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I find straddles impossible!!
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I found when your sitting in a straddle, lift your arms straight up next to your ears and stretch up trying to lengthen your back. Then, fold over at the hips, keeping your back straight. Even if u can only go forwards a little bit, hold it there and gradually you’ll get lower!
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Oh, another tip that's helpful for the original problem described is to sit on something (ie. a yoga block, pillow, folded blanket). Having your hips raised slightly will help you hold the straddle position without having to rely on your arms for support. It will also allow you to start working on folding forward by rotating from the hips instead of rounding through the back.
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I have the exact same problem! I never can feel a stretch in my legs while in a straddle – only in my lower back. It’s almost impossible for me to rotate my pelvis so I can go forward. I always sit on a rolled up blanket when I do the straddle stretch and only then can I feel the stretch in my legs. I do not think this is a hamstring problem for me bc I can get all the way down with a flat back in the pike position. I really think its a back issue for me. If I sit up straight in a straddle (with no blanket), my back immediately begins to tire from the work required. I had a really bad case of shingles a few years back and ever since then, my back muscles are all sorts of messed up! Thinking of seeing a chiropractor…but I’m nervous about going :-). I constantly foam roll my back, which seems to help before I do the straddle stretch.
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Gah I have that problem too! I even find it difficult to keep my back straight when I sit on the ground with my legs stretched out straight in front of me. I feel like it takes all my strength to just hold back my lower back up, and if I lean forward even a little, it just collapses into a fold. Gah, so annoying!
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A friend of mine used to say that our modern way of life – the fact that we sit all day, useally with rounded back and bad posture – is causing our muscles to be extremely weak, which is why so many people can't sit in a straddle straight.
Try to just sit straigt in a straddle, while holding your hands extended to the sides in the air.
Also, the move where you sit, hold your heels with bent legs and try to straighten them in the air in straddle position while keeping your balance has taught be a lot about using my back muscles.
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LillyBilly I definitely think its a back weakness thing too – I'm in physio atm for an overuse shoulder injury and my physio mentioned that my posture has caused some muscles in my back to weaken. That was upper back but I assume it would affect the whole back…I'm going to ask him at my next appt on Friday actually…
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I hope your shoulder gets better soon…
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Which of Veena's lessons should you focus on for your lower back?
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Oops, I realise I didn't include the second part of my question. I remember reading a comment of Veena's somewhere that was along the lines of running and strength training can decrease flexibility if you don't stretch it out properly (please correct me if that's wrong)
I'm wondering, with the back strengthening exercises, would this come into it too? So if you focused too much on strengthening and not stretch training, could you still have trouble improving your straddle?
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@Tali Kat – i didn't read that, but I definitely blame running for my legs being so tight. Running and strength training would shorten your muscles, so I'm assuming that would decrease flexibility if you don't re-lengthen them.
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