How to get your Biellmann position off-ice

[lindafmb]

Saw this great tutorial on King Dancer Pose in Yoga Journal last week, and thought I would share it with you. This is how I got mine, at the tender age of 42 

http://blogs.yogajournal.com/challengepose/2011/04/challenge-pose-king-dancer-natarajasana.html

[jjane45]

Thank you Linda for sharing (and major congrats!!)

So demanding on the arms... Knowing that you had a beautiful split to start with, which part was the most difficult for you?

[lindafmb]

For me, it was the backbend -- I have a short torso, and I had spine surgery exactly at the area you need to be able to keep stable while moving deeper into the pose. Relative to these illustrations, I do mine with my foot higher, only because of the absurd leg length relative to my torso.

It takes awhile, and I can't emphasize enough the importance of not rushing it. It will come with practice and patience.

[jjane45]

Looking in the mirror my back bend and free leg are about there, but right shoulder is not liking it.
Practice and patience... Practice and patience... Thank you again Linda!

[lindafmb]

Looking in the mirror my back bend and free leg are about there, but right shoulder is not liking it.

With Biellmann position, it's typically one of three things that challenge the skaters I've worked with:

(1) Opening the hip flexor on the free leg to enable getting the free leg foot to the appropriate height,
(2) Have sufficient strength and flexibility to do the backbend without hinging on your movement segment (a LOT of elites do this incorrectly, but I won't mention any names), and/or
(3) Having sufficient shoulder opening to enable the reach back with both arms to bind (that's the term we use in yoga) the free leg foot.

If #3 is an issue for you, check out the chest/shoulder openers from this simple stretch sequence -- and please note, I'm really a gumby and hyperflexible through my shoulders, so again, practice and patience 

http://youtu.be/DEHWuQMEwj4

HTH

[sk8lady]

Also note that Yoga Journal lists this as a "challenge pose"--they expect you to be a fairly advance yogi before you try this! If you click on their "poses" heading and then on the "contraindications" heading, there's a list of injury areas. Click on your injury area (if you have one) and they will tell you which poses not to attempt.