Guest guest Posted July 20, 2004 Report Share Posted July 20, 2004 .... hi everyone... got a little Janu Sirsasana B queiry... i've been practicing this asana by placing my lower foot (which presses into the perineal muscle) with the toes pointing directly out to the side as directed by David Swenson... but the other day in the class i occasionally go to for adjustments my new teacher said i was doing it wrong...?? she said the toes should be pointing down the outstretched leg.... anyone know anything about this... actually her suggestion does feel very comfortable but i just wonder why swenson teaches to point the toes out to the side...? perhaps its not that important... would love to hear from ya... mart.. _______________ Want to block unwanted pop-ups? Download the free MSN Toolbar now! http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I instruct it as your new teacher, unless you have very tight hips -- in which case it is better if the foot is flexed to protect the knee. -jeneth yolates.com ashtanga yoga, "mart ..." <martw77@h...> wrote: > ... hi everyone... got a little Janu Sirsasana B queiry... i've been > practicing this asana by placing my lower foot (which presses into the > perineal muscle) with the toes pointing directly out to the side as directed > by David Swenson... but the other day in the class i occasionally go to for > adjustments my new teacher said i was doing it wrong...?? she said the toes > should be pointing down the outstretched leg.... anyone know anything about > this... actually her suggestion does feel very comfortable but i just wonder > why swenson teaches to point the toes out to the side...? perhaps its not > that important... would love to hear from ya... mart.. > > _______________ > Want to block unwanted pop-ups? Download the free MSN Toolbar now! > http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 As I understand it, the correct way to eventually do this asana is with the toes pointing forward and ankle flexed, but, and this is a big but, this is the advanced version and if your hips or knees are not open enough, then toes pointing to the side is recommended. If David Swenson advised you to point your toes to the side, it may be because he felt that it would benefit your hips and knees best to be in that interim pose. On the other hand, we all know how Ashtanga changes over time, and it may be that when David was taught by Guruji, that was what Guruji told him to do. I know David is very faithful to the traditional finer points, and it is possible that this was the way he was taught. The 'toes pointing forward' finesse may be a recent modification. I've had some teachers tell me one way is correct and others tell me the other way. Personally, I can't get my toes forward at all, being old and with creaky joints - so the question is quite academic for me! There are many other small points of difference between teachers' ideas of what is 'right', like, whether to bend the knees in standing and sitting forward bends. Annie at Purple Valley ashtanga yoga, "mart ..." <martw77@h...> wrote: > ... hi everyone... got a little Janu Sirsasana B queiry... i've been > practicing this asana by placing my lower foot (which presses into the > perineal muscle) with the toes pointing directly out to the side as directed > by David Swenson... but the other day in the class i occasionally go to for > adjustments my new teacher said i was doing it wrong...?? she said the toes > should be pointing down the outstretched leg.... anyone know anything about > this... actually her suggestion does feel very comfortable but i just wonder > why swenson teaches to point the toes out to the side...? perhaps its not > that important... would love to hear from ya... mart.. > > _______________ > Want to block unwanted pop-ups? Download the free MSN Toolbar now! > http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Your foot should be in the same position as for A, flexed on the outside edge, toes pointing down the outstretched leg. The difference is that the foot is under your perineum in B. Most people cannot manage to sit on their foot without pointing their toes to the side. I have always been taught that this is dangerous for the knee and to NEVER do this. If you can't sit on your foot in the correct position, I have been taught, then keep your foot in the correct position and don't sit on it (essentially repeating A) until you can do so without pointing your foot to the side. I have no idea if this is true about the toe to the side variation hurting the knee but, I have always accepted it as a precaution. It seems odd that Swenson would teach it that way if it is potentially harmful but, there is no guarantee that even experienced teachers have any idea what they are doing. Rowena >... hi everyone... got a little Janu Sirsasana B queiry... i've been practicing this asana by placing my lower foot (which presses into the perineal muscle) with the toes pointing directly out to the side as directed by David Swenson... but the other day in the class i occasionally go to for adjustments my new teacher said i was doing it wrong...?? she said the toes should be pointing down the outstretched leg.... anyone know anything about this... actually her suggestion does feel very comfortable but i just wonder why swenson teaches to point the toes out to the side...? perhaps its not that important... would love to hear from ya... mart.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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