My Big Toe Pose Secret
I would see the images of yogis beautifully bending forward in a Big Toe Pose, seemingly relaxing their hands to hold their feet without any effort and I felt envious. My pose was more of a Fingertips hovering near my knees pose. I thought that I was simply born with tight hamstrings.
But I was wrong. I became changed through patience and understanding better the posture. Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose) in Sanskrit was not something to be frustrated about, but something to learn some of the most significant things in terms of flexibility, alignment, and becoming aware of oneself. I would like to tell you what I learned on my way so that you could get the same freedom.
This asana used to make me believe that I could only touch my toes. I would press on, bending my back to a motivated C-curve, in the name of bringing myself nearer to the ground. This was my first and greatest error, I found. The actual intention of Big Toe Pose is to develop deep, but safe, hamstring or calves stretch without violating the spinal integrity.
It is an effective position that can be used to relax the mind and eliminate stress as well as to ease the headaches. As soon as I ceased struggling with my body and began to listen to it, all the things changed.
The Benefits of Why I Fell in Love with Big Toe Pose.
My attitude to this pose changed when I concentrated on what it was giving me and not what it was taking. The advantages I had were too high to be neglected. It became one of the pillars of my practice.
Deep Hamstring Release: This can be considered as the most apparent advantage. Regular practice actually stretched my tight hamstrings hence making me better in other sports such as running and weightlifting.
Calms My Busy Mind: The forward fold does possess a natural calming action on the nervous system. I have even been known to be sitting on a stressful day and ten breaths of this pose can make me feel normal.
Better Digestion: The light compression of the abdomen in this fold is like a massage to my internal organs, which helps in boosting digestion and some light bloat.
Better Ankles and Feet: When I am holding my big toes, I will develop the fine muscles in my feet and ankles which are not always involved in the entire situation and give me a more firm base to all my standing positions.
My Step-by-Step Budget to a Good and Secured Big Toe Posture.
This is the precise order that I have to adhere to as I make sure I am training not with ego but with intelligence. You can grab a yoga block in case you have one; it has been a game-changer to me.
Pose: Mountain Pose (Tadasana): I stand with wide feet, pressing down on each of the four quadrants of my feet. I use my thigh muscles and make a couple of deep and centering breaths.
Hinge: I start getting folded forward on an exhale. The trick here is that I have to lead using my chest with my spine being as long as possible. I suppose that my hips are a hinge, and my torso is swinging forward at that. I bring it to a halt when I sense that my spine begins to curve.
Embrace the Bend in My Knees: This was my discovery. I do it by prostrating my knees; this is despite the fact it may be perceived as cheating. This gives me a chance to touch the fingertips with your floor or better said a block. It is in this position that I am able to concentrate on lengthening my spine.
Hold the Toes and Engage: I go round the big toes of each pair of feet with the index and middle finger of each hand. I squeeze my fingers and that makes a relationship of power. Then I stomp my feet on the floor like I was attempting to tear the mat with my legs. This activity builds up my joints.
The Slow, Patient Straightening: At the time of breathing in, I also start to stand myself straight, but then just so far as I can, and not more, without my back rounding. I have no intention of getting straight legs; I have a flat back in mind. I turn my head away to my nose to ensure that my neck is loose.
Breathe and Hold: I maintain the posture of 5-10 breaths. By each breath I have thought of making the fold deeper by a millimeter, not an inch. I do not concentrate on the distance I have gone but on the feeling in my hamstrings.
My Modifications and Props to Like in Big Toe Pose.
The fact that I used props was not a weakness; rather it was an indication of being smart. They enabled me to form the right position well before my body was supple to do it by itself.
In the case of Tight Hamstrings: Under each hand a block (or books stacked) was a revolution. It enabled me to maintain my spine long and to feel the pose in its proper form, which in fact, made my hamstringes open up much more quickly.
In the case of Wrist Discomfort: In case gripping my toes was painful in my wrists, I began wearing a yoga strap. I used a strap looped around the balls of my feet and used the straps in my hands. This provided me with the same advantage without the effort.
In the case of Balance Problems: I do nothing but stand up against a wall. The feedback also allows me to stabilize and concentrate on the forward fold completely.
The 10 mistakes I made (So You Don’t Have To).
I was led to the right path through mistakes. I corrected and identified them, which allowed me to improve fast.
Rounding My Spine: I cannot emphasize this. Rounded back causes that stretch to move on to the far more vulnerable lumbar spine and deprive the hamstrings of their stretch. A long spine is a safe spine.
Locking My Knees: I would hyperextend my knees in order to experience a stronger stretch. This is risky to the knee ligaments. I would always have a micro-bend now to ensure that the joint is safe.
Holding My Breath: This force of the stretch induced me to squeeze and hold my breath. I took to know that release is mainly achieved through breath. A deep sigh is an indication that my muscles are telling me to relax.