Building Up To Dragonfly Pose
Advanced
Dragonfly pose, or Maksikanagasana, is an intricate arm balance that requires a arm, core and leg strength, as well as spinal, hip and leg flexibility. Teacher trainer Rachel Scott designed this class to help you get into this difficult pose by putting together an intelligent sequence, full of creative transitions that build to the peak pose, dragonfly.
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Great releases for the outer hips in this fun practice. I love it!
Thank you very much Rachel for this wonderful class, I truly love your classes, you have to do it, your explanations are clear and even though they are advanced classes I can feel a sense of peac in every mouvement. I hope you can do more advanced classes like this. Thank ou very much for such good energy.
Loved the class! I wish you could make more advanced classes like this one; while I love your short, easier lessons for a day after work, sometimes I crave the challenge.
And maybe make savasana a little longer? I know you can stay longer if you wish, but I like to follow the teacher for that part of class.
Thanks Rachel!
The twists are deep, I love them. Dragonfly is very challenging and I don't even come close but appreciate the introduction and attempts. Thank you.
I loved this class so much. I especially enjoyed the creative transitions. Thank you so much!
Loved the creative flow to this class with a lot of delicious spine twists and core warmups! Dragonfly peak pose is so hard for me, but I've started to be able to balance for a short while with each practice! Thanks Rachel :)
Such a lovely, happy, energy filled class.
Thank you!
Loved the interesting postures and progression towards dragon fly pose. Your smile is infectious - brightened my day for sure.
Thank you and best wishes,
-Adam
Super great class. I've tried to get into Dragonfly before, but his was the first time I actually succeeded. Thanks!
Hi Rachel and DYWM team,
I noticed in this class (as well as a couple of other ones that involved an arm balance combined with a twist) that my left hand felt strained. It's the area just between the wrist and the thumb. I don't feel anything during the pose (at 34.06 minutes into the video). It's only immediately afterwards and only the left hand even though I practice both sides of the pose. Could this be because of 1) I'm not distributing the weight correctly or 2) because my elbow should be above or over my wrist or 3) something else altogether? I'm right handed if that makes a difference (maybe my left side is just not strong enough?) For now I'm going to hold off on these particular poses but do let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Hi Mariam! It's hard to say without seeing you, but I'd like to offer some suggestions and let's see if they help! My *guess* is that you're not weighting your index mound enough. Also, are you really spreading your thumb away from your hands? Although the fingers like to be spread - the thumb does not. If you've been widening your thumb a lot away from the palm, then bring it closer in. Could also be that the left arm isn't as strong as the right; check in to make sure that the shoulder isn't dropping forward. I think of little air bags under my arm pits in arm balances - like little arm pit water wings!! Keep me posted!
Thank you Rachel! I will keep all those points in mind for the next time I try the pose. About the thumb being too spread out, that hadn't even occurred to me so I will make a note of it. After reading your feedback and just observing how I naturally tend to distribute my weight when I place my palms on the floor, it seems I have a tendency to push down more on the heel of the palm in this kind of arm balance. Probably because I was so focused on pushing myself up rather than up and forward like you say in the video. Going to record myself in the next class to properly observe my alignment. Thank you again, your attention to anatomy has always been very helpful.
Sounds good! Keep me posted on how it goes :) XO
Rachel Scott and Fiji McAlpine are definitely my favorite instructors on this site. I love Rachel's creative flow, clear instructions, and attention to technique. I have been working on arm balances for some time now, but I have yet to perfect this sneaky grasshopper pose. Rachel's cues and warm-up to the peak pose are perfect. So fun!
I love, love, LOVE this class! I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet, because it is on of my all time favourites! So great for twists and hip opening- such a powerful, well rounded class in a short time! Having been returning to this class on and off for about a year (I can't remember the last time I did it actually) I have just reached the peak pose! Thank you Rachel! xx
I just love this class, especially when I still can't do the dragonfly pose. It is so challenging and it opens the hips and legs so nicely. Thank you!
Thank you for a new experience. I am awed by the way you seem to float when you jump up in between your hands and even through your hands. Please give us a class just on how you do that :). Thanks again!
I generally am too apprehensive to try "advanced" pose classes but Rachel's wonderful cues and 3 levels of options made this very enjoyable and do-able for me. I felt the most stable I have ever felt in side crow and was even able to extend my legs a little bit! Definitely a confidence booster. I will be looking for other classes from this instructor - thank you, Rachel!
This was the first of the 14-day challenge videos that I really felt the next day. Challenging and fun! I kept practicing dragonfly for 20 mins after savasana. Not quite there but it's much closer! I will come back to this one.
Thanks for the comments. And yes, we agree, we don't have enough videos from Rachel Scott! We will be filming with her again in mid July, so get ready for more class videos from her this summer and fall!
This is the first class I've done by Rachael and I'll definitely be doing it again!
As another user commented, she has a great, no nonsense instruction style that I really appreciate.
It's going to take quite a lot of attempts before i can get into dragonfly pose, but the class is so dynamic and fun that you shouldn't really be too bothered if you're but able to get into it. It's an excellent workout regardless.
Thanks Rachel !!
Namaste
There aren't many Rachel Scott videos so I haven't thought to do one in a while. After revisiting this class today I really would like to have the chance to do more Rachel Scott videos! Her instructions are so clear and concise, she makes you feel as though you can do anything, even dragonfly!!! It would be great if she came back to DYWM for some more videos in the future!
Beautiful calm yet challenging class! Rachel has a great way to explain without much fluffiness and you can sense she loves what she does. It is about sharing the yoga practice and motivating us towards courage but being mindful with ourselves at the same time. Thank you!
Loved this class! Rachel's descriptions of each pose are helpful, and I really appreciate that she doesn't add in many additional remarks or comments... sometimes the phrasing other instructors use seem a little silly or off-hand, but Rachel's don't.
Rachel is really descriptive in explaining the poses so you don't need to check to the screen constantly to make sure you're doing it right. This class was the perfect mix of challenging and playful for my experience level and my mood today!
Really enjoyed this one! It had enough variety and challenge to keep me engaged. I've never done dragonfly before and it was helpful to learn how to get into it properly.
Such a fun and challenging class. I loved how we got into some of the poses, so creative. Thanks Rachel!
thanx Rachel :)
Love this class and love Rachel's no nonsense but super fun style. A few more attempts and I think I will be rocking Dragonfly. Thanks Rachel!
Mmmm --- toasty in all the right places. Such a great class, Rachel is a great teacher, gives great cues. I love how the class is oriented towards the peak pose - I like practicing with purpose! She has a bird of paradise one that is just as good if you liked this one! Please do more like this - love it!
Awesome!!
First attempt at Dragonfly. Was surprised to find that I could do it! Thank you for breaking it into manageable pieces!!
As ever, Rachel stretches us in new ways. A wonderful class.
This was challenging but I was able to come into side crow for the first time! Will keep practicing until i can do all of them! absolutely wonderful!
I LOVE this class! Thank you! I didn't even know that i can do dragonfly pose, but I can! :) More, more, more like this, please! :)
Looking forward to revisiting this class! I've been wanting to practice more arm balances and this session was full of opportunities to explore and play. Thank you !
What a fantastic class! I can't do the peak pose (yet!) but did manage side crow for the first time. Fantastic hip openers too, and a good length of class. Thank you Rachel!
I really enjoy your classes for getting into my tight hips and hams. Another of my ambitions; arm balancing...
This has both, at the same time! Awesome!
It took me several attempts (and forehead thumps) to get dragonfly. Worth every try! Nailed it!
Thank you for your guidance!
Fantastic class and great way to enter dragonfly pose. While I cannot yet do the pose, your fluid sequence allows me to practice with ease!
I loved this class and the way you broke down the peak pose step by step. I was absolutely nowhere near getting into it (!) but I enjoyed the journey and your fantastic teaching. Thank you Rachel!