Asana yoga is all about the backbend— we want to develop a balanced muscle tone in order to lengthen the spine.
The preparatory shape for the full wheel pose in the video above should be accessible to anyone who wants to do the full pose.
I teach that full-wheel pose is as effortless as tadasana. Too many people tuck the pelvis or turn out the feet to get up into full wheel pose and both of those actions mess with the sacroiliac joints (SI) and the lumbar spine.
Getting into full wheel pose correctly starts with this not-so-simple preparatory shape. The key points to focus on are:
- The feet should move as little as possible.
- The knees would like to remain aligned with the ankles.
- The elbows don’t stray too far from the wrists.
- The head must not scrape the floor on the way up.
Give it your best. Yoga is meant to be an easy practice without stress or excess effort. Pay attention to how you do full wheel pose. No thrust is a good mantra to have.
Cultivating the patience and perseverance to proceed at your own pace as you build strength for advanced poses is the true practice. I’ve been at it for eighteen years and have barely scratched the surface.
***