I have a love-hate relationship with Ustrasana or Camel pose. I hate every breath I am in Camel and love the inexplicable release when I come out of it. The intense back bend makes it difficult to breathe. I often feel a strange pressure in my chest and a slight dizziness in the pose. My spine reacts with a sharp stiffness that somehow aches pleasurably, like a deep-tissue massage. My exhales have a smoky, almost acrid quality to them reminiscent of toxic fumes. It is almost like I am breathing chemicals. Sometimes I get a metallic taste in my mouth and even spit up gobs of mucus. No other yoga pose makes me react this way.
Ebony Howard at Eb & Flow Yoga Studio gave me a useful pointer that helps my spine open. She told me to tighten my quads and zip up my inner thighs, making them rock solid before going into the back bend part. She had me practice holding my thighs against a wall and also put a block in between them to feel the inner thighs. Note to self: continue working on those quads and inner thighs.
Does anyone else get these weird sensations in Camel?
Ebony Howard at Eb & Flow Yoga Studio gave me a useful pointer that helps my spine open. She told me to tighten my quads and zip up my inner thighs, making them rock solid before going into the back bend part. She had me practice holding my thighs against a wall and also put a block in between them to feel the inner thighs. Note to self: continue working on those quads and inner thighs.
Does anyone else get these weird sensations in Camel?