Tight vs. weak muscles

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

Q 1 - I am just having a tough time seeing muscles as strong and / or weak at times while in a pose. Could you please help me and explain that for me one more time. For example: in a seated forward bend, if the knees lift up while reaching toward the toes, I would say that the hip extensors are tight. Is that right. If so, should the focus in this pose be on the hip flexors - contracting them and trying to relax the hip extensors. Would that be right. I hope.

Q 2 - How do the leg muscles work while in the triangular pose?
This morning one of my students commented on a sharp pulling feeling along the shin line of the leg that was turned out in the 90 degree angle. She noticed that the discomfort comes when bending the upper body toward that leg into triangular pose. Does that mean her anterior tibialis is tight. If so, how can that be avoided or corrected, please.

#2

A - In the forward bend, the hip flexors should be felt engaging their strength to pull your upper pelvis and lumbar spine forward. If they are not strong you will feel only the sensations of the hamstrings and other hip extensors stretching. Optimal to me is to feel both during the pose; if you can do that then it indicates an advanced skill of being able to choose where you work and what affect you wish to create in your practice.

A2 - In triangle pose, your hip extensors should be toned, in addition you want to strengthen your quadriceps as they straighten the knee.
The Leg turned out to 90 degrees which is the side that you are bending towards will have that tibialis anterior (lying along the shin or tibia
bone) toned by the action of lifting the inner arch of the foot (ankle inversion). Your student is working the right muscles, but sounds like they are weak so she can just use less exertion on the ankle to achieve the full position. Proceed more slowly for those who are weak. To understand weak or strong you need to see if they are using the proper muscle in the pose. If they are using the right muscle for toning and they are uncomfortable the muscle is weak. If they are using incorrect muscle, they will not be able to even feel the correct muscle because it is so weak. I hope this clarifies
your understanding. Namaste