Wheel: for wrist issues and tight shoulders - great partner assist

Posted on April 23, 2013
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By Rachel Scott
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Yoga Practice

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Anyone with wrist issues or tight shoulders knows that Wheel (Urdhva Dharusasna) can be hard to do. Here’s a simple and easy partner assist that you can do (keep it simple by not using straps and just using the ankle hold) to help your tighter students find their way into this complex pose. For a deeper look at positioning the straps, click here.

Tips:

Use just the ankle hold if you’re doing this as an in-class partner assist to help someone with wrist issues and shoulder tightness
If you’re using the straps, make sure to place them at the bra and sacrum line in order to facilitate maximum traction.
With straps, pull on a diagonal line rather than straight up. Pulling straight up will overly compress the spine, whereas pulling diagonally will create more length through the lower back
You can use a good deal of strength through the straps to create support, so use your body weight (slowly) rather than rely on the strength of your arms
Stay in good communication with your partner at all times

Rachel Scott

Rachel supports yoga teachers and studios around the world to create transformational education experiences that help them thrive in their business, share their passion, and inspire more people to practice yoga. Her extensive knowledge and experience include: earning two masters degrees, authoring three books, leading 4,000+ hours of TT, building a teacher training college for a national yoga company, and working behind the scenes in yoga studio & teacher management for more than fifteen years. As a writer and speaker, she continually wrestles with the juicy bits of life: relationships, authenticity, and discovering meaning in this crazy, wildish world. E-RYT 500, YACEP, BA, MFA, MSci. Learn more about Rachel.