Why Your Hands Hurt In Yoga

A few weeks ago after a devoted student approached me in search of an answer to his yoga anatomy question. I am always excited to chit chat with students after class and help them solve a yoga related problem.

John wanted to know why the pads of his thumbs were hurting during down dog and sometimes in chaturanga. He said on some days the soreness continued after class and lingered for a day. This is a common problem that has an easy fix, but not all students and instructors are aware of the problem. After applying my suggestions (described below), John returned next week and said he immediately felt relief in his hands.

The root of the problem is when we over stretch our thumbs away from the palm. It is common to hear an instructor say "spread your fingers wide apart". This is not an incorrect statement, but without some fine tuning could leave you feeling tender in the padding where the thumb connects to the palm of the hand.

There are three muscles that help the thumb move in and out. Abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, and adductor pollicis. When any of these three muscles are over stretched you will start to feel discomfort around the thumb. The adductor pollicis is responsible for bringing the thumb back in toward the palm and is often the culprit in this sore situation.

To avoid over stretching the muscles of the thumb in downward facing dog, chaturanga, handstand, (or any pose where the hands are making contact with the earth and bearing weight) let the fingers spread apart, but don't over exaggerate the extension of the thumb into an unnatural state. Notice when you gently hold your hand up without straining the fingers, the thumb naturally points forward not out to the side. Keep an open yet natural thumb position on your mat and your hands will thank you.

Photo on left demonstrates over extended thumb. Photo on right demonstrates a natural hand position that I suggest using on the mat. Try this small adjustment next time you practice and notice the difference.
 

 

Natalie Sabin is Co-Founder of Soul Stretch Mobile Yoga. A mobile movement in Cleveland, OH that brings yoga out of the studio setting and into the community. Soul Stretch offers classes conveniently to more people than ever before. Have a yoga related question? email Natalie: sabin.natalie@gmail.com

Victoria's Secret Model Shows Her Weakness In Center Fold

Real Status Update On Face book:
Oh come on Victoria's Secret...you're promoting your athletic wear and you can't get a model that could actually do a decent plank?!

Following the status were 10 or so comments pointing out how terrible it is to show such bad form in a magazine especially for active wear. (insert snarky GASP!).

 

I came across this post and photo on the news feed of a friend (who shall remain nameless because I think she is a doll and this post has nothing to do with her).  The model is for Victoria's Secret active wear clothing line and is demonstrating a poorly executed plank. Her low back is dropping which ultimately means a weakness in her core. Usually in advertisements for anything fitness related there is a hot bod demonstrating a particular movement with precise alignment. Based on responses from this small demographic of women in their 30's, it was not a big hit to see such sloppy form.

Here is why I am glad to see poor form in this particular photo.

My first thought-- if we are referencing Victoria's Secret catalogue for workout tips then we have been misguided in the search for quality information on health and fitness.

Second-- often people (mostly women) complain how they just want to see "real" women in advertisements. I hear this a lot especially in the yoga industry. They don't want a photoshopped, size 0, perfect hair and skin, 6'2'' model. You can see this all over social media with likes and comments on Facebook for anything relating to the natural beauty movement from anti photo shop campaigns by Dove or Colbie Caillat's Try music video on you tube, and so on.

The model in this photo is all of the things women want to hate. Her body is amazing, I am sure she has had some touch ups in addition to her already size 0 body. Her hair is perfectly messy so this is obviously staged and not a real work out. Although you can't see her face I am sure she is as cute as a damn button.

Her sloppy form is very refreshing to me. It shows that being physically strong, unlike being naturally gorgeous is something that we have to work for. Even beautiful people need to get off the couch and work out. In this picture she is vulnerable and showing her weakness in the center fold. She is a real woman who is still working on her strength.

So I say THANK YOU Victoria's Secret for showing an example of a real woman who is working hard to reach her fitness goals. Isn't this what we have been complaining about? Wanting real people doing real things in our advertisements (or is it?). We say we want one thing, but then when it is quietly presented to us (not in a big campaign or music video), we find a way to complain anyway. 

Changing Our Perspective
Yoga gives us the opportunity to change how we view other people and the world. Through practice we are able to stop placing blame or negative judgment on others.  We are able to examine our own role in our thoughts and actions then recognize if WE are the problem. Once we change our perception we see clearer, think calmer, and speak less harsh of others. In the end we feel less anxiety and less stress. The clouds of our own judgments part and we are able to love ourselves and others whole hearted.

We can change our focus about our lives and ourselves in an instance by simply choosing to focus on another part of the picture, a part that makes us feel good. All we need to do first is consider that there could be more to the picture of life than what we are seeing right now.

Poses To Change Your Perspective
FISH POSE and BALANCING HALF MOON

These two poses will allow you to look at the world around you from a different view. In FISH pose let your gaze rest on the wall behind you and observe the room upside-down. Try moving your gaze from the floor, to the horizon, then to your top hand in BALANCING HALF MOON and get a different perspective on balance.

 

 

 

 

photo credit:
Fish Pose www.yogajournal.com
Balancing Half Moon www.yogaartandscience.com