My Confidence Builder - The Wheel Pose

During my blog post for My Pose For the Month of July which was Wheel Pose or Urdhva Dhanurasana, I have mentioned that I was having problems doing the pose as I was not able to straighten my arms and legs to go to the full wheel pose and had dreaded doing the pose during the Ashtanga Led classes as we would normally have to do it twice.

After four months of patience and regular yoga practice that helps to strengthen my core and legs and applying the techniques of adjusting my hands (the fingers should be turned inwards so that the elbows will not splayed out) and shifting my weight more to my legs when I have lifted my hips with my head on the mat, I am finding it easier now to go into the full pose (thanks to the advice given by a reader from my previous blog post).

With Azmi instructing us to push our hips towards the front and reaching our chest towards the wall behind as we straighten our arms, I find that I am able to lift higher into the pose. For the past few classes, as I learn to relax and breathe into the pose and making small adjustments like walking my feet closer to my hands, ensuring that my feet are not turning out so that my lower back is not compressed and letting my head hang as I spread my shoulder blades across the back, I am finding it easier to go into the pose as well as being able to lift higher. At today’s Hatha 2 class, I think Azmi was pleased to see me lifting even higher in the pose as he has been watching my progress.

The Wheel pose is a very uplifting pose and rewarding pose as it has many benefits which include stretching and opening the chest and lungs, strengthening the arms and wrists, legs, buttocks, abdomen and spine and is therapeutic for asthma, back pain and osteoporosis.

For me, being able to do the full Wheel pose has built my confidence and help to strengthen my belief that in time, I will be able to do those other poses that I am having difficulty doing at the moment.

“Do your practice and all is coming” - Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009)