khanjar

Ok, what's this then, when I am going through the moves on Jenna's basic and beyond, any position where either leg is bent and supported on the ball of the foot, the leg shakes uncontrollably. I try to focus to stop it shaking, but to no avail, is this common, or am I doing something wrong? More importantly how does one stop it?

I have had this problem before and feel it is something to do with the tendons, as I used to get it with rock climbing, which is pretty scary.

I am just hoping it is not a problem that can not be cured or got around.

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adiemus

It sounds like you've fatigued your muscles and they're shaking because they're tired! Don't over do it, try and maintain control, and if you find you're shaking it's time to give your body a wee rest. Also make sure you're eating enough low GI food so the body has energy over the whole of your workout, not just rapidly absorbed glucose/fructose.

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jenc

Are you putting too much weight on that leg? Normally, if you have one leg bent your weight should be on the other, unless it's a travelling move in which case the weight tranfer will be brief

khanjar

Nope, no weight is on the leg, it is just supported on the ball of the foot with heel raised off the floor. Perhaps it is the pose is unnatural for me, in that it is something new for my body to learn and control might come, I hope.

The shaking is not so much a trembling, but a very real shaking, i.e. the whole leg moves up and down visibly, as though it was intentional.

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jenc

Well is the leg relaxed? I can't see how you can get a tremor unless there is tension somewhere

Marya

One of my mountain climbing boyfriends way back when, called this sewing machine leg, because the leg went up and down like the needle in a sewing machine. In rock climbing, or tree climbing in my case, I figured this reaction was due to excess adrenaline coursing through my body because I was in a dangerous situation. I don't think belly dance would qualify for this so I don't think it is excess adrenaline. I also have this happen to me when I am sitting in a chair where my feet can't be flat on the floor, but it is controllable and mostly due to nervous energy.

I thought about this yesterday to try to come up with some ideas. Here is what I came up with, assuming that the leg that is shaking is the one with the ball of the foot on the floor, not the supporting leg.

If you were in my class and this happened i would have you stop immediately and stand with your weight evenly distributed on both legs and feet flat, do a little knee driven shimmy, let your gluteus muscles relax.

now, try this, bend both legs, (how much to bend will depend on you, try different degrees of bending) keep the back straight, do not bend backward at all, shoulders back and reach the shoulder blades down, engage the stomach muscles a little, not so much that you crunch forward, move the right foot a little forward of the left, bring the right foot up to the ball of the foot and moving from the trochanter joint (where the femur meets the pelvis) gently move the hip up and down.

Try this move with the right foot off the floor completely. You may want to hold onto something if balance isn't great. Here is where you need to try different degrees of bending the knees to see what works for you. I suspect you are not bending your supporting leg enough. The supporting leg needs to be strong to allow this movement, but your supporting leg cannot be too straight or have the knee too stiff.

Hope this helps.

Marya

khanjar

Aw, Marya, you took the trouble to think about my problem, that is very sweet of you, and I thank you very much. I will of course try what you have suggested perhaps tomorrow, but not tonight as I am cream crackered after my yoga session.

What you describe as your ex aquaintance,s referral to ' sewing machine leg ', is a very good description, and yes, it is like that. It happened tonight in the yoga session, the instructor spotted this and suggested I start breathing through the asanas, I was unknowingly taking gasps and holding my breath, which I might have been doing with the new for me poses in MED. The instructor suggests shaking, sewing machine type movements can be avoided by breathing properly. Also, my iffy leg might well have something to do with lower back problems. Well, I did have to admit I have slipped a disc twice in the same place and it is likely my messed up posture is to do with over compensating with muscles to avoid further injury. The Lumbar muscles are weak on one side but strong on the other, I have unwittingly caused an imbalance which I have got to correct. So in the yoga instructor's own words, I have a lot of work to do to first build core strength and then learn to relax, and then my posture should be easier to re align.

So, not sure what to do next other than exercises to strengthen core muscles, perhaps I should see and osteopath.

Oh, the iffy leg, I remembered tonight when I had to fill out a medical questionnaire, I had torn an anterior cruciate ligament in that knee many years ago, and off course I had over compensated there to avoid that nasty grinding of cartilage feeling.

Well, at least MED is giving me the impetus to sort my crumpled self out after all these years, it may take a while, but I will enjoy the dance far more when I am re aligned and stronger.

Iyengar yoga is hard work!!!

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Marya

Sounds like you have a good yoga instructor. I agree that yoga is hard work, I am usually sore for a day or two after my class. I think the breath work should help you with the dance issues as well. I have found that yoga helps me alot with dance. I also have problems remembering to breath properly during yoga class.

Good luck!

Marya