Beginners' Wisdom by Kathryn Arnold
In the process of creating each issue of Yoga Journal, I read Julie Gudmestad's (http://www.gudmestadyoga.com) column on anatomy. Each of her articles focuses on a specific part of the anatomy and how it moves in yoga poses and how certain poses effect parts of the anatomy. So over the years I've gotten an education in anatomy from reading Julie's articles. But it wasn't until I took her Yoga Anatomy 101 course in the Beginners' Conference that I got the whole picture. I hadn't realized how disjointed (no pun intended!) my view of the body was until I heard Julie describe the relationships between the various muscles, bones, and ligaments that constitute our skeletal bodies.
I'm someone who suffers from low back pain, so I practice Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) regularly. Today I learned from Julie that it's very common to overly contract the gluts in Bridge Pose, which inhibits movement of the tailbone in the pose. Splayed knees are a sign that this is happening. This is exactly my challenge. To correct Julie suggested pressing down through the big toes, which forces the inner thighs to work and the gluts to release. I often practice the pose with a belt around my thighs to keep my knees from splaying, but I never understood until now that I was improperly using this tool. I was using it as a crutch instead of an aid to help me find the action my inner thighs. Practicing Julie's way has helped me find much more space in the pose than ever before. Thank you Julie!
