Baby Wild Thing Pose

Baby Wild Thing Pose,

by Steve Johansen, Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga

 

Wild Thing Pose, is one of the more modern yoga poses, often practiced within vinyasa classes. Despite, it being relatively new, it has become a firm favourite of teachers and students alike. I incorporate Wild Thing Pose, as a counter pose during a sequence of forward bends because its gentle backbend Yoga pose, that opens up the shoulders, chest and the hips flexors and quadriceps, while building strength in the shoulder and upper back. The pose is suitable for most yogis, but should be avoided by those with rotator cuff injuries or carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

In Sanskrit it’s called Camatkarasana, pronounced (KUH-mutt-lug-RUSS-uh-nuh). In English, it has quite a few names, Wild Thing Pose, being the most popular. It is also called Flipped Dog Pose, Dancing Dog Pose and Rockstar. In the gentler or beginner’s version, its sometimes referred as Little Rockstar or Modified or Baby Wild Thing Pose.

 

I however call this pose, Pans-People. Not because I think it’s a better name, but the name just sort of stuck, after I did this pose in the very first class that I ever taught. I was very nervous, having never done anything quite like this before, finding and renting a yoga studio for an hour, and then persuading a few people to come and be my guineapigs, on a 6-week beginners yoga course. Only to find on the day, that the owner of the Yoga studio had decided to attend my class. That’s when I stopped being nervous, and became terrified.

 

However, during the warmup, the studio owner helped me relax, while doing Wild Thing when she said “This reminds me of Top of the Pops dance group, Pans People!” Not only did I relax, but I adopted the name Pans People for this pose. Luckily, I got offered a teaching job and a later a position managing the studio that I now own! You could say it is a lucky pose!

 

 

Where to start:

•         Start in Head Beyond knee Poseor Janu Sirsasana (JAH-new shear-SHAHS-anna).
•         Sitting up tall on the sit bones and extending the legs straight out in front.
•         Draw your right knee in, placing the sole of your right foot on the inside of your left knee.
•         Your torso will be angled directly between your knees.
•         Relax your shoulders downward, as you lift the crown of the head to the ceiling.
•         Find your Dristi, an unfocused gaze, at eye hight in front of you, to maintain your mental and physical focus.
•         Establish a long slow, steady breath.
•         Ideally with each inhalation, you should find strength, lifting through your sternum to sit a little taller.

To get into Pans-People Pose:

•         Keep sitting tall on both sit bones, in Head Beyond knee Pose.
•         Turn to the right, stretching arms out at shoulder height, left hand above your left foot, reaching your right hand backwards, then on the mat, fingers facing backwards.

On your next inhalation:

•         lift though the sternum, to sit a little taller, rolling the shoulder blades backwards, to engage and protect the rotate cuff muscles in the shoulders.
•         Transferring your weight onto your right hand and knee.  
•         Lifting the hips off the floor, upwards and toward the right.
•         Sweeping the left arm in an arc overhead and to the left of the room.
•         Lengthening the front of the body from your toes to the neck and across your shoulders  
•         Allow your head to relax downwards as you look up and back slightly.  

On your exhalation:

•         Lengthening upwards and forwards.
•         Relax a little deeper into to the stretch.

On your next inhalation:

•         Use your core to find strength to create length through the front of your body.
•         To protect your lower back, draw your sternum forwards rather than downwards.
•         You should feel a stretch in the back of your left thigh, calf muscle and even sole of your foot.
•         Hold the pose for 3 to 5 long slow breaths. Using your inhalation, to find strength as you lift the hips and sternum. And relaxing into the stretch on your exhalation. Lower yourself back down, the way you got into the pose. Repeating on the opposite side.

 

Teacher Tip: 

•         Resist the temptation to force yourself, relax and enjoy the openness this pose gives you.

 

For those of you who feel like you would like to know more of the benefits of the Pans-People Pose, or how to incorporate this pose within your practice, join me at my studio and see where it all began. Use this free pass code HPYFREECLASS. My gift to you.