A donkey kick does not move you forward.
Alice makes a spring with her legs in Downward facing dog in preparation for Jumping Forward. She pushes up and brings her heels towards her hips and then back to the floor. Her feet have only moved slightly closer to her hands. Alice has fallen into the Donkey Kick trap in the hope that this will help her to get her feet up between her hands in one movement, but to no avail.
“There must be a better way” Alice says to herself.
Before we get into getting Alice out of the Donkey Kick trap we need to have a more detailed look at Jumping Forward.
What is Jumping Forward
At one point in the Sun Salute Series you are in Downward Facing Dog with your hands at the front of the mat and your feet at the back of the mat and your hips high up in the air.
Jumping Forward happens when you move your feet from the back of the mat to the front of the mat between your hands. As the name implies you jump your feet up in the air and bring them from the back of the mat to the front of the mat between your hands.
You can also accomplish this movement in a couple of hops or even walking but the best way to accomplish it is to jump your feet forward.
Why Jump Forward
Jumping forward in one movement has several benefits compared to walking or hopping.
- Each of the postures in the Sun Salute is done to the breath and jumping forward in one movement keeps your movements matched to your breath.
- Jumping Forward helps you develop strength in your shoulders, back and abdominal muscles.
How to Jump Forward
You start in Downward Facing Dog.
Starting in Downward Facing Dog you make a spring with your back legs by bending your knees, lifting your heels and lowering your hips slightly. This spring will give you the energy that you need to bring your feet forward to your hands.
Next you lift your head and look beyond the front of your mat.
Inhaling and engaging Uddiyana Bandha you push into your feet straightening your legs, causing your hips to move up and forward. At the same time you bring your knees towards your chest and move your feet forward towards your hands.
Finally your feet land softly on the mat between your hands. Your big toes are touching and your legs are straight. Your hands are flat to the floor and your thumbs are beside your little toes.
You finish with your chest lifted and your hands on the floor.
Alice is having a problem getting her feet to move forward towards her hands. She has fallen into the Donkey Kick trap.
What is the Donkey Kick trap
The Donkey Kick trap happens when you attempt to jump your feet up between your hands.
You spring your legs up into the air, bringing your heels to your hips and then attempt to bring them forward between your hands. In some cases you may even kick your feet backwards rather than forward.
When you do the Donkey Kick your hips do not move up and forward. They stay where they are in the air and start to fall towards the floor.
In addition to your feet moving the wrong way and your hips not moving, you are watching all of this happen as you gaze back at your feet.
Luckily the Donkey Kick trap is not permanent, you can escape this trap with some work on your part.
How to avoid the Donkey Kick trap
There are three things that Alice can do to get out of the Donkey Kick trap.
- hips up and forward
- knees to chest
- lift your head up
The first one, hips up and forward, starts you moving in the right direction.
1 – hips up and forward
In the Donkey Kick trap your hips stay in one place. They do not move up and forward. You need to get your hips moving up and forward towards your hands to escape the trap.
Your yoga teacher can help you to develop this movement. Your yoga teacher holds their hands a couple of feet above and in front of your hips and you attempt to push your hips up into the air and into their hands.
Make a spring in your legs in Downward Facing Dog. Rather than thinking about bring your feet forward, focus on pushing your hips up and forward into your yoga teacher’s hands. This will take many attempts before you start hitting the teacher’s hands.
Now that you have established the movement of your hips it is time to focus on legs and the Donkey Kick itself.
2 – knees to chest
In the Donkey Kick trap you bring your heels up towards your hips. This is the wrong action. This causes your feet to move backwards away from your hands rather than forward.
To get your feet moving forward bring your knees to your chest rather than your feet to your hips.
You do this by making a spring in your legs in Downward Facing Dog once again. Engage Uddiyana Bandha as you push into your feet and lift your hips up into the air and forward toward your hands, bring your knees up to your chest. This movement of bringing your knees to your chest will also bring your feet closer to your hands.
Now straighten your legs while keeping your knees near your chest and you will find that your feet are landing closer to your hands.
There is still one more thing to do to completely eliminate the Donkey Kick trap.
3 – Lift your head
When you are in the Donkey Kick trap you are looking at your feet and legs as you try and get them to come forward. You will have much better results if you lift your head and look forward beyond your hands.
Two things happen when you lift your head and look forward.
- The muscles in your back will engage and help to support you as you lift your hips up and forward.
- There is a natural tendency for your feet to land where we are looking. Because you are looking forward, your feet will attempt to come further forward.
Summary
These three actions: lift your hips; bring your knees to your chest and look forward will help Alice to avoid the Donkey Kick trap the next time she attempts to Jump Forward in her Sun Salute.
Next Step
Ask your teacher to help you get out of the Donkey Kick trap. They can help you to get your hips moving upward and forward.
Additional Reading
To find out more about Jumping Forward and other problems that you can run into have a look at How to Jump Forward in a Sun Salute.
Check out these many articles to learn more about Downward Facing Dog.
