Hello Darla,
Locust is one posture that requires incredible upper body strength and core strength. As a beginner focus on pressing your sternum into the floor and spreading your chest muscles apart to help you flatten your chest all the way into the ground. This external rotation of the shoulders will create the shoulder blades to pop up and out in your back (hence the name angel wings have arrived). Most students tend to round their upper up back causing the chest to pull away from the ground and hence no "angel wings" and the legs seem to be only a few inches off the ground.
Once the chest is firmly established into the ground draw the pubic bone in and up towards the belly button, this can help lift the hips away from the arms and put more and much needed pressure into the upper body. This pressure is the foundation to getting the legs and hips off the ground. With the added help of strong arms and hands pressing down into the mat, exhale the breath, drop the sternum down, squeeze all the air out of the lungs and draw up the pelvic floor muscles (this will help your friend's pain with the pubic bone), contract and squeeze the inner thighs and slowly lift the lower body away from the floor.
This pose takes a little time to master, try attending 84 Asanas at Plano on Fridays at 1:15pm (the class is approx 3hrs in length and we go over the Fire poses and also advanced poses too. I am always there and I am very happy to answer any questions and to help you into the pose if needed.
Wood class also has a 30 minute posture lab following every class, and the instructors are all happy to look at the postures you are struggling with and help you into the correct position for your unique self.
Love the journey. |