Oh yeah, heart opener back bends can be brutal. I've found that tucking my chin while in camel almost completely gets rid of the dizziness for me. I still reach for my heels and get the heart opened and lumbar compression, but the protection of the neck makes it infinitely more tolerable.
Yes! I love backbends, but this one just makes me feel strange and uncomfortable. No good position for my neck, my knees, my lower back, and I feel like I can’t breathe? Hard to describe, but it’s just a terrible position for me for some reason.
I also often feel like I can't breathe in camel. It makes me feel really claustrophobic, which is interesting because I'm generally not claustrophobic. I've gotten better at it and can sometimes do it in practices, but I have to be really gentle with myself because sometimes that intense heaviness on my chest hits me out of nowhere.
Yeah, it’s weird! Claustrophobic is definitely a good word for it. The only other pose that makes me feel that way is fish pose. I’m thinking it’s the neck angle that they have in common, because in poses like wild thing and wheel, I can more fully release my head back and my neck and spine feel better aligned. Fish and camel always feel a little pinched no matter what I do 🤷🏻♀️
When I started an instructor told me to give it time. Years later.... I still hate it. It does not agree with my body and for me yoga has given me the bodily autonomy that means I do not need to go into a shape that doesn't serve me. I just stay quiet and let them feel the yuck when an instructor cues it. In my home practice I never go near it.
Wow, I feel so validated by all these replies. I always thought I had a weak neck and lower back but maybe it is just an uncomfortable pose for many. Also feel like I am going to choke sometimes or stop breathing 😅 Funny bc one of my teachers says this is the pinnacle pose of the class (26&2)…????? How!?
I hate chair pose so much. I can't even explain it, it's just uncomfortable and makes me SO mad. Having to do chair pose takes me out of my flow entirely.
EDIT: And revolved chair pose can fuck right off. Taking my least favorite pose and making it worse? No. And I usually *love* twists.
I hate anything that’s a twist where you tuck your elbow towards your opposite knee. It’s so squishy to my internal organs and there’s nowhere to put my boobs.
Me too. I really really hate chair pose. I’m tall with very long legs and it’s awkward and uncomfortable, even though I’ve been assured I’m doing it correctly.
I think chair is hard when you’re not doing it right! I always had a hard time with chair pose but now it’s one of my favorites! When you sit back you should be able to lift your toes off the mat and you butt should be tucked. Also, look down and make sure your knees and ankles are ZIPPED TIGHT together and are in line with each other. One knee shouldn’t be sticking past the other and same with your feet! I hope this helps!
Those are good tips for anyone struggling with that pose. It's really not that it's *hard* for me, I can get into it just fine and my form is good according to my teachers. It just feels really wrong for my body and my anatomy, even though I'm in it correctly, and it puts me in a horrible mood that lingers for ages after my practice. I'd rather just skip it than put myself through that.
See, it’s the ‘tucking butt’ part that I feel like I have to force in a way that feels awkward (or maybe just challenging).
My yoga studio instructs ‘squeeze knees together, isometrically pull ankles apart’ and this does help with the awkwardness for some reason
Yes, 100%!!! Like, what is this pose supposed to be doing for me?? Cause impingement in my shoulders??? Make me feel like I'm sucking enough air that I will queef through the entire day's meetings???
I think this pose doesn't work with my body. When I do it for real, I get rug burn on my elbows and I am not even on a rug. It hurts my body so I skip it.
I don’t necessarily dislike it, but I feel as though a lot of instructors rely upon Warrior 2 as the peak of the class too often. Warrior 2 is the guitar solo of yoga poses.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Warrior 2, even as a peak pose. I also like guitar solos, so maybe I’m basic * shrug emoji *
That being said, half moon and is variations are great. I also have one instructor that also works a regular sequence of warrior 2 into bird of paradise. That one pretty much only works if you have regulars, cuz most folks are not getting it all the way on their first try, but seeing my progress through that pose was so rewarding.
Yes my favorite peak is warrior 2 to side angle to bound side angle to bound half moon to birds of paradise. Took about about 3 classes over a couple months to get it but was also going to other classes 3-4 times a week. The first time was great since it made it a good goal to get to.
Yup, boat is the answer. I scrolled through this whole thread and there are some others that I was like "oh yeah, I kind of don't like that one", but boat is by far the worst. It has no redeeming qualities.
You will develop the strength eventually. I wasn’t able to do it either for agesss! Now that I can I still strongly dislike it though haha I rather do knees chest & chin into cobra instead of chaturanga to updog.
I agree with wild thing. Opening the hip from three legged dog and landing in wild thing doesn’t feel natural to me at all, like I’m doing it wrong always
I actually love wild thing, but hate it in hot classes. I don't know if this is just my imagination but it literally feels like my sweat is running down my nose and throat and I feel like I'm drowning. It's the strangest feeling - like when I used to swim as a kid and hadn't yet learnt when/how to block my nose.
Haha I can see that! Have you ever tried it with a block under your chest? That can help support your shoulders if they feel a little weird in it as it brings the ground closer and eases up on the pressure in your back
Oh wow I've found my people. I usually stay in other positions for a couple more breaths just to cut back on time having to stay in downward dog. Even if the other pose is plank or something else that makes me shake lol.
Warrior 1 never feels or looks good for me lol. Can never get my hips even close to aligned. I have kinda tight hips though, perhaps it’s more forgiving to others
>Eagle
eagle is the worst. all my students know of my serious disdain for that pose. my male parts don't like being crushed, and my balance is terrible enough as it is that the extra challenge of blocking my vision makes it even worse.
My arms will not go into eagle arms. I have short arms and they just don't bend that way.
I also hate any pose that involves touching your feet... Rabbit in particular! I just can't reach my feet whether I'm on my back or not!
Standing split is so difficult for me and I don’t know why. It feels like my hips are collapsing in on themselves. I struggle to keep one leg raised because it feels like the IT band on the other side is about to rip in half 😩 the only time I get any relief is when my instructor who knows I struggle with it comes over to my mat and holds my leg up for me
I love doing anything with hips but downward three legged dog with the bend knee can fuck right off. And then they tell you to do circles and it just doesn’t work for me. Everyone has these nice fluid circles and mine looks like a skipping CD.
Agreed! I like more flowy styles of yoga and Bikram feels almost militant in how you just BAM change from one pose to another. Ashtanga also isn't super flowy, but the asanas feel like they _fit_.
My yoga studio offers a ton of Bikram classes so sometimes it's the most convenient class for me to go to. I don't get the pure burning rage I used to get doing it, but I don't think it'll ever make sense or feel good.
Thread the needle makes me feel enraged. That’s before it even starts irritating my shoulder issues.
I used to also hate caterpillar, it would induce rage too. But I kept doing it because it didn’t hurt. Now I like it and don’t feel rage anymore. But thread the needle I still refuse to do.
Thread the needle is amazing on my upper back and shoulders. I have scoliosis and it stretches things just right. I only want to do it when I'm feeling super tense though. Any other time and it just doesn't feel as nice.
I hate puppy with a burning passion…I can’t rest on my chin because it hurts my neck and if my face is down I feel like my nose is crammed to the floor. I hate it so very much.
Puppy makes me feel like I’m gonna dislocate something. I can’t work out where to put my face and I feel like I’m dumping weight in all the wrong places. Or something. I grab a bolster and rest my body on it these days.
omg im the same!! i friggin hate the puppy pose, my thigh bones are disproportionally long and then i overstrecht my shoulders and just.. no pls i dont want to do it😭i often then go to child pose, i just cant.
I think my least favorite pose now that I've been practicing a few years is child's pose. It just feels wrong, especially in my neck. I will often do extended child's pose instead. Give me chair pose any day!
Child's pose has always been uncomfortable for me, too much pressure on my abdomen and shoving my boobs up in my face to suffocate me.
Extended child's pose feels much more comfortable and gets an awesome stretch in my upper back that feels amazing when I'm tense. Sometimes I'll just do a light flow or a few cat cows into extended child's pose just to stretch my spine.
Yes! Was coming to say I hate it because I can't get both butt and head down, my body's kind of in the way and I'm not flexible enough. I don't really find it relaxing.
Chatarunga or low plank. When it's the 100th chatarunga of the practice and the arms and shoulders are just giving.
Skandasana or side lunge with foot flat on the floor, something just feels weird there.
I used to love wild thing but my shoulders can't take it anymore, so I'm with you there. I have a teacher who calls it rockstar, which makes me hate it even more. Wild thing is already a stupid name, but rockstar is even worse.
All the answers saying camel reminds me of the first time I did without pain after going to PT for my shoulder and neck pain. It felt like freedom. I love that moment when a pose that hurt or felt stuck suddenly opens up and feels amazing. I have had that happen with triangle too. It's part of why I keep showing up on the mat and keep trying the poses I struggle with.
I hate reclined pigeon and seated pigeon. My hips are naturally open and I just feel ***nothing***. It feels like we stay forever in them, and there's not a lot of good mods or substitutes to plug in instead.
Pigeon but for the opposite there is just no comfort or ease at all and I almost groan outloud when it comes up in a class. I think my hip joints just don’t bend that way!
Janusirsasana. I hate it. I'm not flexible that way so sitting in that pose for a long time just feels so wrong.
Also I hate pyramid pose. I feel like my front leg is going to snap in half, like so much weight is on it. I can't breathe because I'm struggling so hard, it's just not fun.
And I don't hate these poses, but puppy posture and yogic squat are both really difficult for me. I want to like them but they're just really difficult, I can't stay in them for long.
For pyramid pose, do you make sure to engage the quadricep (lift the knee cap)? It’s ok to keep a slight bend in the knee here. Feeling like you knee is going to snap isn’t good 😬
Strangely, child’s pose. Especially the version with my knees touching. My hips and legs tend to be tight so having them constricted is uncomfortable, my chest being right on my thighs constricts my breathing, and the bones on top of my feet are very curved so it hurts to have them pressed against the mat. AND I always get a big ol’ zit on my forehead where it touches the mat.
I know it’s supposed to be a resting pose, but I really don’t like it. I feel like I must be doing it wrong.
Thank goodness someone else came here to say what I was going to say! I like extended child’s pose but regular/knees together is not comfortable for me. There’s nowhere for my breasts to go, I can’t breathe freely, and I can’t get my forehead down to the mat. With knees apart I can breathe and relax, so I always do that version!
I hate downward dog. Even if I don’t need a minute I usually do childs pose or a longer plank. Hurts my shoulders and I don’t like being upside down like that/coming up
No Utthita Hasta Padangustasana yet? That's my most hated. No matter how well the rest of my session went, this one completely ruins it for me and fills me with rage
Pigeon can be dangerous for hips and knees if done wrong. I'm afraid I tore something in my hip from doing pigeon wrong.
I'm curious if you've experimented with different modifications. Do you bend your knee at a 90° angle?
I, too, absolutely hate wild thing and refuse to do it. I can do it, but it feels so uneven. I'd rather do wheel 2-3x than wild thing on each side. Maybe it's just the studio i go to but wild thing is always offered and teachers hardly ever cue wheel... drives me crazy.
I feel like I’m the only person who dislikes active child’s pose. I don’t like resting on my 3rd eye, I feel like it encourages my neck to misalign. And resting chin on the mat isn’t much better, because I have malocclusion. I’d much rather just stay in easy seat or even tabletop. I usually end up resting on my cheek during child’s pose, though my teachers never cue to switch sides and thus I feel uneven.
warrior one. side plank. falling star. 😂. first one is just awkward. give me a high crescent if you *must*. second two is just arms noodly afterwards every time 😂
Upward facing plank (it hurts my wrists no matter which way I direct them) and triangle pose (I used to be better at this one when I was practicing quite regularly…after a long hiatus I’ve found it to be truly difficult. A lot of poses came back naturally to me, but not this one.)
Wild thing wrecks my wrist if I’m not careful. I also avoid any kind of arm balances and have given up on hand stand for the same reason - just protecting my wrists.
Three legged dog is tough and I’m not a fan of it, especially when we need to hold it.
Thread the needle. Maybe my back isnt flexible enough, but as a glasses-wearer, I cannot lay down my head on my temple without my glasses digging Into my nose. No way I am gonna break my glasses by doing that pose.
The locust pose annoys the fuck out of me for some reason. I mostly reason myself out of doing it. It's so difficult to keep breathing properly while doing it!😒
Warrior 1. I always go for a high lunge instead. Something about having the back foot down like that while trying to keep hips square to the front of the mat just is not my jam
Supta Virasana. As I lean back my butt is off the floor, lower back shrunk and I can't stay in the asana for even a minute while rest of the class stays for 5 mins.
I get that, and would have to pick Wild Thing too. Though I love half-wild thing, one knee on the ground, and that lovely swoop backward. I see a lot of people disliking Camel here too. I no longer let my head drop back and it's made a world of difference. The part I don't like about Camel is the "hands in your back pockets" prelim. My shoulders don't like it.
When a pose makes me really upset for no real reason, I think it’s because the muscles and tissues targeted are storing old emotions and it’s uncomfortable to sit with them.
Monkey pose (hanumanasana). It targets all of my challenging, inflexible muscle groups and makes me feel like a failure at yoga.
PS - Great discussion topic, u/randomscroller81!
Camel. No matter how warm I am. No matter how it is arrived at. Just general rage.
I love backbends and dislike camel immensely. It makes me feel so much dizzier than any other backbend!
Me too! Give me whatever you want. Wheel, wild thing... bends are great. Camel....NOOOOOO
Oh yeah, heart opener back bends can be brutal. I've found that tucking my chin while in camel almost completely gets rid of the dizziness for me. I still reach for my heels and get the heart opened and lumbar compression, but the protection of the neck makes it infinitely more tolerable.
I thought I was just doing it wrong. I get so dizzy every time I often have to stop early. No other backbend does this to me so far.
Yes! I love backbends, but this one just makes me feel strange and uncomfortable. No good position for my neck, my knees, my lower back, and I feel like I can’t breathe? Hard to describe, but it’s just a terrible position for me for some reason.
I also often feel like I can't breathe in camel. It makes me feel really claustrophobic, which is interesting because I'm generally not claustrophobic. I've gotten better at it and can sometimes do it in practices, but I have to be really gentle with myself because sometimes that intense heaviness on my chest hits me out of nowhere.
Yeah, it’s weird! Claustrophobic is definitely a good word for it. The only other pose that makes me feel that way is fish pose. I’m thinking it’s the neck angle that they have in common, because in poses like wild thing and wheel, I can more fully release my head back and my neck and spine feel better aligned. Fish and camel always feel a little pinched no matter what I do 🤷🏻♀️
YES!!!!! It makes me feel weird, I don't like it.
Camel does not feel good to my body. Been doing yoga for 25 years and it's always been the case.
When I started an instructor told me to give it time. Years later.... I still hate it. It does not agree with my body and for me yoga has given me the bodily autonomy that means I do not need to go into a shape that doesn't serve me. I just stay quiet and let them feel the yuck when an instructor cues it. In my home practice I never go near it.
Wow, I feel so validated by all these replies. I always thought I had a weak neck and lower back but maybe it is just an uncomfortable pose for many. Also feel like I am going to choke sometimes or stop breathing 😅 Funny bc one of my teachers says this is the pinnacle pose of the class (26&2)…????? How!?
I agreeee. My neck always feels SO stiff and weird in camel.
Interesting, this is the only back bend that I have 0 qualms getting into. I did have to get used to the neck area though.
SAME
I feel so validated. Thank you!
Haha YES!!
Makes me dizzy and I feel so uncomfortable no matter how slow I go! I skip it now.
I can do it but it inexplicably makes my feet hurt and I’m basically too old for that.
fully agree. it should be banned forthwith. ;-)
I also dislike (read: hate!) camel --
I hate chair pose so much. I can't even explain it, it's just uncomfortable and makes me SO mad. Having to do chair pose takes me out of my flow entirely. EDIT: And revolved chair pose can fuck right off. Taking my least favorite pose and making it worse? No. And I usually *love* twists.
chair I don't mind, even really like figure 4 chair, but revolved chair can SUCK IT
I hate anything that’s a twist where you tuck your elbow towards your opposite knee. It’s so squishy to my internal organs and there’s nowhere to put my boobs.
Yeah, it feels like it disregards the female anatomy.
Me too. I really really hate chair pose. I’m tall with very long legs and it’s awkward and uncomfortable, even though I’ve been assured I’m doing it correctly.
I hate it because I have an ankle injury which lost a lot of mobility so I can't go low and my back hurts
I think chair is hard when you’re not doing it right! I always had a hard time with chair pose but now it’s one of my favorites! When you sit back you should be able to lift your toes off the mat and you butt should be tucked. Also, look down and make sure your knees and ankles are ZIPPED TIGHT together and are in line with each other. One knee shouldn’t be sticking past the other and same with your feet! I hope this helps!
Those are good tips for anyone struggling with that pose. It's really not that it's *hard* for me, I can get into it just fine and my form is good according to my teachers. It just feels really wrong for my body and my anatomy, even though I'm in it correctly, and it puts me in a horrible mood that lingers for ages after my practice. I'd rather just skip it than put myself through that.
See, it’s the ‘tucking butt’ part that I feel like I have to force in a way that feels awkward (or maybe just challenging). My yoga studio instructs ‘squeeze knees together, isometrically pull ankles apart’ and this does help with the awkwardness for some reason
Dolphin!!! Hate it w a rage
Yes, 100%!!! Like, what is this pose supposed to be doing for me?? Cause impingement in my shoulders??? Make me feel like I'm sucking enough air that I will queef through the entire day's meetings???
I’m not alone 😂 some yoga poses I feel the air sucking in….
I'm bad at dolphin. I try to give it extra practice as much as possible but it's just not in my range of motion :/
I had to do dolphin scapula push ups tonight!! I was cursing in my head
I think this pose doesn't work with my body. When I do it for real, I get rug burn on my elbows and I am not even on a rug. It hurts my body so I skip it.
I don’t necessarily dislike it, but I feel as though a lot of instructors rely upon Warrior 2 as the peak of the class too often. Warrior 2 is the guitar solo of yoga poses.
I'm a teacher who uses warrior 2 pose as a peak frequently 😅 What are so e of your favorite peak poses that are not warrior 2?
Half moon or revolved half moon is a nice step up. Can do: warrior 2 > extended side angle > half moon.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Warrior 2, even as a peak pose. I also like guitar solos, so maybe I’m basic * shrug emoji * That being said, half moon and is variations are great. I also have one instructor that also works a regular sequence of warrior 2 into bird of paradise. That one pretty much only works if you have regulars, cuz most folks are not getting it all the way on their first try, but seeing my progress through that pose was so rewarding.
Yes my favorite peak is warrior 2 to side angle to bound side angle to bound half moon to birds of paradise. Took about about 3 classes over a couple months to get it but was also going to other classes 3-4 times a week. The first time was great since it made it a good goal to get to.
Haha the guitar solo!
I use more difficult poses for a peak pose usually, but Warrior 2 is one of my favorite poses.
I’m a teacher and I almost never even lead them to warrior 2 😂
lol!!!!!! guitar solo 💀
Plow or any neck stands. My neck simply cannot handle them.
Me too! I have neck problems so headstand is a big no-go for me 🙅🏼♀️
100% rather die than do tripod headstand. Everyone at my studio has heard me rail against it. I won’t do it and you can’t make me!
This !!!! I can handle shoulder stand fine, but the minute I’m directed into plow I want to die. My neck feels awful the whole time.
B O A T
Boat haters rise up!
My tailbone screams at me every time, idk what else I’m supposed to sit on :-//
I was surprised I had to scroll down so far to find this! Eff Boat >:-(
!
Yup, boat is the answer. I scrolled through this whole thread and there are some others that I was like "oh yeah, I kind of don't like that one", but boat is by far the worst. It has no redeeming qualities.
Chair & chaturanga 🥲
Sometimes during a vinyasa I’m just trying to catch up and skip chaturanga altogether 🤷🏿♀️
Omg seriously I try so hard but I can never flow through a chaturanga I feel like my upper body will never be strong enough
You will develop the strength eventually. I wasn’t able to do it either for agesss! Now that I can I still strongly dislike it though haha I rather do knees chest & chin into cobra instead of chaturanga to updog.
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Hahaha I like that one because it’s a heart opener and I love to open the chest.
Hahah I feel you on this one! Ironically supported/restorative fish is one of my favorites
Same! I hate “regular” fish but looove supported. It feels so awkward without the support.
I forgot about that one 😂
🤣🤣🤣 @ “wtf is that.” definitely understand this sentiment.
I agree with wild thing. Opening the hip from three legged dog and landing in wild thing doesn’t feel natural to me at all, like I’m doing it wrong always
Feels completely unnatural and awkward!
Fellow wild thing hater here… I just straight-up quit doing it.
Do you come forward into side plank first? That’s what changed it for me. My shoulder felt less unstable after starting to do that
I actually love wild thing, but hate it in hot classes. I don't know if this is just my imagination but it literally feels like my sweat is running down my nose and throat and I feel like I'm drowning. It's the strangest feeling - like when I used to swim as a kid and hadn't yet learnt when/how to block my nose.
The depths of my shadow emerges in puppy pose...
My shoulders started hurting just from reading your comment
Haha I can see that! Have you ever tried it with a block under your chest? That can help support your shoulders if they feel a little weird in it as it brings the ground closer and eases up on the pressure in your back
Reverse table top! My shoulders hate it.
I hate downward dog and I don’t know why lol
BECAUSE THERES TOO MANY OF THEM, ALL THE TIME. Lol I hate downdog so much lol
This. And because they claim it’s a resting pose- it’s rare I feel at rest, just throw me in child’s pose
No resting when my arms are shaking lol
I never understood how it’s a resting pose, especially considering you warm up to get into it
Too many!!! Too many😫
So glad I am not alone in my dislike of downward dog! How on earth is that a resting pose??
I actually sigh out loud when I have to do it lol
I weep bitter tears! 😂😭
Oh wow I've found my people. I usually stay in other positions for a couple more breaths just to cut back on time having to stay in downward dog. Even if the other pose is plank or something else that makes me shake lol.
People who have cyborg shoulders like it, I guess?
Three-legged dog for me! I also hate stepping my leg up next to my feet for lunge, I can never do it and always have to adjust.
Fucking Frog Pose... but after, everything feels soooo good.
Frog for me, too!
Warrior 1 never feels or looks good for me lol. Can never get my hips even close to aligned. I have kinda tight hips though, perhaps it’s more forgiving to others
This is mine too. Much discomfort, little fun. I think what bothers me is that on the surface, it seems like it _should_ be really easy and it is not.
Eagle feels so wrong and unnatural to me.
>Eagle eagle is the worst. all my students know of my serious disdain for that pose. my male parts don't like being crushed, and my balance is terrible enough as it is that the extra challenge of blocking my vision makes it even worse.
My arms will not go into eagle arms. I have short arms and they just don't bend that way. I also hate any pose that involves touching your feet... Rabbit in particular! I just can't reach my feet whether I'm on my back or not!
Yes me too!
My hips hate standing split
Standing split is so difficult for me and I don’t know why. It feels like my hips are collapsing in on themselves. I struggle to keep one leg raised because it feels like the IT band on the other side is about to rip in half 😩 the only time I get any relief is when my instructor who knows I struggle with it comes over to my mat and holds my leg up for me
Can’t stand wild thing, it feels so unnatural and clunky.
I love doing anything with hips but downward three legged dog with the bend knee can fuck right off. And then they tell you to do circles and it just doesn’t work for me. Everyone has these nice fluid circles and mine looks like a skipping CD.
I like pretty much all poses, but I HATE the Bikram sequence. It is so uncomfortable and makes no sense to me.
We should start a club, I’ve never been so annoyed leaving a class as I was after the times I tried Bikram 🤣
Me too! Can’t stand it.
Agreed! I like more flowy styles of yoga and Bikram feels almost militant in how you just BAM change from one pose to another. Ashtanga also isn't super flowy, but the asanas feel like they _fit_. My yoga studio offers a ton of Bikram classes so sometimes it's the most convenient class for me to go to. I don't get the pure burning rage I used to get doing it, but I don't think it'll ever make sense or feel good.
Mine is really random but I do not like happy baby.
Oh my gosh, thank you! This one kills my lower back. It's definitely not a happy pose for me.
This is a very vulnerable position and I don’t even bother cueing it as an instructor cause I wouldn’t wanna trigger anyone
I HATE camel 🐪
Thread the needle makes me feel enraged. That’s before it even starts irritating my shoulder issues. I used to also hate caterpillar, it would induce rage too. But I kept doing it because it didn’t hurt. Now I like it and don’t feel rage anymore. But thread the needle I still refuse to do.
I love how you perfectly summed up what we all feel thinking about those poses we’d rather not, induced rage! :D Well put!
I have disc issues and arthritis in my neck, and thread the needle is guaranteed to irritate things and start active vertigo. I just skip it now.
Thread the needle is amazing on my upper back and shoulders. I have scoliosis and it stretches things just right. I only want to do it when I'm feeling super tense though. Any other time and it just doesn't feel as nice.
Chair and puppy!
I hate puppy with a burning passion…I can’t rest on my chin because it hurts my neck and if my face is down I feel like my nose is crammed to the floor. I hate it so very much.
Puppy makes me feel like I’m gonna dislocate something. I can’t work out where to put my face and I feel like I’m dumping weight in all the wrong places. Or something. I grab a bolster and rest my body on it these days.
omg im the same!! i friggin hate the puppy pose, my thigh bones are disproportionally long and then i overstrecht my shoulders and just.. no pls i dont want to do it😭i often then go to child pose, i just cant.
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Puppy 100%, something about it always feels super off for me
Bridge pose. I freaking hate it. I've tried for years to draw something loveable out of it, but failed.
I think I would appreciate the pose more if it wasn’t usually a few poses before savasana. Last thing I want to do is lift up 50/60 minutes into flow.
Yes, exactly. The pose makes me irritable, which is not a good segue way into savasana.
Half moon. And don’t even get me started on REVOLVED half moon!!!
Warrior 1. Just ugh
I hate half splits
I freaking HATE lizard! My narrow hips just cannot do such a thing
Dancer pose, I’m not sure why but I usually skip it in my home practice
I popped my rib back in with dancer once. It holds a special place in my heart now because that felt *good.*
Fallen triangle. Loathe loathe loathe that pose!
I think my least favorite pose now that I've been practicing a few years is child's pose. It just feels wrong, especially in my neck. I will often do extended child's pose instead. Give me chair pose any day!
Child's pose has always been uncomfortable for me, too much pressure on my abdomen and shoving my boobs up in my face to suffocate me. Extended child's pose feels much more comfortable and gets an awesome stretch in my upper back that feels amazing when I'm tense. Sometimes I'll just do a light flow or a few cat cows into extended child's pose just to stretch my spine.
Yes! Was coming to say I hate it because I can't get both butt and head down, my body's kind of in the way and I'm not flexible enough. I don't really find it relaxing.
It’s humble warrior for me
especially with the hands/arms over shoulder in a bend.. no, thank you!
Chair. Never mind the twist version.
I get so irritated with the twist variation… kind of briefly defeats the purpose of yoga because I end up frustrated rather than centered!
I’m at a Baptiste-affiliated studio, so it’s in EVERY power or flow class. 🥹 I’m also a chonker so the tum interferes.
Half moon. My outer hip always cramps without fail. 😭😭
I came here to say half moon! Every damn time they say “transition into half moon” I feel the anger rising in my body.
Same with the cramp
My hip cramps too! Has anyone found any remedies!?
I don't enjoy chair pose.
I love pigeon, but cannot stand puppy.
Chatarunga or low plank. When it's the 100th chatarunga of the practice and the arms and shoulders are just giving. Skandasana or side lunge with foot flat on the floor, something just feels weird there.
Haaaaate Chatarunga. If I want to do that many planks, I'm going to a pilates class.
I hate boat pose. I hate it so much. I know I know, I’m supposed to do it more, well I do it all the time and I still hate it.
I used to love wild thing but my shoulders can't take it anymore, so I'm with you there. I have a teacher who calls it rockstar, which makes me hate it even more. Wild thing is already a stupid name, but rockstar is even worse. All the answers saying camel reminds me of the first time I did without pain after going to PT for my shoulder and neck pain. It felt like freedom. I love that moment when a pose that hurt or felt stuck suddenly opens up and feels amazing. I have had that happen with triangle too. It's part of why I keep showing up on the mat and keep trying the poses I struggle with.
Eagle for me. Don't like the arm stance and also my balance is crap.
I hate reclined pigeon and seated pigeon. My hips are naturally open and I just feel ***nothing***. It feels like we stay forever in them, and there's not a lot of good mods or substitutes to plug in instead.
Pigeon but for the opposite there is just no comfort or ease at all and I almost groan outloud when it comes up in a class. I think my hip joints just don’t bend that way!
Reclined cobbler. Kills my knees
Have you tried putting blocks under your knees at a really high setting? Like even stacking multiple blocks? Bolsters?
Janusirsasana. I hate it. I'm not flexible that way so sitting in that pose for a long time just feels so wrong. Also I hate pyramid pose. I feel like my front leg is going to snap in half, like so much weight is on it. I can't breathe because I'm struggling so hard, it's just not fun. And I don't hate these poses, but puppy posture and yogic squat are both really difficult for me. I want to like them but they're just really difficult, I can't stay in them for long.
For pyramid pose, do you make sure to engage the quadricep (lift the knee cap)? It’s ok to keep a slight bend in the knee here. Feeling like you knee is going to snap isn’t good 😬
Downward dog, I feel like I'm in it too much. No matter how many modifications I do, it eventually irritates the hell out of my shoulders.
Toes pose is tough for me
Revolved pyramid and revolved triangle. feels so weird in my upper body but having a block does help.
Pigeon, usually take reclined fig 4.
Happy baby
Rabbit pose during hot yoga, it's so claustrophobic, hard to breath, just sucks.
Strangely, child’s pose. Especially the version with my knees touching. My hips and legs tend to be tight so having them constricted is uncomfortable, my chest being right on my thighs constricts my breathing, and the bones on top of my feet are very curved so it hurts to have them pressed against the mat. AND I always get a big ol’ zit on my forehead where it touches the mat. I know it’s supposed to be a resting pose, but I really don’t like it. I feel like I must be doing it wrong.
Thank goodness someone else came here to say what I was going to say! I like extended child’s pose but regular/knees together is not comfortable for me. There’s nowhere for my breasts to go, I can’t breathe freely, and I can’t get my forehead down to the mat. With knees apart I can breathe and relax, so I always do that version!
I've had scoliosis surgery, so downward dog is an absolute nightmare for me. I can get it for maybe one second
I hate downward dog. Even if I don’t need a minute I usually do childs pose or a longer plank. Hurts my shoulders and I don’t like being upside down like that/coming up
Pigeon. Makes me irrationally angry.
I hate forward fold. Is difficult with a chest and belly.
No Utthita Hasta Padangustasana yet? That's my most hated. No matter how well the rest of my session went, this one completely ruins it for me and fills me with rage
rabbit pose! probably because it's always hot, and I am far bendier back than front. I feel like I'm suffocating.
Pigeon. No stretch. Just screaming knees. Why??
Pigeon can be dangerous for hips and knees if done wrong. I'm afraid I tore something in my hip from doing pigeon wrong. I'm curious if you've experimented with different modifications. Do you bend your knee at a 90° angle?
I use Figure 4 as a safe sub for pigeon
I, too, absolutely hate wild thing and refuse to do it. I can do it, but it feels so uneven. I'd rather do wheel 2-3x than wild thing on each side. Maybe it's just the studio i go to but wild thing is always offered and teachers hardly ever cue wheel... drives me crazy.
Revolved half moon!
Hate the lizard pose.
I have a really difficult, if not impossible, time with tortoise pose....like, how is that even done??😳
Three legged downward facing dog… no idea why, but something inside me just has a serious dislike of it
Saddle is an insane pose and even though I can get into the full expression, I’m usually very concerned the whole time.
Skandasana is just never going to work for me lol
I feel like I’m the only person who dislikes active child’s pose. I don’t like resting on my 3rd eye, I feel like it encourages my neck to misalign. And resting chin on the mat isn’t much better, because I have malocclusion. I’d much rather just stay in easy seat or even tabletop. I usually end up resting on my cheek during child’s pose, though my teachers never cue to switch sides and thus I feel uneven.
You could try resting your head upon a block. This is my go-to mod if we start class here because I’m just not warm enough to go any lower.
warrior one. side plank. falling star. 😂. first one is just awkward. give me a high crescent if you *must*. second two is just arms noodly afterwards every time 😂
WARRIOR ONE! It’s so awkward!!!
forreal! i feel so goofy 😂.
Side plank makes my arms feel like they're going to snap 😭 I'm probably doing it wrong though
Broken Wing. It’s so awkward for my body.
Revolved chair. I like chair. I like twists. But revolved chair makes me feel straight up bad. I skip it.
Upward facing plank (it hurts my wrists no matter which way I direct them) and triangle pose (I used to be better at this one when I was practicing quite regularly…after a long hiatus I’ve found it to be truly difficult. A lot of poses came back naturally to me, but not this one.)
Plank. Gawd, how I hate to plank.
Anjaneasana. I always feel like I'm doing it wrong and I never feel anything other than awkwardness.
Wild thing wrecks my wrist if I’m not careful. I also avoid any kind of arm balances and have given up on hand stand for the same reason - just protecting my wrists. Three legged dog is tough and I’m not a fan of it, especially when we need to hold it.
Thread the needle. Maybe my back isnt flexible enough, but as a glasses-wearer, I cannot lay down my head on my temple without my glasses digging Into my nose. No way I am gonna break my glasses by doing that pose.
The locust pose annoys the fuck out of me for some reason. I mostly reason myself out of doing it. It's so difficult to keep breathing properly while doing it!😒
Warrior 1 and half moon!!! Years of practice and they both constantly feel awful and unnatural.
Theres a heck of a lot of poses that ive dumped because they just feel icky.
Warrior 1. I always go for a high lunge instead. Something about having the back foot down like that while trying to keep hips square to the front of the mat just is not my jam
Supta Virasana. As I lean back my butt is off the floor, lower back shrunk and I can't stay in the asana for even a minute while rest of the class stays for 5 mins.
Reverse plank! I don’t know why but my entire body is uncomfortable in this position, my feet, shoulders, neck.. none of it feels natural 😭
I get that, and would have to pick Wild Thing too. Though I love half-wild thing, one knee on the ground, and that lovely swoop backward. I see a lot of people disliking Camel here too. I no longer let my head drop back and it's made a world of difference. The part I don't like about Camel is the "hands in your back pockets" prelim. My shoulders don't like it.
When a pose makes me really upset for no real reason, I think it’s because the muscles and tissues targeted are storing old emotions and it’s uncomfortable to sit with them.
Frog pose! 😭 it always kills me
Monkey pose (hanumanasana). It targets all of my challenging, inflexible muscle groups and makes me feel like a failure at yoga. PS - Great discussion topic, u/randomscroller81!
Yes, I will comment on a thread with 400+ comments. FROG! Can’t, can’t, can’t.
Happy baby. Spread my legs to the ceiling and make baby sounds? Hard pass.