I am finding that I am having trouble practicing yoga on harder surfaces. At home I am on carpet and the class I regularly attend has a sort of rubber flooring. However, I find that when I take classes on hardwood or concrete floor I have pain issues. My arms just kill me! It’s as if I lose the ability to support myself which is a shame. I am wondering if the other surfaces give me the idea of false strength or if its really the surface. Should I build up strength on harder surfaces or invest in a thicker mat for when I go to classes that use concrete/hardwood flooring?
I just started, but I’ve noticed the same thing. I find it easier on my writsts and elbows to put my mat on the carpet at home (I have a very dense, short rug in the family room). I don’t think that makes it any less of a workout. I think you should do whatever is most comfortable for your body. I’d like to hear what more experienced people think about it?
Yeah, there haven’t been any replies yet but I am curious. I won’t go to specific classes if I know its in the larger room which has hardwood floors because its not as peaceful as a practice. I don’t think a down dog should be so painful!
My experience is the opposite! I’ve practiced on hardwood floors as long as I can remember and the studio I teach at has hardwood as well. I love the close connection to the earth with hardwood. You can really feel the subtleties and that good foundation on hardwood, especially with balancing poses. I do have a thick mat and perhaps that is the difference.
A few years ago we carpeted our first floor with green carpet (no formaldehyde and other carcinogens) and I must say I don’t like practicing on it nearly as much. The mat bunches up and I don’t feel that connection and good foundation I so enjoy.
Just one humble opinion!
In the gym where I am going for Yoga and Pilates, many people often use those extra cushion mats on their mats. I do not like those, as they somehow make the poses and exercises feel less precise.
Some time ago I had a lot of trouble with my wrists, so I completely stopped doing any weight bearing exercises on them, not even cat/cow with hands on the floor, for a couple of months. This year I am gaining strength again and learn how to push into the rather thin mat with my whole hand, so there is not a lot of weight on my wrists, ideally no weight at all.
How do you align your hands and where do you carry most of the weight?
I was just thinking about this and was surprised to see the post by mukimuki that kind of goes along with what I was thinking. I was going to suggest that the problem probably has something to do with how the harder surface affects the distribution of weight in the pose, and that the course of action would be influenced by where you are feeling the pain, i.e. joints or muscles. You’ve mentioned arms and losing the ability to support yourself, which suggests muscles and would suggest that you would get stronger with more repetition. If the pain is in the joints, more repetition is not necessarily the solution and could actually be harmful.
@A.mi
Down dog should not be painful. Some things to consider when you have wrist pain:
Hamstring flexibility. You take more weight on hands/wrists when ham’s are tight.
Don’t press the palm down. Cup it slightly with firm pressure on finger pads especially the thumbs and index fingers.
Is your stance right in down dog? Start in child’s pose and reach arms out in front. Without moving your hand placement move into down dog. And make sure you warm up your hamstrings and calves properly.
And if you go to a class with hardwood, place a folded mat or blanket across the top of your mat to rest your hands in Down dog.
And finally, I would invest in a thicker mat. It’s worth it.
Yeah, I only get the pain on very hard surfaces (hardwood floors, concrete). It’s not really wrist pain but sore arms and I begin to just lose the ability to hold myself up. I am thinking I am sensitive to harder surfaces. I believe that even the hardwood floor in the studio is directly over concrete because it feels very hard and not like the hardwood floors in houses. It’s weird because I didn’t have pain when I practiced on tile when I went to the Caribbean last summer.