Please note that to achieve full Wheel Pose takes a flexible spine, arm strength as well as stretched shoulders and hip flexors. Poses such as Cobra Pose, Bow Pose, Camel Pose and Bridge Pose will not only help work you towards these things but also give you many of the same benefits as full Wheel Pose.

Please make sure you are following the correct sequence for getting into the pose: Lie on your back with the knees bent and feet flat. Have the heels as close to your body as possible. Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the ground above your shoulders with the fingertips facing your feet.
Inhale and press your palms into the mat to lift your head and shoulders off the ground and place the crown of your head on the floor. Make sure the hands and feet are parallel. Stay and breath until you feel secure here(If this is all you are ready for now - it is enough to stay here, breathe, and focus on perfecting your form. Be sure your knees are not splaying. Imagine you are squeezing a yoga block between your thighs).

When you are ready to move on take another inhale and press the palms into the floor to raise your head off the ground and come into the full pose. Press the sternum between the upper arms and feel the tailbone as lifted as the sternum. You should feel like a big round wheel. Do Long Deep Breathing
in the pose for about 30 seconds if possible. Come out of the pose as carefully and slowly as you went into it.

Please always listen to alignment cues on the DVD's. Often tight areas are a result of the body "gripping" because it does not feel that it is in safe alignment, The body is intelligent and resists letting itself get into positions where its not safe. Good alignment will let your muscles feel "safe" enough to release.

Wheel Pose: We recommend only working on Wheel Pose after the body is completely stretched and warmed up. The way to build strength for full Wheel is to to place your heels near your hip sockets and hands near your shoulders with the fingers pointing towards the feet. Practice pressing the palms and soles of the feet into the floor. Feel the shoulder blades firmly on your back. Press as if you are pressing the floor away (be sure to keep your elbows parallel to each other).
See if you can press yourself up so you are resting on the crown of your head. Take a couple breaths here and depending how you feel, you can come down and rest before raising up again, or continue up to full wheel. Visualization can help a lot as you are lying on your back at the start - picture yourself going up into full wheel and feel how that would feel.

You may need to build tricep/upper back strength which Wheel Pose will do for you (and the effort to achieve full Wheel as well). Flexible hip flexors are important as well. Lunge, or bridge pose are good building blocks for Wheel Pose.