downward dog Archives

Counter Rotations

by Trisha Curling | Oct 9, 2024 | Main Page Display

Counter Rotations

Stability

COUNTER ROTATIONS

The isolation of specific articulations in a yoga posture can be tricky to implement when we’re still learning how our bodies move. When we begin to explore counter rotations, this layer might feel confusing or even frustrating. What are counter rotations? Counter rotations happen when our joints move simultaneously in opposite directions, and this is why confusion may take over. Because they assist in increased muscle engagement, counter rotations serve to increase support and stability within a given posture.

In today’s video, Matt explains how to simplify the actions to more easily adopt them into our practice. There are 4 specific postures we’ll examine. The implementation of these actions within these postures can transform our experience and help us balance and move more efficiently.

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DOWNWARD DOG AND DOLPHIN

Downward Dog

Matt asks us to apply a push action to connect from the outer shoulder blade to the outer hand. This push increases upward rotation in the shoulder blades, creating space in the glenohumeral joint and reducing shoulder impingement risk; it also engages the triceps. Next, the biceps are engaged by the counteraction of isometrically pulling each hand toward the opposite shoulder. The key counter rotations are to externally rotate the upper arms while internally rotating the forearms, pressing the inner palms into the mat.

Dolphin

In Dolphin Pose, wrist strain can be common, so rolling up the mat to support the wrists is helpful. Depending on the sensations in the shoulders and wrists, we can adjust, but the main counteraction involves pronating the forearms while externally rotating the upper arms, as demonstrated in the video.

WATCH THE VIDEO

COUNTER ROTATIONS: 4 POSTURES & THEIR OPPOSING ACTIONS

PRONATE AND GRIP

In Pincha Mayurasana, a more intense inversion, it’s essential that we pronate the forearms while gripping our fingers into the ground. These actions provide a stable foundation. Next, the counter rotation to the pronation in the forearms is the external rotation of the upper arms. These opposite actions stabilize our bodies to increase balance in this inversion.

It’s also important to note that these counter rotations help to distribute the weight more evenly through the shoulders, arms, and wrists. Putting too much weight or emphasis in one area is common, especially if we are trying to compensate for tension or restriction. Discerning how our bodies respond to these counter rotations is vital. Should we avoid something due to pain, or is there room for development to ease restrictions? These questions are important to navigate.

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LEAN AND PULL

In Mayurasana, the counter rotations can be described as opposite actions. These actions are to shift our weight forward while pulling our hands towards the front of the mat. While this pulling is resisting our weight leaning forward, what happens is that we find balance. The pulling action also strengthens the biceps. Matt notes that Mayurasana is one of the very few yoga postures that does so.

Depending on our experience with this posture, it may not be easy, but these are definitely concepts we can grasp and put into practice.

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FLIP THE SCRIPT

Progress in these poses requires flipping the script—shifting from simply holding or pushing our way through a posture to actively engaging in the counteractions. Instead of resisting the challenges we face when exploring these poses, we have the opportunity to use counter rotations to create balance, control, and stability. This ultimately paves the way for growth in both practice and mindset.

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Downward Dog Shoulder Alignment

by Trisha Curling | Jul 15, 2022 | Home Page, Main Page Display

DOWNWARD DOG

SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

How Yoga Props Enhance Your Downward Dog

ADHO MUKHA

ALIGNMENT QUESTIONS IN DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

How many times have you done Downward-Facing Dog in your yoga practice? I can’t answer that either. It’s a posture that shows up in a yoga class quite often. It just becomes part of the foundation of a physical practice after a while. When you started your practice, you may have been told that it’s a resting posture, but it doesn’t always feel like that, does it? It takes some time for it to feel “right” or even “comfortable.” You’ve most likely navigated through things like the following:

Should my heels touch the mat?

How far apart should my hands be from one another?

What about the direction of my hands?

How far apart should my hands be from my feet?

Should my wrists feel this way?

Is it ok to bend my knees?

This list goes on.

Over time, you start to develop a deeper understanding of the pose and to develop and integrate patterns in your body that feel “right.”

As you continue to learn and grow in your practice, you may also reach a point where you begin to wonder if these patterns are actually serving you. This wondering may come from pain and/or injuries that arise, or simply from exposure to different practices and/or teachers. What often happens is that once you get comfortable with “the way you’ve always done it,” the challenge may be to consider a different way and/or to add on some new actions to actually improve not only the posture but also the health of your joint placement/alignment in the posture.

It is important, however, to be open to the process of “unlearning” and the process of developing new patterns. The important perspective to take when you encounter times like this in your yoga practice is to understand that it is all a part of growth and your specific journey to learn more about your own body. It’s actually an opportunity. Approaching your practice with an openness to opportunity often leads to the unraveling and to access to new breakthroughs in your practice.

SHOULDER REVELATION

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WHAT IS SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT?

“Shoulder impingement is a common condition believed to contribute to the development or progression of rotator cuff disease.”

Ludewig, Paula M, and Jonathan P Braman. “Shoulder impingement: biomechanical considerations in rehabilitation.” Manual therapy vol. 16,1 (2011): 33-9. doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.08.004

Shoulder impingement and/or a pinching sensation in the shoulders is a common complaint when it comes to the execution of Downward-Facing Dog. You might feel this in early attempts to do the posture or after repeating patterns like drawing your shoulders away from your ears, which may cause pain or irritation in the posture.

In the video, Matt explains quite nicely by saying that when you draw the scapulae (shoulder blades) away from your ears, the upper arm bone (humerus) collides with the acromion process. This action and collision is what creates the impingement, or “pinching.” This pinching can create pain or discomfort or may even lead to injury. From a visual standpoint, how do you know this is happening? Matt explains that you can see what looks like a “dimple” in the shoulder when the humerus is pulling down away from your ears. For further information for proper alignment in Downward Dog, you can also check out Matt’s blog 3 STEPS TO AVOID SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT IN DOWNWARD-FACING DOG.

WATCH THE VIDEO: DOWNWARD-DOG SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

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USING A ROLLED UP YOGA MAT FOR DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

Rolling up a yoga mat and using it as an additional prop provides excellent feedback and even assists you in the execution of the steps to set up Downward-Facing Dog. It helps to create new patterns in your body to avoid shoulder impingement in this foundational posture.

Matt details exactly how to use your mat by following these steps:

Place a rolled-up mat horizontally across the top of your mat.
Place your hands in front of the rolled-up mat.
Move backward into Downward Dog (bend your knees and send your tailbone to the sky).
Lifting them up, move your armpits forward toward your hands.

What’s happening here is that this action will activate the rhomboids, and the upper trapezius will activate from the lift of the armpits. This will also support the movement of the top of the shoulder blades going inward while the bottom of the scapula are protracting.

This step also provides a great opportunity to check in and get some feedback within your body. If you’re putting a lot of pressure into the yoga mat, then you know you’re dropping the armpits down and are causing the sub-acromion pinch. Matt offers the cue here of reaching through the outer lines of the arms so that the scapulae upwardly rotate.

“During normal motion, the scapulae will upwardly rotate and posteriorly tilt on the thorax during elevation of the arm in flexion, abduction, scapular plane abduction, or unrestricted overhead reaching.”

Ludewig, Paula M, and Jonathan P Braman. “Shoulder impingement: biomechanical considerations in rehabilitation.” Manual therapy vol. 16,1 (2011): 33-9. doi:10.1016/j.math.2010.08.004

5. Externally rotate the humerus (biceps face forward, and pinky edge of the hand pulls bottom portion of scapula around).

After these actions are put into place, you may feel like the inside edge of your hand is pulling up, so articulating the next step is important.

6. Turn your palms down (the radioulnar joint pronates the forearm, and this is a separate action that happens specifically at the forearm, separately from the action of the external rotation of the humerus).

7. Turn hands out a little more and wider (this also helps to create less chance of shoulder impingement).

8. Heels of the hands are lifted (again, creating that lightness and less touch against the yoga mat).

Not only will this create less impingement, it will also strengthen the flexors of the wrist, which will feel better and allow you to feel more safe.

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SIMPLIFY THE STEPS FOR MASTERING DOWNWARD-DOG SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

In the video, Matt offers what’s called a “Mock” or “Modified” Downward Dog on your knees. Here are the steps:

Lift armpits
Lengthen — shoulders to the ears
Go up and back
Externally rotate the arm bones (biceps face forward)
Lift heels of the hands (carpal tunnels)

Integrating these new actions may feel quite awkward once you start to gradually implement them. They may not feel quite “right.” This is that process of “unlearning” and creating new neuromuscular patterns in your body. Eventually they will start to feel more “comfortable,” and you will notice the change in the development of your strength. Setting this foundation will help to support your journey in other postures in which it is necessary to utilize strength and balance from your shoulders, forearms, and hands.

If you enjoy diving deeper into the potential of your body and of the yoga practice as a whole, you can deepen your studies in Matt’s 200 and 300 Hr. Trainings.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: 300 Hr. Training

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CHOOSE YOUR PATH

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

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NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

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Counter Rotations

COUNTER ROTATIONS

CHROMATIC GLOBAL TRAINING

DOWNWARD DOG AND DOLPHIN

WATCH THE VIDEO

COUNTER ROTATIONS: 4 POSTURES & THEIR OPPOSING ACTIONS

PRONATE AND GRIP

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

LEAN AND PULL

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

FLIP THE SCRIPT

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

Continue Learning

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

DOWNWARD DOG

SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

How Yoga Props Enhance Your Downward Dog

ALIGNMENT QUESTIONS IN DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

SHOULDER REVELATION

WHAT IS SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT?

WATCH THE VIDEO: DOWNWARD-DOG SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

USING A ROLLED UP YOGA MAT FOR DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

ANATOMY IN MOTION

SIMPLIFY THE STEPS FOR MASTERING DOWNWARD-DOG SHOULDER ALIGNMENT

CHOOSE YOUR PATH

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

Continue Learning

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

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