RE: Chakrasana (Digest Number 829)

[Guest guest]

Pam wrote:

> Chakrasana, Any suggestions on learning this one all on your own?

....

 

Pam, that's also a toughie for me, and for the same reasons: I just sorta

chicken out. So I roll on my right shoulder, right arm tucked in ... Tim

Miller calls it an "Akido Roll."

 

During teacher training, I did the demo for this asana (transition, really),

so Tim could show the other students how to assist someone as pathetic as me

in it! He took a largish blanket, folded it, and put in under my upper

back with the fold facing toward my neck/shoulders, as Iyengar people would

set up a prop for shoulder stand. With the extra height provided my head by

the prop, I was able to do it! The entire class cheered, knowing it was a

big thing to overcome for me.

 

So during my Mysore practice I will occasionally grab a blanket and practice

how it feels to time my hand placement just right, and push up, etc. Without

the blanket, I confess I'm still working on this one. I'm strong as an ox,

freakishly flexible, and am successfully doing most second series postures

and some third series occasionally during improv classes ... so I have no

idea ... The strange thing is that one of the first home practices I did,

using David Swensen's book, about 2.5 years ago (I'm fairly new to

Ashtanga), I did Chakrasana just fine, several times. Since then, fear and

resistance has set in ... why?? And why do I tuck in my arm, as if it's

broken or ?? A mystery.

 

Keep me posted on your progress, Pam. This is a tough transition for lots of

people, although those who can do it make it look so easy.

hugs,

tina in San Diego ...

 

PS: Here's a Q/A item Tim Miller wrote for Yoga Journal some time ago: It's

available on their excellent website. Hope this helps. Another helpful

verbal clue has been to remember how it felt as a child to do somersaults,

free and easy, tucking in your chin/neck. Good Luck!

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Learning Chakrasana

What's the best way to do Chakrasana? I'd like to try it, but feel daunted

by it. Are there any steps to ease my way into it? —Denise Richards, New

York, NY

 

Tim Miller's reply:

Chakrasana (Backward Somersault) presents both a physical and psychological

challenge to many. Chakra means "wheel," which correlates to both the

rolling action of the somersault and the circular shape of the spine as you

perform the pose. One way to create this roundness and begin practicing the

pose is to use a blanket, much as you would in Salamba Sarvangasana

(Supported Shoulderstand).

 

Place the blanket under your shoulders so the neck and head extend beyond it

onto your mat. Once you have your blanket set up, bring the legs overhead

into Halasana (Plow Pose). To get more roundness in the spine, bend the

knees and bring them toward the ears. Place the hands on the mat underneath

the shoulders and bring the elbows over the wrists. Resist the tendency for

the elbows to splay apart in Chakrasana--this only weakens the work of the

hands and arms and puts more pressure on the neck, and your hands are the

primary source of leverage here to roll the body over. Keep the chin pressed

firmly against the top of the chest and gaze at the navel to protect the

neck. Press the back of the head against the floor and push into your hands

to roll yourself over. It's a good idea to use a soft surface (carpet or

grass) when learning this pose.

 

A critical element when performing the pose is learning how to use the

breath effectively. Since Chakrasana is traditionally used at the end of a

vinyasa sequence, you should already have a steady breathing pattern

established. To try the pose without props, start by lying on your back. As

you inhale, lift the legs until they are parallel to the floor, then exhale

as you push through the hands and roll over. The toes should point in the

direction you want to travel—in this case the junction of the wall and the

floor behind you. Push through both hands equally, and do not turn your head

to see where you are going or you risk injuring your neck. The last crucial

part of Chakrasana is learning to turn the wheel from the center. As you

exhale and roll, firmly contract the lower belly and pelvic floor to make

the spine round (in flexion). This helps drive your body over itself, just

like driving a wheel from the hub. Keep the muscles of the pelvis floor and

lower abdomen engaged during Chakrasana to ensure that there is strength in

the center of the wheel.

 

Tim Miller has been a student of Ashtanga Yoga for over twenty years and was

the first American certified to teach by Pattabhi Jois at the Ashtanga Yoga

Research Institute in Mysore, India. Tim has a thorough knowledge of this

ancient system, which he imparts in a dynamic, yet compassionate and playful

manner. For information about his workshops and retreats in the United

States and abroad visit www.ashtangayogacenter.com.

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