Some thoughts and discussions from me.
5 Yoga Poses that Scare Me
Yesterday I practiced yoga at a new hot yoga studio!
Well, kind of new. This is actually the one within walking distance from where I live. I practiced here for a month when I first moved to Colorado, and I think I’m going to re-join. It’s just so darn convenient! Plus, it’s a little cheaper than CorePower.
I think most of you know by now how much yoga has become a part of my life lately. It invigorates me. It calms me. It distracts me. It gives me something to work toward. It blisses me out. I just love it!
Lately I’ve been trying to go 4-5 times a week (not only because I want to, but because this helps me justify the cost/month!) and each class is completely different. I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for almost 7 years now – I started, and got really into it my senior year of college. The other day I was wondering exactly how many yoga classes I’ve been (or podcasts/DVD’s I’ve flowed along with) to over the years.
Whatever that number is, with each class my confidence with certain poses grows. However, there’s still certain poses I’m always very careful about practicing. The personal trainer and kinesthetic awareness in me shouts at me to be careful every time I practice these certain postures. Some poses just make me really nervous – and need to have extra attention paid to form.
1) Plow Pose
Why it scares me: A couple years back, I hurt my back in a yoga class, and wasn’t able to practice for weeks. I blame it partly on the instructor and partly on my ego, but I was basically flowing way too quickly (along with the pace of the instructor) and completely tweaked my back while doing plow pose. It can put a lot of strain on the cervical spine if done incorrectly.
I always make sure that the majority of my weight is in my arms – not my neck or head, and that my spine is long! If I’m not feeling very confident, I’ll grab a blog and set it under my hips for a modification.
I’ve also re-injured my right shoulder while taking a yoga class.
2) Hero’s Pose
Why it scares me: This pose, when not done correctly, can strain the ligaments in the knee as well as the lower back. Make sure your feet are outside of the hips, in a plantarflexed (tops of the feet on the ground) position. If your flexibility does not allow your hips to touch the floor, use a prop (block or blanket) to lie back or stay in a seated position.
3) Chaturanga
Why it scares me: I have an old overuse injury in my right shoulder from playing volleyball in high school and college. I’ve re-screwed it up again (technical term 
) by doing a vinyasa when not warmed up at all. This is half my fault, and half the instructors fault. What I should have done was brought my knees to the ground to take the strain off of my shoulders until they were warmed up. Same goes for tripod, crow, and variations.
4) Upward Facing Dog
Why it scares me: I’ve injured my lower back in a vinyasa class that flowed too quickly into upward dog. Now I always make sure to warm up the spine by taking cobra pose at least 3-4 times before doing updog, as well as cat cow poses. Also make sure to keep the abs braced and the glutes squeezed to protect the low back.
5) Revolved Triangle
Why it scares me: 2 reasons. 1) Every time I do it I feel like I’m going to topple over onto the pour sweaty soul next to me. 2) I’ve tweaked both my back and my knee in this pose. Now I make sure to use a block for my hand that’s reach toward the ground, as well as squeeze my glutes to protect the low back. As for the knee, engage the the quadriceps in the front leg to strengthen and flex the muscles surrounding the knee OR keep the knee soft so there’s a slight bend in it.
What yoga postures scare you? Have you ever injured yourself while doing yoga?
PS – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM! Love you, mom 
Those are my FAVORITES!!! hehe, but they are hard.
cottercrunch recently posted…Tummy Talk Tuesday
Happy Birthday to your mom! 🙂
Interesting! Some of these poses I wouldn’t think to use caution with so the heads up is great! I’m not a regular yoga person but crow is always a scary one for me. Happy birthday to your momma! Hope she has a wonderful day 🙂
Danielle (@CleanFoodCreativeFitness) recently posted…My Journey To Eat Without Distractions
Morning sweetie! YAY FOR HOT YOGA! I’ve been trying to go to, eh!!! 😀 I can totally relate to the feelings you described when you go! I wish we could go together 😀 I’m not sure I could go to hot yoga more than one time per week though! Maybe I need to keep track/monitor my water intake and make sure I’m drinking MORE! How much water do you drink in a day that you don’t worry about going to hot yoga 4 – 5 per week? I just didn’t think I could handle that with all my sweat :p
I haven’t had an injury before, so I’m not really scared to do any pose, but there are some that are a little freaky to do when you’re all wet haha
Meg @ A Dash of Meg recently posted…Papaya for Breakfast
Me too!!
I just make sure to drink extra before and after (sipping, not chugging) hot yoga – and really throughout the day. I also drink coconut water afterward, and sprinkle lots of sea salt on my food those days 🙂
SUCH GREAT TIPS 😀 And I’m so happy I’m emailed when you comment back <3 haha!
I LOVE any triangle pose! But I’m with you regarding plow – it scares me! I’m also scared of hand/head stand but that’s because I can’t quite do it yet and I don’t have the confidence to THINK I can do it so I really can’t now…
Katie @ Talk Less, Say More recently posted…A Year Older, A Year Wise, Another Giveaway
Im sooo cautious of my back now (wraggles cane :)) BUT BUT BUT YOGA HAS HEALED ME.
Miz recently posted…Tsubo brought the SEXY back.
Binds scare me! I have gotten into them a few times but it takes courage and usually its when I have been practising a lot.
Lindsey recently posted…Running into Spring
Headstands or handstands scare me the most! Ahhh I just picture myself falling
Ashley @ Life and Fitness recently posted…Being Controversial
I did the hero’s pose in a class a couple weeks ago and halfway through I was like ‘no fucking way.’ My right knee has always been a little wonky and can feel strained sometimes if I push too hard, so this one scares me. Crow also scares me. I don’t know what it is. I can do a knees-to-elbows handstand no issues, but the second I have to do crow I freak out.
Sarah @ Blonde Bostonian recently posted…Tips for Spectating the Boston Marathon
Revolved Triangle is something that scares us as well, as we never feel we are doing it right. we have really tight hips and shoulders so always makes it a challenge, but we know it is good for us to do.
purelytwins recently posted…celebrating life’s milestones
chatarunga scares me because it is hard, all the other ones I like, especially heros pose!
Kaitlin @4loveofcarrots recently posted…Real Carrot Cake
Happy Birthday to your mom! I’m good with all those poses except the plow pose. I’ve never tried it, and I can definitely see where you could run into problems. I’m not sure that’s safe even if you do it correctly!! Of course, anything having to do with the spine or back scares me to death.
Natalie @ Free Range Human recently posted…I Heart Cookie Butter
Ah! Hero’s pose! I don’t think my runner knees would appreciate that one too much. I do, however, LOVE hip-opening poses. I feel like they really stretch me out.
Lindsay recently posted…#blogsmarter twitter chat recap.
One thing that I love about practicing yoga is that is it SO humbling and challenging. There are definitely poses that “scare” me, but I was thinking about it in a different way than how you approached this post. You bring up a LOT of things to think about!
I just think about crow pose being scary- because I can’t hold it for more than one second and have fallen forward too many times. 🙂
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning recently posted…Choosing A Route
I have really tight hips from years of dancing ballet, so revolved triangle, warrior 3, and basically any pose that requires square hips with bends and/or a lifted leg scare me to death! I had to swallow my pride and learn to use blocks appropriately. I am also scared of anything with my arms behind my back, because I have hyperextended elbows and it always just feels wrong! I use a strap usually to be safe. I am all about props I guess! 😉
Christin@christinjoyful recently posted…Best Body Bootcamp Week 1
Happy birthday to your mom!
I’m way too terrified to even attempt anything that looks remotely close to a handstand in yoga…I can’t get over the mental hurdle that has me feeling like I’ll topple right over.
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles recently posted…SSE: Phase 3
I was expecting you to say things like headstands and crow pose! But I can completely understand why these things scare you. I always go straight into updog, so maybe I should learn something here and do a few cobras first 😉
Tara @ Sweat like a Pig recently posted…Loose skin after weight loss
Crow I’m ok with (aside my shoulder) but headstands scare me – but I can’t do them so I don’t really know haha 😛
The title of this post made me laugh–my husband and I are very new to yoga (we’ve taken about 5 classes total so far,) so when I read that I thought, “Umm, they ALL scare me!” 😀 At least once per class when an instructions is given I look up, thinking I’ve done something wrong because I’m SURE there’s no way my body can do what I think she just said to do from this position. (Wrap my right arm where? I thought I WAS bending forward!) Haha… I’m planning to include a yoga update on my blog tomorrow… I think I am just starting to get the hang of it!
Catherine @ A Two Storey Home recently posted…April Garden Update
Yikes! I will definitely make sure to be more careful about some of these poses! I am definitely scared of handstands and other inversions – no thank you! I used to be scared of crow pose too but I’ve been working on getting better at that one. 🙂 That’s one of the things I love about yoga, there are always so many poses to work on improving as you get stronger.
Deb @ Dietitian Debbie Dishes recently posted…Making Room for Fat: A Look at the Fat in My Diet
Plow and heros poses scare me too for the same reasons you mentioned! And also any hand/headstands…but that’s just because I don’t see my body doing those without some sort of consequence. Too clumsy!
Tina @ Best Body Fitness recently posted…Find Your “Happy Weight”
LOL! Me too, Tina. I just spend head stand with my feet on the ground looking upside down at everyone else going into headstand 🙂
Oh yes! Those poses definitely are ones that I approach with caution, especially plow pose and hero’s pose. Chaturanga is definitely one that is a lot more technical than I think most people think. I’ve had some great instructors who spend a lot of time making sure that people practice this with correct alignment. Upward facing dog also places some weird strain and pressure on my knee (which I’ve had surgery on). I think if I don’t engage my core and legs properly, it feels like I’m hyperextending my legs.
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted…Musical Blogs
Revolved triangle scares me. toppling over and straining my knees are my issue. Headstand without a wall scares me. haha. I like your list 🙂
Sonia the Mexigarian recently posted…Soreness & Beasties
I had to look up what it’s called, but camel pose scares me. I don’t know why, I just feel like I’m going to snap my neck or back or something!
Lee recently posted…Wednesday Randomness
Yoga scares me in general. I need to take it at a studio where I have direction so that I don’t hurt myself!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted…Quick and Easy Black Bean Burgers
Hey there. Can you recommend a yoga DVD for beginners? There is not much in the way of classes where I live, so I’d like to give it a go at home. Thanks in advance!
Kim recently posted…Crazy Sexy Wellness
I think the last yoga DVD I did was Jillian Michaels’ Yoga Meltdown, but I love yogadownload.com for podcasts!
I think it’s because of my tight low back, but I can’t do plow it just HURTS. I have finally mastered the others and now I’m forcing myself work con doing headstands! I am getting there, slowly but surely
Amanda @runtothefinish recently posted…How long is a 60 minute massage?
Those poses scare me also. Especially plow. My hamstrings won’t let me do a lot of typical poses that are super easy for most people, so if I try to just swing into plow I could really eff things up with my super tight legs/lower back. Another one that scares me is wheel. An instructor once challenged us (I don’t particularly like “challenging” instructors, it makes it feel too competitive for me) to go directly from bridge to wheel and I screwed my back up for two weeks. Never again.
Kacy recently posted…A story and a thought
Pretty sure I agree with all of these. I am no yogi.
Yes, it is true that these Yoga poses are scary even for myself. However, you can get free Yoga poses at http://www.HotYogaPoses.com. They also provide daily Yoga poses via your email.