I understand how to get into it theoretically but I can’t seem to raise my hips up far enough to be even halfway and the upside down feeling is sorta scary. How did you go about it? Any suggestions?
I highly suggest having your teacher assist you up into the posture to see what it feels like. I had a great fear of trying to get into wheel for a long time. I had my teacher assist me, once I felt like I had the flexibility in my back, several times until I felt like I was ready to do it on my own, and had the strength to do it on my own. Now I feel like I fly up there!
She also showed me a great assist that involved putting your yoga blocks at an angle against a wall and then lying down with your head between the two blocks, using the blocks to support your hands as you go up, instead of having your hands flat. It is hard to describe so I may do a little digging to try to find a photo or video to explain.
Physiologically, it is opening of the hip flexors (rectus femoris, psoas, iliacus) and shoulders that allow the pose. Therefore the precursory work (for thehip flexors) is in Eka Pada Supta Virasana, (one legged supine hero pose), Vanarasana (lunge or monkey pose), Vira I (Warrior), Parsvokonasana (side angle pose), Bhujangasana (cobra), Setu Bandha (bridge), and Ustrasana (camel).
Energetically, the fear is often a resistance to moving away from the past, letting go of that which has already happened, and moving into our present to be available for our living. It can also be a holding on to “things as they are” but this is more likely in inversions.
Hope this helps.
gordon
I would add Salabhasana to this list.
Agreed. Salabhasana, Ardha Salabhasana, the other pose called Ardha Chandrasana (from the classical Surya Namaskar), Dhanurasana, and Makarasana… these are the ones I’d share with beginners. There are others but they are more advanced postures and as such they require opening rather than deliver it - though both are true to degrees.
Thank you Sasha.
Warming up with 8 to 16 sun salutations always help me be more powerful in each pose there after. I agree with the list of posses, I would emphasize, bridge pose and camel pose.
[QUOTE=Terje;32090]I understand how to get into it theoretically but I can’t seem to raise my hips up far enough to be even halfway and the upside down feeling is sorta scary. How did you go about it? Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]
I suggest not to do it now. You body will let you know if ever you will be ready for it
IA, thank you for that list. I too don’t feel I have the strength to obtain wheel pose, it feels very far away for me, too. I appreciate the list of poses, and will make sure I incorporate them regularly into my practice, more-so than they are now.
I also very much appreciate the explanation of the fear. I experience fear as well when I try to attempt wheel pose, but always thought I was just very afraid I was going to hurt myself, having had arthritis pain that limited me in the past. I think you hit it on the head though.
Please see this thread, maybe it helps… http://www.yogaforums.com/forums/f16/non-violence-on-the-yoga-mat-6012.html
Thank you CityMonk, those are good things to keep in mind. I do practice Ahimsa when doing yoga, as I have injured myself in the past without even realizing it just because I was trying hard. Now I am extra gentle.
I had just not thought about the fear when attempting wheel, which I usually don’t attempt, but was following a class and thought I’d see what I could do with it, knowing I would have to be gentle with myself. The fear surprised me, but in hindsight I see that I brushed it off. This thread has made me take a second look to see if perhaps there is something else I am avoiding that is coming out as fear when I attempt a pose like wheel. 
Or maybe I was just darned afraid I’d hurt my wrist or something! 
Something for me to notice from here on out.
[QUOTE=AbdhijaKimberly;32103]I highly suggest having your teacher assist you up into the posture to see what it feels like. I had a great fear of trying to get into wheel for a long time. I had my teacher assist me, once I felt like I had the flexibility in my back, several times until I felt like I was ready to do it on my own, and had the strength to do it on my own. Now I feel like I fly up there!
She also showed me a great assist that involved putting your yoga blocks at an angle against a wall and then lying down with your head between the two blocks, using the blocks to support your hands as you go up, instead of having your hands flat. It is hard to describe so I may do a little digging to try to find a photo or video to explain.[/QUOTE]
Agree, especially with second paragraph above. Also, getting comfortable in bridge made it easier for me to do wheel. Lastly, no big deal whether you can “do” wheel or not, rather the issue is (from my perspective) how to get the benefit for your body with what poses you can do (ie, don’t force something and injure yourself, just take it with what’s available and get the benefit from that)
[QUOTE=InnerAthlete;32104]
Energetically, the fear is often a resistance to moving away from the past, letting go of that which has already happened, and moving into our present to be available for our living. It can also be a holding on to “things as they are” but this is more likely in inversions.
[/QUOTE]
Great insight, thanks for that
I can do wheel pose. But I cannot bind like most prople in my classes can. In fact there is a guy in my classes who I think of as Mr Strap. His range of motion is quite limited. He uses his trusty strap on many poses to get the effect of binding or bending or twisting. But there he is 3 to 4 nights a week showing up and being part of our community. He told me once that he had taken a teacher training course to deepen his practice. He had no desire to teach but wanted to broaden his knowledge and experience.
So to me this guy is someone to emulate. Not because he can do lots of advanced poses but because of his attitude. If you don’t show up your journey will never start.