YOGA ALIGNMENT: FULL WHEEL POSE THE 3 MYTHS DEBUNKEDFULL WHEELYOGA ALIGNMENT: FULL WHEEL POSEYoga alignment for Full Wheel Pose is anything but simple, but achieving an easeful expression of the posture in your body is most definitely attainable. We just have to break...
The Key To Arm Balances
The Secret is Simple
Finding ease in arm balances can seem like a mystery, and it can be frustrating to figure them out while struggling to breath in positions that feel constricting. The secret to arm balances is simple, but it is not always easy to put into action. Picture a balance scale – the old fashion kind – when both sides are even the scale is “balanced”. There is no difference between a balance scale and your body, but its visually harder to understand. The center of the scale is where your hand meets your wrists.
Lets think about crow pose for a moment, you will see in the picture to the right (or below if you’re on mobile or a tablet)with a red line to show you where the shaft of a balance scale would be. I call the hips and legs the “back side” of the pose, and the heart and head the “front side”. In order for the back and front side to be equal we must lean forward quite a bit. This presents a bit of fear for many yogis, and for a good reason! You could easily lean too far, too fast. This is why its important to build strength in your fingers and wrists. the primary muscles that stop the body from leaning too far are the flexors of the wrists and fingers. I call these muscles “The Breaks” and much like driving any vehicle, you will not feel safe without them! For this reason alone its super important to strengthen the breaks so that you build a trust in yourself, and as your trust builds you will be willing to lean forward more and more into the strength of your wrists. In my Handstand Training video I provide some of my top exercises for “the breaks”
When most people first try to lean froward they actually tend to sink, softening the elbow joints and melting the shoulder blades toward each other. This will make the posture heavy and will actually make it harder to balance. To be sure you aren’t doing this film yourself, or better yet find a teacher, or a friend to support you with visual coaching.
Step 1 - All 4's with a Block
First work with a block behind the forearm on all fours. To be clear this deep extension of the wrist, so be mindful, if you feel that your muscles are straining back the block up an inch. The idea here is to grip the ground with your fingers which will activate the flexor muscles. Because the hand is in extension, the flexor muscles are elongated significantly, so gripping the ground could prove to be challenging.
Step 2: Chaturanga with a block
The next step is to work on lowering from plant to chaturanga with the block directly behind the forearm. I recommend only going down a few inches and trying to hold. You will notice in my chaturanga and crow pose my elbows are only slightly bent. This will make it easier to stay lifted and light. Same is true for the fingers, keep gripping the ground! To Strengthen your wrist, I highly recommend Handstand Training
Step 3: Crow Pose
Crow pose is significantly more challenging so if this is new for you be sure to work with a teacher first, and a landing cushion would be an intelligent choice if you ask me. Apply the same action but go slower. Grip the ground and apply the breaks, then lean into that resistance. If you are more proficient in arm balances, you can try this in a posture like Ekapada Koundenyasana 2 or flying pigeon.
Avoiding Wrist Pain
Wrist pain is common when people first start their yoga practice or arm balance practice. That doesn’t mean its a good thing, but it probably means the muscles that surround the joint are not strong and probably not balanced. The wrists are not a muscle you can simply work realy hard a few times and see positive results. More likely you will strain the muscles if you go that route. Instead spend small amounts of time practicing these exercises but do them often. This is how I training my own wrists and have had much success with feeling good over the course of 12 plus years of practicing handstands and arm balances.
Thank you for reading and watching! if you have questions, comments or requests please share them here!
-Matt
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