I hate wheel pose
“Hate” a strong word, but “don’t really love” was an awkward title. 😉
Hope you’ve been having a lovely weekend so far! We’ve been relaxing, and it’s been beyond glorious. I started this new thing -as in like 3 weeks ago- where I decided to sleep until Liv wakes up on either Saturday or Sunday morning. She’s been waking up at 9:15! (By typing that, I just jinxed it.) So needless to say, I had a nice sleep which always equates to a gold star weekend.
Friday morning was a breakfast date with my best girl
(strawberry, banana, pb and almond milk for the little lady; mighty maca for me; a breakfast English muffin sandwich to share)
and then we met up with some friends to see Frozen (again!) and walk around.
The weekend also involved girls’ night at Ra, a visit with my nana and tata, and an awesome yoga class.
I couldn’t help but think about how much braver I’ve gotten in my practice, yet I still stay away from some of the same things. For example, I’m no longer freaked out by headstands or trying handstands away from the wall. Wheel pose, on the other hand: I hate it. It takes a lot of oomph for me to go for it, and when I do, I’ll maybe just try it once. I’m happy in my bridge pose instead 😉 I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I know I’m not very strong with wheel -my chest muscles are always tight, which is also why my posture is less than fab- or if I just don’t enjoy it. (I really don’t.)
Are there any fitness strategies or exercises that you avoid? Back in the day, I used to be afraid of doing plyometrics in my own workouts. Now, I’m happy to run and jump around in between strength sets. It’s interesting to see how comfort level and preferences change over time.
For this week’s workouts, I’ll be joining along the Winter Shape Up fun with all of you! I’ll do some shuffling with my Zumba class and long run, but I’ll be huffing and puffing to Workout 1 right along with ya. I’ll have the video, form cues and text up in the morning!
Here’s what’s on the meal plan this week:
-Recipe testing like crazy (and dropping packages off at friends’ houses to get their feedback and share the love)
–Slow cooker chicken salsa verde
-Quinoa enchiladas
-Mushroom and spinach quiche with roasted dill potatoes
-Baked veggies with marinara and goat cheese
-Chop veggies for salads
-Goal: have one fresh juice or smoothie each day. Got out of the habit last week and I missed it!
So tell me friends: what’s on the menu this week? Are you following the Winter Shape Up meal plan?
Least fave yoga pose? 😉
Have a great Sunday! See ya later with some weekend pics.
xoxo
Gina
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I really hate downward dog. It’s absurd, I know, but I feel uncomfortable and my legs are always so tight from all my running and it really doesn’t feel good. On the flip side, I love wheel and all the inversions 🙂
Thin mint protein fudge sounds so good. Bought some peppermint extract a few weeks back and am lovin’ how I can use it! Peppermint chocolate protein shakes are a great dessert 🙂
love those!!
When I saw you hate wheel I was like what!? It is one of my favorites! I love all the backbending poses. But one pose I am scared to work on in headstand. It seems so dangerous for the neck and spine if you don’t do it right. I am totally fine with handstands and forearm stands, but headstand, no way. I have a home practice so maybe one day if I ever decide to go to a studio I will try it with physical instruction to keep it safe!
it’s the only back bending pose i don’t like! weird huh?
i couldn’t do headstand until i got some help in the studio. i used to have a home practice, too, but that for that pose it’s helpful to have someone guiding you through it
I don’t like plow or shoulder stand. I always take legs up the wall instead.
I really hate camel pose. Putting my head back like that is terrifying! Haha I must have been, like, killed by a vampire in a past life or something—anything where I have to expose my throat like that is super-scary! I think my favorite pose, though, is peaceful warrior 🙂
I haven’t even begun to think of these weeks menu but I really need to! About to head out the grocery store to stock up for the week!
I don’t mind getting into wheel, but getting out of it = I always feel like I’m going to fall on my head 🙂
I actually “dislike very much” bridge but love wheel! It’s such a great front body stretch! Other poses I dislike are twisted side angle and locust. Headstands have become a favorite! I’m always so surprised at myself when I can get up and stay up 🙂 So fun to notice progress!
A mighty maca sounds interesting & yummy! What’s in it??
i used to be freaked out with headstands too, but now i love them!
it was almond milk, banana, maca, chocolate, coconut and chia
Oh my!! That sounds even better than I thought! I just might have to replicate! Have a nice Sunday eve 🙂
I guess I never push myself to do exercises I REALLY hate! I’ll try it and if there’s something about it that really puts me off, I’m done. I don’t do that with something that just means extra effort to build up the right muscles or lung capacity, like plyometrics, though. To me, if I really, truly hate it, it brings down my motivation to even workout because I’m dreading it SO much so I’m better off doing things that I love and push myself that way rather than doing things I hate and skipping workouts, if that makes sense!
Chair Pose. Whenever I hear “Utkatasnana” I cringe a little bit inside b/c I know what I’m in store for, especially if we have to hold it for really long. It’s not that I’m scared of it, but it definitely tests my mental strength.
same- i’m always ready for it to be over 😉
I’m also not very fond of wheel pose, I used to love it but for the past year or so it’s been kind of hard on my lower back. It just doesn’t feel very good to hold it for a long time.
Crow pose is my least favorite… Probably because I am not quite there yet! I love reverse warrior and goddess post though. Anything that stretches is the best!
There are lots of poses within my yoga practice that I “shy away from” but my teacher told me once those are usually the ones we need the most. I would find a way to approach it differently (especially if you are looking to teach at some point) I’ve found as soon as I’ve lost my ego within a pose, I find a break through.
Urdhva Dhanurasana can make people feel very vulnerable with opening the back and heart so it’s understandable that it can be scary. I guess my recommendation is to embrace it, and don’t put too much attachment to your thoughts while you’re going for it. Some day you may even find yourself enjoying it! 🙂
i think you’re right. it should happen one day 🙂
I also really dislike wheel, and after throwing my back out, I’m even more reluctant to do it. Bridge is so good… why mess with a good thing? I’m excited to follow the Winter Shape Up fitness routines, and I’ll definitely pursue the recipes for the eating portion. However, I have such a weird dietary set up that it’s hard for me to follow generic eating plans… I’m allergic to dairy, try to limit bread (especially store bough bread), eat a lot vegetarian but not 100%…. it’s a mess… but this is what happens when I listen to my body… so that’s what I do. But I’m always on the hunt for delicious healthy recipes, so I’m definitely going to go take a look and see what ideas Anne has… Thanks for all your hard work!
she has a lot of awesome options, so hopefully you’ll find some new ideas! so happy you’re joining in the fun 🙂
Least favorite = anything involving a plank! I am a wuss with my arms. This probably means I should do it way more often:)
I also dislike wheel pose. I think it mainly has to do with the fear of one day getting out of it, and hurting my neck somehow, though like someone else mentioned, it just really hurts my lower back more than helps. Sometimes I wonder if it has to do with the spacing left between your hands and feet – I feel like I can never get it right for my body proportions, thus putting unwanted strain on my back.
Arm balances are super challenging for me, and I’m not sure I will ever conquer them with confidence, but I am okay with that – every other positive from yoga outweighs not being able to perfect arm balances. I’m not strictly following the WSU meal plans, however, I love the ideas, and will hopefully apply some of them to my meal planning for at least a few days this week. Now to find the motivation to go out in the snowy, cold Michigan weather to shop for the groceries… 😉
Crow is my nemesis.
Can’t wait for WSU! I’m sure I’ll be switching up the days some to keep with my favorite gym classes, but I’m looking forward to a motivation boost.
awesome- i hope you enjoy it!
One of my favorite Yoga instructors gave me an assist in wheel that changed my thoughts about it. He gently supported my shoulders and drew them down my back ~ I was able to lift even higher and it didn’t feel as “crunched,” I felt lengthened.
Handstand is the elusive one for me. I can kick up, but only manage a second or two of air time!!
interesting!!
i want to get better and handstand too
I really, really hate flipping the dog for some reason.
that one definitely takes some getting used to!
Oh I hate wheel pose too!! It’s been way too long since I last tried it, it’s sooo uncomfortable. I definitely want to learn the handstand this year. Headstand check, but handstand I suck!!
I love that I brave the free weight area at the gym no matter how crowded it is – I used to hide on the elliptical, but today I pump my iron and ignore the muscle-guys 🙂
they used to intimidate me, too. now, i’m like WATCH ME DEADLIFT THIS, YO. 😉
I am so excited for the Winter Shape Up! I’m making lentil loaf for the first time this week and am also trying to get in a juice a day. Yum!! Unfortunately, I don’t have a cute date like you 🙂
awww! she’s a good juice buddy 🙂
hope you have a great week!
Hmmm…Least favorite yoga pose would have to be crescent lunge with twist and sometimes eagle pose! I’ve come a long way with wheel…I know love it and feel so powerful in it.
maybe i’ll get there one day 🙂
I love that you saw Frozen again. It’s too good not to see again!
Had to google wheel pose… #yogifail. Once I saw a picture though, I recognized it. I love wheel pose (and the one that’s like wheel, but on your elbows instead of hands?), but I have a weirdly flexible back. If I do it for too long, though, I get a TERRIBLE headache and nausea when I get up. So that’s a bummer haha.
we’ve seen it three times now haha. and liv doesn’t seem to get bored of it AT ALL. so good 🙂
Forward fold!! I hate it !! Tight hamstrings from running …. And reverse triangle!
ahhhh! i have tight hammies too
I HATE fish pose. I can do it, but putting the top of my head on the ground freaks me out for some reason.
yeah, it’s a strange one! i like it though 😉
I used to really despise wheel too. Then one day my chest and hips just opened up, and now I love it! I think it sometimes just takes time and practicing a pose over and over again for the body/mind to warm up to it. There are still a few poses I don’t enjoy, so I make a point to include them in my home practice. <3
i hurt my back a few years ago in gymnastics, and don’t do bridges much anymore. but recently we did “wheel pose” in yoga and since we were so stretched, it felt good! now i like to do it every once in a while 🙂 and like a previous commenter said, have your instructor push your shoulders/chest out to open you up, it’ll help & feels so good!
Ahhh I have a love/hate relationship with wheel pose–some days my body loves it and other days not so much. I do love headstands though! They seem so scary but with practice they are not. Glad to hear you had a nice weekend!
Yayyyyy! I’ve been loooooooving yoga so do much lately that it makes me giddy to see this post and your mutual love for it 😀 I think it’s the scorpion? Not sure! But it’s like a handstand with legs holding out sideways~I just can’t do that one yet! But I should probably nix that word (can’t) from my yoga vocabulary, lol
I love wheel!
Anything that involves my runners tight hamstrings I dread as well. Some days they are not so bad others I feel like an 80yeor old woman that can barely move :(. Today was one of those days
I absolutely DREAD gorilla pose. Not only are my hamstrings super tight,I have huge calves that get in the way and make me feel like ill crush my hands
On menu this week so far I made crockpot shredded chciken which it plan I’m enjoying throughout the week numerous ways (tonight on a sweet potato!). Overnight oats, my new favorite, lots of fresh fruits and veggies to accompany my meals
The Camel pose! I always feel SO nauseous.
Funny thing about me… I am not scared to brave the weight-room even with all the muscle men (they’re a bunch of softies anyway), but I avoid yoga like the plague. Truly, I’m a yoga wannabe but I’ve tried it so many times & cannot get into it. I feel better or calm, I actually feel crazed because I can never figure out how to execute the moves.
I Just did wheel pose today! I don’t mind it… I kind of shied away from splits but recently I’ve been working on hip openers and am really working on my splits so that I don’t mind doing them anymore 🙂
Eagle pose! Hands down. I can never figure out which arm and which leg goes where and I cannot keep everything where it’s supposed to be. And most poses come fairly easy to me (hello weirdly double jointed shoulders) so it’s really frustrating to struggle with a pose that never seems to give anyone else trouble.
I feel you on wheel pose. I agree with the above comments. It takes so much mental strength to push through it. I have to count my breaths really quickly praying for it to be over–lol. I loooove anything twisty! Love twisted lunge and reverse triangle to really wring out my internal organs. I think my favorite part of yoga though is the flow. Not ones particular pose but the dance that you create as you weave the poses together.
I’m not a fan of wheel pose either. I just always feel so uncomfortable in it!
I alwaysssss just stay in bridge pose rather than trying wheel. I have been doing yoga for years now and I am a little disappointed in myself for not experiencing more growth in my yoga practice. Just knowing other people deal with the same issues in their own practice makes me feel better. Next time I’ll go for wheel and think of you! Thanks for sharing.
Camel pose was my least favorite for a while. It just did not feel comfortable, but it think I have improved a bit by properly squeezing in my shoulder blades to support my neck. I have yet to achieve a headstand or handstand but hope to work up to it. I recently started crossfit and there are hand stand push ups set for today’s WOD. Hopefully between crossfit and yoga I will accomplish this goal.
My daughter loved Frozen as well. It was the first and only movie she has seen in the theatre. I was surprised by how well she sat through it.
we’ve seen it 3 times now, and liv has sat in my lap, totally into it each time! can’t blame her- it’s so good!!
I really dislike headstands and never feel confident enough to attempt them. I’m always afraid of hurting my neck. I practice yoga on my own mostly; I think I would be more comfortable trying headstands in a class setting with an instructor giving me pointers. How did you get more confident in doing them?
it was during a yoga workshop for inversions and it helped SO much. i had an instructor guiding me the entire time, so since i had that basic instruction, i felt a lot more confident to go for it during class
I really hate seated forward bends. Something besides (but also including) my hamstrings is really tight and I have never been able to sit comfortably with my legs out in front of me, let alone bend over. Things have definitely improved with time and practice but I doubt it’s something I’ll ever do comfortably.
9:15?! So jealous! You definitely need to sleep in until then at least one day. My 14-month-old barely wakes up at 5. She woke up just before then this morning and I tried to get her back down, but 20 min later she was up again, so I just snuggle and nurse her in bed for a half hour if I’m lucky and then she up and ready to go! I know it’s a totally normal time for lots of people to get up for work, so I’m just trying to go to bed earlier. At least she (most of the time) sleeps through the night now.