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Overview

Have you ever struggled with a yoga pose and wondered, Why can’t I do this when others can? You’re not alone. Many people assume that flexibility and strength are the only factors in yoga poses. The truth is your unique bone structure plays a huge role in what poses feel accessible. Or impossible!

In this episode, I share my personal experience struggling with Wheel Pose. AKA Urdhva Dhanurasana. And what I learned about skeletal variation. The reason why some poses will never feel right, no matter how hard you try. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by a pose that doesn’t seem to work for your body. This episode will help you understand why—and why that’s completely okay.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Why Some Yoga Poses Feel Impossible

• How skeletal structure, not effort, determines flexibility and mobility.
• Why yoga alignment is not universal.

2. The Myth of "Perfect" Yoga Alignment

• Why traditional yoga cues don’t work for every body type.
• The difference between skeletal compression vs. muscular limitation. Which explains why some poses are impossible.

3. Strength vs. Structure: Wheel Pose vs. Crow Pose

• What's stopping you? Is it physical or mental?
• Why strength wasn’t the issue. Instead my bone structure was.
• How I finally got into Wheel Pose, but why it felt awful.
• Wheel pose requirements.

4. Ahimsa & Honouring Your Body’s Limits

• Why forcing a pose can lead to injury and chronic pain.
• How teachers can empower students with variations instead of rigid alignment cues.

5. What Yoga Teachers Need to Know About Anatomy

• Why most teacher training programs don’t teach skeletal variation.
• The importance of learning how to adapt poses for different bodies. To make yoga more accessible and inclusive.

Episode Summary

Not all yoga poses are meant for every body. That’s okay! In this episode, I share how understanding skeletal variation completely changed my approach to yoga. Both as a student and a teacher.

I explain why some poses will never feel right for you. The harm of forcing “perfect” alignment. Why listening to your body is the most important yoga practice. Whether you’re a yoga student frustrated by certain poses. Or a teacher looking to make your classes more inclusive. This episode will give you a fresh perspective on how to honour your body’s unique structure.

If you’re interested in being a guest or know someone who might be head to my website: https://www.lizalbaniswellness.com.au/podcast

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