The Butt Post
By Corey Ann | January 10, 2010
Booty booty booty booty rockin everywhere!
My dear friend, Asha, requested that I talk about the fantastic gluteus maximus and how it may impede yoga poses. When she mentioned this, I immediately recalled the feeling of having to scrunch my butt in certain poses. That darn behind!, I thought. Then I talked with women who have a larger than average rumps about any struggles they’ve had in yoga. Suprisingly, they have had NO issues, ever, because of the size of their butt.
However, three poses did pop into my head where having a large rear end makes an impact.
1. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana - Supported Bridge
I have done this pose so many times, and everytime the teacher suggests placing hands under hips I roll my eyes. Let’s take a look.
Enjoying myself in Bridge Pose (Unsupported, but shoulders are under my back)
Now here I am, attempting to bend my elbows and place my hands under my hips. BAM! There’s my rump, right in the way. See how sad I am about this? And I love my rump. Conundrum.
Ah-ha! For my body, to place my hands under my hips, I have to raise up to my tippy toes, increase the arch in my back, and THEN place my hands under my hips. Because there’s a piece of flesh in the way, it makes the transition a little less smooth. However, this really has more to do with my back bend abilities than my butt. If I could increase my backbend, I would attain a high enough arch to let my hands easily move to be under my hips. So, I modify, and keep working that back bend.
2. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana - King Pigeon
When Asha initially mentioned butt issues, the first pose that came to mind is King Pigeon. When I am in this pose, I have a tendency to feel a “pinching” or “scrunching” in what I consider my butt. This is where I am wrong. The pinching sensation does not come from the scrunching of the butt, but the shortening of the low back. This is a pose which I have to be careful to NOT shorten my low back just to get into.
First off - notice how high my left hip is off the ground. I have tight hips. Because of this I have a more difficult time lengthening my entire back in this pose. I feel a tightness in my lower back - and think it’s my big ol butt that’s restricting me. It’s not. Again, lengthening the back will alleviate scrunching there. Let’s have a look at how King Pigeon is supposed to be.
Notice how her hips are level and her back is LONG? No scrunching, no pain, free booty.
Also, this pinching in the low back may be the same sensation someone feels in full wheel or any back bend. Reminder - it’s not the butt, it’s the low back. And we don’t want to injure our low back, so don’t force it.
3. Dandasana - Staff Pose
“Move the flesh away from your sit bones” is one of my favorite moments in a yoga class. Dandasana is basically sitting with your legs straight out in front of you. Easy, right? Ha! Gotcha!
Check out my awesome posture! Back rounds, feet fall to the side, pelvis tilts backward. And let’s be honest here, my rotund rear puts a nice cushion for my pelvis, so it leans back. Then my stomach and back don’t want to fight against my pelvis to sit straight up, so my back rounds. And my legs fall to the side because they’re relaxed. This is not Dandasana.
For me, the first thing I have to do to get into Dandasana is this sweet lil’ move right here. I love when teachers say, “Take a hand and move the flesh away from your sit bones.” Seriously, Asha, DO THIS! Move that flesh to the outside and plant your sit bones into the ground. Booty booty booty booty movin to the side.
HEY! I can feel my sit bones on the ground. Now I can activate my legs - push my thighs into the ground, flex my feet. My pelvis doesn’t want to tilt backward, and I can straighten my back! Dandasana!
So! In conclusion, “butt issues” may have more to do with the arch of the back, lengthening the lower back, and grounding sit bones - than the butt being “too big.” Butts work easily into yoga and can be very helpful in seated positions for support and love. Speaking of support and love, ASHA I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU IN NEW YORK. We will go to yoga classes there and rock our booties out. Thank you for all your support. Lovelove.
Topics: Yoga Adventures |
3 Responses to “The Butt Post”
Comments
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January 22nd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Make a yoga pamphlet for the booty-blessed market! It could be your niche! To be titled: Cranking the Curves: Yoga for the Voluptuous Woman.
January 26th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
Javier, are you calling me voluptuous? it just turns out i’m doing it wrong!!
Corey Corey, thank you love. Good advice. I want to do some poses in front of you and you can mess with my body and make me right. Ahhhhhh I love you
January 26th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Asha - put this on the NYC TO DO LIST. Cannot wait!