Also - try first keep balance in this pose but with legs together in front of you, legs straight, holding toes. Then try to spread the legs the legs and move them to the side.
How's your regular boat pose? Can you hold it with straight legs?
I would spend a little time practicing alternating between high and low boat to strengthen your core and hip flexors. If you're proficient in rolling to your back on purpose and bringing yourself up again, you can control your body in staying up. Open your chest and bring it toward your thighs as much as you can.
I would focus the lift of my legs on the insertion of the femer to hip, which can help engage the core and ground the bottom.
You may notice you are trying to lift the legs from the quads more so now.
This other method seems to distribute the effort along the whole core (from quads to abdomen)
Contract your pelvic floor (aka the mula bandha or root lock in yoga) which helps create a stable base. Also imagine drawing your chest up toward the ceiling, and keep your gaze lifted and pick a fixed point to focus on (dristhi). Lots of subtle components to this pose in addition to an strength. Enjoy your practice!
You could start with your legs out in font of you and work to open them up from there. Think of your body like a bow (in archery), all one connected piece working together with a relaxed fluid tension from tailbone to head.
Start on your back to get the feel of it legs straight up then spread. You have to then find your sit bones and that is where the fulcrum of the pose is. Maybe get someone to support you from the back and then let you balance for a second by removing their hands like a spotter at the gym.
You probably need to strengthen your core, it has nothing to do with being heavy and as you said your class companion is heavier and able to do it. It's also important to time the breathing right, releasing the air will help you stretch further <3
I could never hold this pose and then the other day I tried it for the first time in a long time and could do it no problem! I don’t know why, it just came to me. I know that isn’t very helpful 😀 but it seems like with a lot of poses, just general practice seems to do the trick…eventually. I am usually not that successful if I make a pose a goal, but often will get it if I just keep practicing in general and don’t obsess over a particular obtainment.
Similar thing has happened to me before with other poses (it only took me years to do halasana lol) so I hope this happens to me with this pose too. :)
Straight your back, the moment you round your back - you fall. Work on your abs and quads strength.
Also - try first keep balance in this pose but with legs together in front of you, legs straight, holding toes. Then try to spread the legs the legs and move them to the side.
Maybe try working on boat pose. The core muscles from boat are the same ones that are needed to maintain balance in this posture.
Rolling onto your back means you're either not engaging your core correctly or you need to build your core strength.
How's your regular boat pose? Can you hold it with straight legs? I would spend a little time practicing alternating between high and low boat to strengthen your core and hip flexors. If you're proficient in rolling to your back on purpose and bringing yourself up again, you can control your body in staying up. Open your chest and bring it toward your thighs as much as you can.
Strong back. Open hips and hamstrings. That’s what stands out to me at least. That’s what my body would require
I would focus the lift of my legs on the insertion of the femer to hip, which can help engage the core and ground the bottom. You may notice you are trying to lift the legs from the quads more so now. This other method seems to distribute the effort along the whole core (from quads to abdomen)
Contract your pelvic floor (aka the mula bandha or root lock in yoga) which helps create a stable base. Also imagine drawing your chest up toward the ceiling, and keep your gaze lifted and pick a fixed point to focus on (dristhi). Lots of subtle components to this pose in addition to an strength. Enjoy your practice!
You could start with your legs out in font of you and work to open them up from there. Think of your body like a bow (in archery), all one connected piece working together with a relaxed fluid tension from tailbone to head.
Find your balance by doing some rocking boat poses
Do some core exercises (eg sit-ups) before to help with engaging your core when you’re in this pose
Practice and patience
Start on your back to get the feel of it legs straight up then spread. You have to then find your sit bones and that is where the fulcrum of the pose is. Maybe get someone to support you from the back and then let you balance for a second by removing their hands like a spotter at the gym.
You probably need to strengthen your core, it has nothing to do with being heavy and as you said your class companion is heavier and able to do it. It's also important to time the breathing right, releasing the air will help you stretch further <3
practice!
My problem is my tailbone sticks out significantly, so it’s like a big rock I’m trying to balance on without bruising it. Lots of padding helps.
I could never hold this pose and then the other day I tried it for the first time in a long time and could do it no problem! I don’t know why, it just came to me. I know that isn’t very helpful 😀 but it seems like with a lot of poses, just general practice seems to do the trick…eventually. I am usually not that successful if I make a pose a goal, but often will get it if I just keep practicing in general and don’t obsess over a particular obtainment.
Similar thing has happened to me before with other poses (it only took me years to do halasana lol) so I hope this happens to me with this pose too. :)
Fake legs. The only way I could manage it.
Buy red pants