Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: Virabhadrasana I

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Virabhadrasana I - arms?

emily
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Mar 3, 2005, 11:09 AM

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Hi,

First off, please excuse me for not posting here for a quite a long time. I got sidetracked from Iyengar yoga for awhile while trying vinyasa and flow styles...

My question is about the arms in Virabhadrasana I. In the Iyengar style, when the hands are together, are the thumbs interlocked (crossed), or are the thumbs parallel and touching? I think i have seen Iyengar-certified teachers do it both ways, but i could be wrong about that.

I have tried both ways: interlocking the thumbs assists the upward extension of the arms and engages the arm muscles, also making my neck more relaxed when i take my head back, and making the pose less effortful for me. Keeping the thumbs parallel requires a great deal more work in the shoulders and upper arms for me, and my neck feels more strain when taking the head back. Although, this could be a factor of my still being pretty weak in the upper body / arms, and perhaps practicing in this way would benefit my upper arm / shoulder strength. This is just a guess.

Is either way more appropriate or correct in the Iyengar style?

Thanks, in advance!

emily

DamienL
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Mar 7, 2005, 8:23 PM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I - arms? [In reply to]	Can't Post

While I don't know if either is more correct in the Iyengar method I do know that I have been taught to have them touching each other and not interlaced (none of the Iyengar teachers I've had cross the thumbs). In 'Light on Yoga' he has them touching each other. The upward extension you gain when interlocking them; does it come from the shoulders or the armpit chest area? Do the shoulder blades lift or do you keep them moving down? Apart from these observations I can't think of why you shouldn't do it crossed. Always best to ask a teacher though Smile

(This post was edited by DamienL on Mar 7, 2005, 8:26 PM)

pascal
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Mar 13, 2005, 8:27 AM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I - arms? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hello Emily Smile

I have always learned with cross thumbs. One very important thing in vira 1 is to lift the upper body while you go down, as if someone were pulling you up taking your hands; and it is much easier to do it with cross thumbs !. I have massives deltoids due to swimming, so i find it difficult to make my hands touch each other while keeping my arms straight; so i use a belt around my forearms to keep these ones parallel while i enter in vira one Crazy

An instructive way to do it is also to keep a brick between your hands, but be careful not to decrease the pressure between your hands , or you will receive the brick on your head Pirate

. Yoga can be a risky discipline sometimes Cool

as you see, there is many way to practice this (very) heroic asana Tongue

have a nice training Smile

(This post was edited by pascal on Mar 13, 2005, 8:30 AM)

Lizpagan
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Apr 11, 2005, 12:41 PM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I - arms? [In reply to]	Can't Post

I've seen it done both ways.

I think a reason NOT to cross the thumbs is that, if you cross the thumbs you might be tempted to allow the thumbs to do the work that belongs to the arms --

In other words, if your thumbs are linked, it's easier to just "hang out" thereby depriving the arms and shoulders of the delightful experience of full engagement. Wink

emily
Regular

Apr 21, 2005, 11:39 AM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I - arms? [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ah, thank you for the replies. When doing Vira I with crossed thumbs, i *do* feel my shoulderblades and my shoulders lift up towards my ears. So i must practice releasing my shoulders downwards. Also, i am very guilty of hanging out by my thumbs. Maybe this would be an interesting compromise: crossing the thumbs to get height as you bend the leg and raise the head, and then releasing the thumbs in the pose to make sure that you are working the armpit chest and arms with integrity.

Either way is better than the "steeple grip" which was done in my vinyasa class: that felt really weak to me, although some things work differently for everyone.

cheers,
emily

Nadia
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Apr 22, 2005, 12:07 AM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I - arms? [In reply to]	Can't Post

In my class we've actually never done any of the poses like Virabhadrasana and Vrksasana with our hands together. I often see pictures of people doing them with their hands together and wonder why we never do. I assumed it was because it is important with any pose to stretch your upper body as high and strong as you can, and having the hands touching not only hinders this, but seems to me as though it allows you to be a bit more lazy. With you hands parallel it not only helps you balance, but really forces you to push your chest up and use the right muscles etc to hold you in the pose. I find it really kills my arms! And when we go through all the versions - Virabhadrasana 1 and 2 our teacher makes us keep our arms up the whole time. Sometimes I think he really enjoys torturing us! What does everyone else think? Is it unusual to do it with your hands apart? - I assumed that it was the way this pose was done in the Iyengar style but it seems that is not the case.

DamienL
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Apr 23, 2005, 7:10 PM

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Re: Virabhadrasana I - arms? [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Yes hands apart and facing each other is the way beginners are taught. When one has opened enough in the chest and shoulders then joining the palms would be the next stage. I have to agree with you that standing poses can be some of the most challenging and can feel as though you're being tortured. I find that Parsva Konasana is my doozy pose and makes me work extra hard. Right now Urdhva Dhanurasana is posing an extra challenge and sometimes I get anxious about doing it. Its funny the way the mind can react to certain poses.

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