Rabbit Pose Pain?

[whiplash614]

Hi

This is my first post - I was happy to find this forum because I had a nagging question about pain I experience in my tailbone while in rabbit pose.

I have been doing Bikram for about a month (3-4 times a week), and have been experiencing this dull pain in my tailbone while in full rabbit pose. The farther I stretch into the position, the worse the pain gets. It dissipates once I release. I don't expereince it in any other capacity (i.e. sitting, running, biking, swimming) The pain does not emanate from the tailbone or shoot anywhere, which makes me believe that it's not related to sciatica. Should I lighten up - or is this just what the pose is supposed to do?

For background, I am a very in shape, 19 yr old male. I am however, pretty tight, as before I started doing yoga I was wound tighter than a spring.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

- Joe

[Nichole]

Hi Joe and welcome to the forum,
Would you start us off by telling us if you've spoken to your teacher(s) about this pain and if so, what s/he offered you?
I am asking this because of you name, but have you also experienced whiplash? If so, please tell us how long ago and some details around that too.

Cheers,

[whiplash614]

Hi,

Sorry, I should have picked a better name than whiplash - I didn't really think that one through I suppose - no, I don't have whiplash.

My teacher seems to be convinced that this is either sciatic pain, or just tightness in my lower back - she advised me to turn my ankles out a little - which didn't do a whole lot. She also suggested that I might just need to relax and "breathe into the area." The only reason I'm concerned is that the pain doesn't strike me as a muscle pain or tightness - but maybe because this is the only time I can really feel my tailbone, I am just misidentifying the pain? Is this something that many people experience in this pose?

[InnerAthlete]

Hello Joe,

You've selected a certain form of asana practice. And you have asked a question about a pose used in that form on a regular basis. So it is best to ask within the framework of your choice which means Bikram Yoga. And yet you've done this already.

I do not teach or practice that pose and have what I believe to be sound reasons for that choice. Furthermore I adhere to a rule or "parameter" when teaching asana in a safe manner. That parameter is this:

There should not be sharp pain in any joint

I consider the facet joints of the spine to be included in "any joint" and if your pain IS sharp please do whatever you are able to do so that it is NOT sharp. I cannot imagine a scenario where pain in the tailbone would warrant staying or "breathing into it" especially when there are other choices available. If you were stating a case of hamstring tension then breathing into it (within a reasonable range of movement) would be completely appropriate.

I can tell you that as a teacher of Purna Yoga if I had a student expressing pain in a pose I would alter the pose progressively for that student until there were no such pain - discomfort, perhaps, chatter, perhaps, but not pain. This embodies my definition of yoga as it applies to asana.