Partner Work

In my Kripalu class we often do Pincha Mayurasana in groups of 3, so that the person in the pose can wobble all they like and get some feedback about their alignment. Generally I need the same feedback in every pose "tuck your tailbone and pull in the lower ribs." So I'm tucking and tucking and still not aligned properly. I've got 2 classmates and the teacher all trying to explain what is out of alignment, but I'm not getting it. Sometimes it's hard to think when you are inverted, so I come down and my classmate explains that my legs were tilted toward my front.

All of a sudden, after how many weeks of hearing my Iyengar teacher explain that the femurs root back while the tailbone tilts down, I suddenly understand. This need is exposed when your feet are skyward because the floor is not there to hold your legs straight up and down. It's one of those yoga enlightenment moments when the sun dawns and the light bulbs come on. Now if only I can do it...