Modifying Yoga Poses Part I

Many yoga poses can feel impossible to achieve at first. Students are often limited by tight muscles, limited mobility or insufficient strength. Although the full pose may not be accessible right now, there are many modifications and props to make a pose more accessible and prepare your body for the full version.

In this part, we'll look at Wheel pose (Chakrasana) and Front Splits (Hanumanasana).

1. Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

A deep backbend that opens the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors while strengthening the entire posterior chain.

Requirements

• Strength in the shoulders, wrists, glutes and hamstrings to enter and maintain the pose

• Spinal extension (backbend)

• Mobility of the shoulders to extend overhead

• Mobility of the wrists to extend at least 90 degrees

• Flexibility of the hip flexors to extend hips up to ceiling

  
  

Common Challenges:

• Tight shoulders, wrists or hip flexors

• Limited spinal extension

• Insufficient strength in the shoulders or wrists to push up into the pose

Modifications:

a. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana): If Wheel feels too intense, start with Bridge. It offers many of the same benefits with less strain. Keep your hands pressing into the mat or interlace fingers beneath your back and push your hips up to the ceiling as high as you can.

b. Blocks Under Hands or Feet: If wrist flexibility is an issue, use a wall and angled yoga blocks under your hands to reduce the angle at your wrists. For those with tight hip flexors, blocks under your feet can also help lift the hips higher with less effort.

c. Rest on crown of head If your shoulders are not strong enough to push yourself all the way up from a lying position, push halfway and rest on the crown of your head. From there, you can experiment with small wheel push ups to lift your head gently off and drop back down again with control. Keep your elbows pointing towards the back and do not allow them to flare out to the sides.

2. Front Splits (Hanumanasana)

A deep stretch targeting the hamstrings and hip flexors.

Common Challenges:

• Tight hamstrings

• Tight hip flexors

Modifications:

a. Half Splits (Ardha Hanumanasana) Stretch the hamstrings in a half split. Keep your back knee down and shift your hips back, keeping the spine straight and elongated. Put blocks under your hands for support if your hands cannot reach the floor while keeping your spine straight.

b. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) Stretch the hip flexors in a low lunge. Keep your back knee down and shift your hips down to the mat as low as possible, keep the torso upright and shining the chest forward. You'll feel a deep stretch on the hip flexors of the back leg. Put blocks under your hands for support if needed.

c. Slide to Front Split From a half split position, place a towel or slider under your front foot and slide the front foot as far out as you can. Keep your hands on blocks to take some of the weight and maintain your balance. Depending on how tight your hamstrings and hip flexors are, it will take some time and dedicated stretching to get your pelvis to touch the mat in a full split. Once you've achieved the split, work on keeping the hips square to the front of the mat instead of opening towards the back leg.

Have fun playing with these progressions! As always, practice mindfully and progress within the limitations of your body.