure out how to push up, my brain couldn't process it! I just kept practicing at home, with resting on the crown of my head, for a few months after that and then one day a voice in my head said 'you can do it!' and whoosh! Up I went! "

That is exactly how it happened to me. At first I couldn't even get up to rest on my head. Then I spent about 6 months only just managing to rest on the crown of my head. And the other day I managed to push up

I'm a BodyBalance fanatic
but for ALL balance poses, I tell people to dismantle the sofa : surround yourself with cushions and GO FOR IT
as the worst that can happen is you land on the sofa

full back bend is in the current BB 70
and is best practiced over a Swiss ball

"Over a Swiss ball" - So obvious! Why haven't I thought of that before?

You just have to keep at it, and also accept that even when you think you can do it, you might still have days when it just doesn't happen - I can do it fantastically one day and I think I'm the don , and the next I can't get up, or I do and I feels all wrong and cranky. But that's OK too, just listen to your body and maybe do camel or bow instead.

Agree about the cushions too, do what you need to create the space at home to experiment with poses!

It's an amazing feeling though if and when you do get something you've been working on for a while I was at a class the other day and the teacher gave me an assist and pulled me up, and I went so high! Was such a massive rush afterwards. I get such a release of energy (can feel it in waves) when I hug my knees into the counterpose, it's total bliss! But my friend who doesn't practice regularly can do a lot of the more 'advanced' poses with ease, think as she did gymnastics as a kid and is naturally flexible, but she doesn't get the rush I experience and looks at me with a confused look when I describe it...funny how are all so different!

badhair
there is a massive issue of "muscle memory"
I can drop into crow from cold while chatting to people - because my muscles know exactly what is expected of them

the ganglion limited poses are different as they are physically impossible

but others are just about telling the system that it CAN do it ....

"Muscle memory" is a wonderful thing indeed. Headstands used to be my nemesis but now I can go into one in a second. It is my favourite pose and I love experimenting with it.

I started yoga in May and I recently just got into wheel. It's so funny as it was almost exactly like someone upthread described. It was totally silent and I'd been trying for weeks to do it and could never get past my head on the ground.
I ended up shouting "Look, I'm doing it!!!! I'm doing it!!" I was so delighted. It just came from no where as well. I really want to be able to do crow. That's next on my list.

I'm so glad i'm not the only one who feels like this.

Congratulations Teresa!

Isn't it a great feeling? I have done some more wheels since then (without much improvement, sadly) and still happy to be up but not voicing it for everyone's benefit these days

I know. Thankfully (for everyone else) I am a lot quieter now. I did go through a few weeks where I 'forgot' how to do it. I was heartbroken as I thought it was as I'd missed a few classes but thankfully it returned.
I get so excited about it. It's the first time ever with a sport that I trust that if I keep doing it,then I'll get better. Everything else I've been very defeatist before.

I just feel so great after my practise. Set up for the day ahead.

Like you, I really want to do crow next. But I don't know if that will ever be possible with my tiny wrists one of which doesn't even bend back to 90 degrees

Practice, practice every day...

Hey I managed to do a headstand today !

Admittedly, with a little help from the teacher but hey! Feeling quite chuffed.

Yay! Well done cece, that's amazing!

Isn't it a brilliant feeling? Headstand is my favourite pose. I look forward to the end of my vinyasa practice when we move into headstands.