ustrasana (camel) pose and the psychology behind it :-?

[Ryokofan]

hello, i'm new to this site. I've been doing Bikram for a shortish while, and I feel pretty good in all of the poses exept the camel pose. I can barely even FAKE it. I usually feel sooo terible that I have to lie down and yet I never have to lie down at any other point or for any other pose.

does anyone have any ideas of the psychology behind this pose? does this represent something in my personality? or does anyone have any idea how I could get over it?

thank you for your time!

[Chandra]

Namaste Ryokofan,

Your resistance in Camel pose may be due to any number of things, including tight psoas/quadriceps, lack of mobility in the thoracic spine, tight pectoral muscles, or as you suggest a mental or emotional resistance to the vulnerability of having the throat and chest opened.

Does the instructor provide modifications for this pose so that you can approach it step by step? Are you given enough warm up preparations for the muscles which lengthen in this pose?

It is easy to see how the portion of the body which is exposed is related to the emotional part of the self. What is kept closest to the heart is exposed. The creative appendage is pressed forward. The throat is bared.

Listening to the comments of the mind and of the body as you witness yourself attempting this pose will help you to gain insight as to what needs to open for the expression of this asana to develop in you.

Chandra

[scholar warrior]

It took me a few weeks to finally get into a full camel pose. I do Bikram Yoga and I am somewhat muscular. It just took awhile for me to trust myself enough to go all thew way back. I was also very tight in my shoulders which prevented me from reaching my heels.