Notes
Weakness in the hamstrings makes it difficult to create neutral extension of the hip joints,
so many people use the quadriceps to extend the knees and push the feet into the floor.
The problem here is that this tends to also create hip flexion, which obstructs the openings
at the fronts of the hip joints. Overusing the gluteus maximus also externally rotates the
hips, which the adductors counter, creating even more restriction at the hip joints.
Too much tightness in the pectoral region prevents the scapulae from moving into adduc-
tion and results in either too much movement in the shoulder joints or in flexion of the spine.
Breathing
Unlike urdhva dhanurasana (page 249), chatus pada pitham is not an extreme spinal exten-
sion that can restrict movement of the back of the thoracic cavity. However, the extension
of the arms at the shoulder joints can restrict the movement of the front of the thoracic
cavity, particularly if there is any tightness across the pectoral muscles. This might encourage
the breath to move more into the abdomen. The combination of lifting action in the back
body and release in the front body makes for an interesting opportunity to experiment by
moving the breath around the abdominal and thoracic regions. Some breathing patterns
have more of an effect on the stability of the pose, whereas others can assist in opening
the upper rib cage.
Chatus Pada Pitham (continued)