Practice Refinements for Sanuk and Knee to Shoulder
I have recently had a few questions from a Thai Yoga Massage grad that I thought others might like to hear the answers to:
Sanuk
Q: I’m working on a polished wood floor and when I slide into Sanuk, the side mat that my foot is on keep sliding around. I need the side mat for my knee when I’m sitting in Sanuk – what should I do?
A: Step off the side mat when you are moving into Sanuk so that your back foot (the standing foot) is on the floor without the mat.
Q: When I slide into Sanuk the client’s foot sometimes hits me in the face. She’s so floppy, that her knee bends and her heel falls towards her bum and hits me on the way forward. Am I lifting her knee too high?
A: In Sanuk, if she is kicking you in the head, turn your body more to face the long side of the mat – the main problem is that you are facing the top of the mat with your chest. Also, bend your ‘baby cradleing’ elbow a little less so her leg stays a bit straighter and then gravity won’t take hold of her flexible leg and fold it.
Knee to Shoulder
Q: In knee to shoulder, I’m struggling to maintain control of a client’s knee as it flops out to the side. She is really flexible and also really heavy. As I press into her hamstring moving down toward her bum, the knee just flops further over to the side. Any suggestions?
A: In Knee to Shoulder yes, heavy flexible legs are harder to work with. Firstly, make sure your lunge is as far forward as it needs to be to get some control of her leg, then use soft fists on the back of her thigh so you can stay higher in your lunge, and your forearms will be in a perfect position to steady her leg somewhat. Secondly, let her leg go where it wants, if it wants to go to the side, that’s okay. Thirdly, if she is that flexible she doesn’t need the stretch part of this technique so much, so focus more on your palming down and less on the lunge forward