3 common yoga cues that could be causing your wrist pain.

Ever been in a yoga class and thought, “wait…what?” 🤨 Yeah, you and me both. Yoga teachers are famous for using alignment cues that range from wildly poetic, to painfully vague, to totally bizarre.

While certain cues are golden, there are many that aren’t so helpful, and some that simply don’t make sense - or worse, are totally untrue. Inversions don’t reverse blood flow, twisting doesn’t detox your organs, and it’s not dangerous if your knees go past your toes. 🤦‍♀️

Once you understand anatomy and physiology, you realise just how ridiculous some yoga claims are. Today, I want to break down three common cues that aren’t just confusing, but could also be contributing to your wrist pain.

If you’ve ever felt confused about how to “spiral your elbows” or “spread your shoulder blades like wings” - you’re not alone. Although they’re confusing, most of the time these cues are pretty innocent and given with good intentions.

However, not all cues are harmless. Some of the most common ones could actually be causing your aches and pains - especially when it comes to your wrists.

Heard any of these in your yoga classes?

• Place your hands shoulder distance apart.

• Point your middle finger to the front of the mat.

• Press your palms flat to the floor.

• Stack your shoulders over your wrists.

These are prime examples of popular alignment cues that might be doing you more harm than good. Here are some others…

1) “Hug your elbows to your ribs” - in Chaturanga.

There’s a lot to say about this cue - so much that I actually created a free 15-minute mini class all about it. Rather than repeating myself here, you should check out the freebie.

2) “Hide your armpits from your neighbour” - in Downward Facing Dog.

If your hands are shoulder distance apart then it’s normal for your neck and shoulders to feel squashed in Down Dog.

Hiding your armpits from your neighbour is another way of saying “externally rotate your shoulders”. Teachers use this cue to create more space around your neck - they might also tell you to pull your shoulders away from your ears.

The problem is that your hands are fixed to the floor. Once you’re in Down Dog, trying to reposition your shoulders will probably feel clunky, and it can actually make people more uncomfortable.

Try this: Sit or stand up straight and lift your arms up - as if you were in Down Dog. Hands shoulder distance apart, like you’d have them on your mat. Now try to “hide your armpits from your neighbour” and notice what happens to your hands. They get wider and turn out, right? They can do this in the air, but not when they’re gripping your yoga mat.

If you externally rotate your shoulders while your hands are fixed to the floor, then more weight will roll to the outside of your wrists, which is anatomically less stable for weight-bearing. This can create additional pressure because it’s harder to engage hasta bandha.

🖐️ The wrist-friendly way: Want a simple fix to un-squash your shoulders? Use your carrying angle. And instead of pulling your shoulders away from your ears (also bad advice), do the opposite: Push from your shoulders as if you were trying to put something on the top shelf.

3) “Flip your dog” - for Wild Thing.

I understand why this cue exists - it saves the teacher a ton of time guiding students through each step of the transition - it’s also catchy, and if you’re really open-minded, I guess Wild Thing looks kiiind of like a flipped version of Down Dog. 🙄 But here’s the issue…

Down Dog to Wild Thing is a tricky transition because your shoulder is moving from flexion and internal rotation, into external rotation and abduction.

Basically - your arms are forwards and up (overhead) in Down Dog, while in Wild Thing the supporting arm is out to the side, and the shoulder is rotated outward to create more space for your backbend. Try it mid-air and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s normal to struggle with this change in shoulder position - it’s challenging in general, but even more so when your hand is fixed to the floor and your wrist has to bear the weight during the rotation.

If you “flip” over from Down Dog, then most of the time you’ll land in Wild Thing with your shoulder still “rolled in”. This makes it harder to engage your shoulder muscles, so more weight ends up in your wrists. It also makes it harder to lift your hips and create the backbend. It’s not you, it’s anatomy. 🦴

🖐️ The wrist- friendly way: Take this transition in steps: Down Dog to Plank, then move through Side Plank on your way to Wild Thing. Keep pushing through your supporting arm the whole way through so you don’t drop your hips when you step your foot over. Do you feel the difference?

Keen to know more about the good, bad and bizarre of yoga alignment?

Inside my wrist-oration course we look at the wrist-friendly alignment of 18 weight-bearing asanas, including a full vinyasa makeover.

Learning about anatomy was the first step in fixing my own wrist pain, and now I’m passionate about helping others in a similar situation.

Here’s what to takeaway today:

Teachers: The more precise a cue is, the less inclusive it tends to be. We’re all different shapes and sizes - both inside and out. This means that generic cues will never cater to everyone. Rather than focusing on the angles and aesthetics of an asana, emphasise the engagement and experience of being in the shape.

Encourage students to explore what feels best for their body - it gives them an opportunity to get curious about their individual anatomy and alignment.

You could also sequence some hands-free yoga classes to give people’s wrists a rest.

And students: Never be afraid to “break the rules” and personalise the poses. There is no good or bad, right or wrong, or black and white when it comes to alignment - your body knows best. Adapting asanas isn’t just allowed - it’s the smartest way to practice. 😎