Using the Wall in Yoga, So Wrong it’s Right

For years now it feels like in every class I’m encouraging my students away from the wall. After all, you can’t take the wall with you without creating some serious new blockage. However, this past winter I injured my hand (tore ligaments flying into crane pose), and it’s forced me to completely change my practice. I’m taking this as an opportunity to work on something that always felt like I’d have to work so hard to get there it couldn’t be but about striving and ambition–scorpion with toes touching the head (as beautifully demonstrated by the woman pictured above on the left, rivkayoga, whom I “know” through Instagram).

With the injury I’m always on my forearms instead of my hands. I wanted to start playing with that balance. Sure, I can drop into a kind of scorpion (a backbend from forearm balance), but when I saw the picture above, with its perfect squares, I realized the wall would be a wonderful tool for taking the pose deeper. It’s important to note: I can already balance in forearm stand. This is not how I’m finding balance. I’m physically using the wall to open in my chest and shoulders and quads. I have a long way to go, click on the video and see my first attempt–complete with scratching my nose while I think about it and a flying iPad…

What I realized is, I’ve been missing out on a whole world of help! Much as this path is not about the destination, it is about the journey. Accepting help from a place of appreciation rather than fear is very different. I am grateful to my many teachers, whether they were in a traditional teacher role or not (yes, I mean my students, too). Not that it’s always clear if I’m in fear or gratitude mode while it’s happening. The question I’m learning to ask is whether I feel depleted by help, or empowered by it. And then I know.

To prep for this pose, when you are warmed up enough, from a low lunge, drop the knee to the floor and press the hips forward to open in the psoas on each side. Open in the hips using pigeon and split pose on both sides. Open in the shoulders with bound triangle on both sides. Finally, go to the wall, get as close as you are able, and walk your hands down the wall into wheel, inching your chin ever closer to the wall.

WARMUP TIPS:

Come into dolphin plank (plank, but with your forearms on the floor), and walk your toes toward your nose. 5x

From dolphin dog (I think I just made that term up, but you get it, right, butt lifted like in down dog, with forearms on the floor), looking past your fingertips, edge your head forward and back, forward and back. 5x. Hold forward for 5 breaths, then pushed back (with shoulders over the elbows) for 5. Rest in child’s pose.

Standing split balance, 5 breaths, then bring the leg parallel to the floor, hold for 5 before changing sides.

Stretch the quads by connecting your sitting bones to the floor, with the shins parallel to the thighs, ankles away from the hips, knees together. Sit on a block if it hurts the knees.

What is wrong in this attempt:

I’m too far away from the wall. However, I’m not open enough to be closer yet. Slowly, I’ll inch closer.

The hips are square.

What is right in this attempt:

The hips are not consistently square.

The maneuver is all about pressing the hips forward while slowly moving the legs back.

And stay tuned, I’ve obviously got a long way to go on this…