Any anyone do the splits?

[Amy Steppe]

The splits are very easy for me. I can also get my knees all the way down in the sit position.

But......

My main problem is very tight hamstrings. They are better thanks to Cathe's workouts, but still my hamstrings are unusually tight for a female.

 

[lorajc]

Right leg leading, I can get about 1/4th inch from the floor. If I practice it daily, I can get all the way down. I've never been a very flexible person, but I work at it with Yoga weekly. I've become a lot more flexible over the last few years. I'm 47. I used to be able to do full splits when I was younger and taking dance class. On the left side, forget about it, not so flexible on that side.

What I really would like to do some day (besides getting my leg up around my shoulder and behind my head) is this: Mark Blanchard in one of his first power yoga tapes does a full split and then he reaches for his back leg and pulls it up to his head. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.....imagine the wonderful simultaneous stretch you'd get in that position. I like when you're in pigeon and pull the back leg up for a quad stretch......so I know the split version would be the ultimate. Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be that flexible.

Keep practicing August - since your flexible - you should have no problem.

 

[August]

Thanks for the encouragement, Lora!

 

[August]

QUESTION!!

Okay, I was doing my little daily stretch for my splits practice when I realized I had a question.

When doing the splits, are you resting your weight evenly so that you are balancing between the two legs, and resting directly on your groin?

Or when, say, your right leg is out straight in front of you, are you keeping your weight over your right butt cheek, and the left leg is simply stretched out straight behind you?

 

[Soosan]

How'd I miss this fun thread?

I can do a split, left leg leading only and definitely not a straddle split.

I had always, my whole life, wanted to be able to do a split, and have had recurring dreams for YEARS that I was comfortably doing one with my crotch on the floor and my hands in the air like a cheerleader (which I never was). So I decided to make doing one a goal for my 40th birthday in 2001. It took me about 3 months of doing yoga (which I was new to at the time) and gently lowering myself more and more each day. Doing a split has more to do with hip flexor than hamstring flexibility, so stretching your hip flexors will help. At almost 45, I can now do one better than ever. I have no doubt you'll get there, August. Like Briee said, I injured myself doing one at a dance, because my boot heel slipped and I came down too fast. The injury lasted at least a year before I could do a split and a lot of other yoga poses.

On all the DVD's I have, except Yoga X, the instructors call "crane" "crow." I think Briee needs to buy more yoga DVD's - or better - a whole bunch of CD's where the instructors chant a lot and incessantly talk and repeat inane metaphors.

 

[August]

Hi, Sooosan!Ooh, that boot heel slip sounds...painful. But being able to do the splits after only 3 months of effort (and that you can still do them 5 years after) is really inspiring!

Oh, and I'll be on the lookout for "Crow."