Are you are yoga lover and interested in wild thing yoga posture? Then you are in the right place!
The ecstatic backbend known as Wild Thing Poseure (Camatkarasana), also known as Flip Dog, can add an extra spark to your flow and make you feel wild and free.
Your mind, body, and breath become powerfully connected in a joyful way through the practice of Wild Thing. With this backbend, you can feel more liberated energetically by opening your chest, throat, and third eye. We’ll explain what it entails, its advantages, and common blunders to avoid. Let’s start!
Table of Contents
Wild Thing: Step-by-Step Instructions
- Begin in the downward-facing dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana).
- Roll onto the outside of your right foot in the position known as Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose), bringing your weight into your right hand.
- Lift your hips up with buoyancy as you take a breath. Keep your right hand firmly in place while using the fingers to claw. Keep the right arm bone’s head back. Step back with your left foot, bending your left knee slightly as you do so.
- Strike a sweeping motion with your shoulder blades into the back of your rib cage by curling back through your upper back.
- Lift your hips up on an inhalation until your right foot is firmly planted on the ground and your back is curled more into a backbend.
- Breathe normally and tilt your head back while extending your left arm outward from the heart to demonstrate your strength and freedom.
- Repeat on the other side, returning to Down Dog after holding for 5–10 breaths.
Beginner’s Tip
Try Downward-Facing Dog with the right leg lifted, hip opened, and knee bent if you are hesitant to enter Wild Thing. With each breath in, slightly widen your right heel toward the floor before stopping when it becomes uncomfortable. Rotate the bottom hand outward gradually as the foot approaches the ground. Go slowly and try to plant your right foot on the ground; don’t rush.
Wild Thing Pose Benefits
A backbend and an arm balance pose are combined in the yoga posture known as Camatkarasana, or “Wild Thing Pose.” Moving in proper alignment from the transition pose This balancing position, known as Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose), has many advantages. These are listed and explained below:
- Stretches, Strengthens, lengthens: With the assistance of the opposite side of the very same involved muscles being contracted, the challenging arm balance and core-strengthening pose of Camatkarasana stretches the muscles of the extended arm, the upper side of the abdomen, back, chest, and shoulders. The hip flexors, quadriceps, and pelvic muscles of the bent leg are primarily neutral, while the muscles of the other extended leg are deeply stretched and contracted. In order to support the hips and keep them stable during a gentle twist and backbend, the gluteus muscles of the weight-bearing leg must contract. The back muscles are strengthened with the assistance of the lengthening of the front torso because the core and shoulders are used to open the chest. While maintaining this position, special focus should be placed on the IT band, which helps the knee maintain balance and support the body’s weight. To put it another way, this practice uses the majority of the muscles to produce the best results.
- Flexibility and Range of Motion: This pose encourages twisting and backbending, which increases the flexibility of the hips, arms, shoulders, and core muscles. It’s a great exercise for shoulders that are well-toned because the act of balancing puts weight on the arms and shoulders. This also aids in improving the spine’s range of motion while in a twist, preparing the upper body for other difficult poses of the same kind.
- Chest, Diaphragm and Breath: Deeper breathing is made possible by actively using the chest, rib cage, shoulders, and upper abdomen. To maintain the body’s stability and relaxation while in a twist during the balancing action, the intercostal muscles (breathing muscles) must be effectively used. With time and repetition, the diaphragm will be used more effectively thanks to the improved breathing. When the diaphragm is effectively used, the lungs are stimulated, encouraging for an increase in oxygen intake and also preparing the lungs for more difficult poses.
- Awareness and Focus: The breath and body movement must be coordinated for this balance pose. Awareness and concentration are key components of this coordination. Students must be aware of the balancing action, the weight-bearing hand and foot, the stability of the hips, the opening of the chest, the effective use of the engaged muscles, especially the core, to support the hips and back, and the gaze in order to twist and open the torso. Many students find that all of this is simple to accomplish if they are encouraged to pay attention to even the smallest involvement or change in their body or breath, which will help them prepare for more difficult poses like Fallen Triangle Pose (Patita Tarasana), which is a backbend practice.
- Alignment and Posture: To get the most out of the practice, Wild Thing Pose requires perfect alignment of the head, feet, hips, and hands. When the aforementioned are in alignment, it facilitates better breathing, reducing stress while holding the pose. Therefore, the alignment of the chest and ribcage with the rest of the body affects how one breathes. The incorrect positioning of the foot and hand both affect the hips and shoulders, which in turn affect the abdominal muscles and the breathing. Since this pose will prepare students for more intense balancing twist poses, it is important to encourage them to maintain a good and gentle posture while practicing it.
- Stimulation and Circulation: Pressure is applied to the abdominal region when performing Wild Thing Pose because of its backbend. By stretching the muscles, this pressure helps to improve digestion, lower anxiety, and strengthen the immune system. The pelvic opening stimulates the reproductive organs, bringing hormonal balance and improved glandular function. Additionally, because it gently opens the chest, it improves blood flow, which is good for the heart’s health.
- Energizing and Cardio work-out: This practice can increase energy levels when incorporated into vinyasa yoga sequences, and it should also be taken into account when creating core yoga sequences or even when strengthening the shoulders. Additionally, it can be a brief cardio workout that is particularly beneficial for teenagers.
- Balance and Emotions: The heart chakra, also known as Anahata, the throat chakra, also known as Vishuddha, and the sacral chakra, also known as Swadhisthana, are all opened by the backbend in this pose. In terms of both the physical and emotional levels, the pose is balancing. This graceful pose evokes the feeling of taking a leap of faith. It fosters self-assurance and fearlessness in a person. Like all back bends, it is a energizing position that can make you feel extremely happy and expansive. It gives one a feeling of freedom and lets them express their wild side.
- Preparatory Pose: For peak poses like Fallen Triangle Pose, Flip The Dog Pose, or Vasisthasana Variation Raised Leg (Side Plank Variation Raised Leg), the practice of Wild Thing Pose as part of a flow can serve as a warm-up.
Common Mistakes in Wild Thing
1. Too Much Weight on Your Hand
In Wild Thing, one of the most frequent errors is to place too much weight on your hand and almost none on your leg. Spread the weight out more evenly instead.
2. Pushing the Outer Edge of the Foot Down
Students pushing their foot’s outside edge, or. the side that is facing towards your buttocks in Into the mat, Wild Thing. The result is a collapse of the hip.
On the other hand, if you press the inner edge of the foot that is facing away from you into the mat, you have strong, engaged legs that can lift your hip.
3. Inwardly Rotating Your Arm
The hand that is on the ground will rotate inward, which will cause your arm to do the same. Aside from that, keeping it straight will greatly restrict your shoulder’s range of motion.
So, to open your shoulders, rotate your weight-bearing hand outward so that your arm also rotates. This means that instead of pointing forward, your fingers will be pointing to the side of your body.
4. Not Stabilizing the Shoulder
It’s crucial to align your shoulder correctly before entering Wild Thing asana. Lift your shoulders up and backwards before entering the pose. Lift your chest forward and up, bringing the tips of your shoulder blades toward one another.
This will help to open up your chest and stabilize your shoulders.
5. Not Engaging the Back Muscles
Even though your back muscles are crucial for maintaining the alignment of your spine, they are frequently overlooked in Wild Thing.
Bring the raised hand against the back of your head to engage the muscles in your back. Push your hand against your head, and vice versa. Your back will start to engage.
Final Words on Wild Thing Yoga Posture
Now you should know everything about wild thing yoga posture, its benefits, and how to do it. If you are interested in other yoga posts, read our articles below: