Oh gosh, we’ve all been there! Unless you grew up in a culture where you regularly sit on the floor, you will NOT be comfortable sat on your mat in a yoga class. So, what do you do?
Sit on a chair if that’s possible! I’m only half joking. There aren’t always chairs available in yoga classes but there are in mine 🙂 Adapting the postures to do from a chair will build your strength and flexibilty so eventually you will be able to try sitting on the floor, if you want to!
Once on the floor, it is vital to sit on a block or firm cushion to lift the pelvis. It’s to do with maintaining a good relationship between the pelvis and spine so the back is comfortable, and the thighs can relax and drop out to the sides.
It’s difficult to focus on the breath if the back and hips are uncomfortable and you get a much ‘fuller’ experience of a seated forward bend, for example, if the relationship between sacrum (or pelvis) and spine is freer.
There’s really no need to sit directly on the floor and it can make all the movements much more difficult or limited than they need to be. If you haven’t tried sitting on a block recently, give it a try and let me know how you found it!
