352 classes in 345 days.
The next in my series of discussions on postures:
Standing Bow Pulling:
This is without question the most maddening of the postures for me. My trouble with this posture has to do with alignment, getting two shoulders in one line, etc. I have gotten much better over the months at kicking back and straightening my leg out more, and I can balance much better than before, but I still have plenty of work to do on the alignment. I'm not too worried though, as I'll be getting plenty of individual attention on this as I prepare for competition.
At this point in the class, the heart rate really starts going. It's one of my favorite things about the posture. Even Standing Head to Knee doesn't really get my heart rate moving, but this one does. It's also at this point in the class when you start to see people really struggle. Class has been going on for about 30-35 minutes, and you can start to really feel the effects of the heat and humidity. The real challenge is to keep getting back into the posture after you've fallen out (and you will fall out). Sometimes people just don't get back in, and end up standing on their mat.
What I've found is that getting back in over and over speeds up the heart rate, and is actually very important for giving you energy for the rest of the standing series. Sitting out makes it that much harder when you get into Balancing Stick next, and especially for Triangle, which is coming up shortly.
As a side note, I happen to think this is the most beautiful of all 26 beginning postures if it's done right. For me, that's still a big "if" at this point:)
Greg
It's always beautiful... to us teachers - no matter what you look like!
ReplyDeleteI really dig this posture! The full execution of Standing Bow is standing splits (two locked legs). Even though it may take YEARS for me to get there, if I am ever able to do it (who knows?), I think it's important to recognize that splits require that both legs be in one line. In the first set of Standing Bow, I try to get the alignment right and not try and go ALL in since I've got a whole 60 seconds to make sure my form is right. After the kicking leg is out enough, I "twist" it so that my legs are in line, which allows me to eventually kick the foot above my head. Meanwhile, I lean forward, down, and slightly to the opposing side to assist in the balance.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful posture. Keep at it!