While not traditional in the strictest sense, the more modern additions to the yoga pose canon — such
as backbends and standing poses — confer benefits that can help us balance modern maladies, such as those accrued from all - day sitting.
Heart openers, also known as front extensions and more commonly referred to
as backbends, support both psychological and physical health.
In addition to stabilization, multifidus also assists with extension of the spine — otherwise known
as backbending — especially against the resistance of gravity, as in belly backbends like bhujangasana (cobra pose) and shalabhasana (locust pose).
Your chest stays open as you come into a slight spinal extension (also known
as a backbend).
This lengthening and lifting action in your tailbone will begin to open your groins and give you space to create what feels like a circular action in your pelvis that lengthens your lumbar spine
as you backbend.
Third, the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae are long and point downward, so
as you backbend, they soon stack up on one another and prevent further movement.
As a backbend, it opens the front body and supports the back body.
Not exact matches
Keeping your hands in place beneath your shoulders, press your hands into the floor and inhale
as you straighten your arms, allowing your back to curve into a gentle
backbend as you lift your chest (Upward - Facing Dog pose).
Inhale and swing the hips forward
as you invite a gentle
backbend.
When you are practicing
backbends, you must try to distribute the space
as evenly
as you can throughout the spine, and focus on the right part of the back.
Backbends are wonderful
as long
as your focus is to preserve the integrity of the spine and not damage it.
Instead, lead with your hips
as you move into a
backbend.
As a yoga teacher, I often hear that
backbends are great for your back and spine.
I don't remember doing
backbends as a kid, so I was on a five year plan to do Wheel Pose (full
backbend) in yoga class.
It's not a myth that doing deep
backbends (otherwise known
as heart openers) in yoga — from full wheel pose to simple low cobra — opens the chest and releases blocked energy around our heart space to love deeper and expand our capacity to give love to those around us.
Creating a slight
backbend, lean back
as far
as feels supported and comfortable on your body.
Gradually you'll notice that
as you inhale, the breath moves down, and the front body — from the pubic bone up to the top of your sternum — subtly expands, moving your spine in the direction of a
backbend.
As you inhale, gaze up, creating a slight
backbend.
Approach the full version of Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) from a place of ease, rather than overworking, and open to this challenging
backbend as if you were still in that initial Savasana.
Carpenter's suggestions can be used
as a blueprint for more difficult
backbends, but she's interested in more than getting you into a bigger pose.
As you inhale, lift your side waist, side ribs, and chest to bring your spine first toward vertical and then into a slight
backbend.
Keep a slight tuck of your chin
as you make your way into a
backbend.
As you persevere, you'll develop the patience, strength, and maturity to journey toward
backbends that are rich and satisfying on every level.
If you have a kinesthetic understanding of this wheel like - movement in the more - rudimentary
backbends such
as Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), you can use it
as a guide while you explore deeper ones.
Stay seated
as you deepen the
backbend.
Each Basics class carries a different focus on foundational postures such
as Forward Facing Standing Poses, Side Facing Standing Poses, Balancing Poses, Downward - Facing Dog, and
Backbends.
All
backbends are energizing, so when I'm feeling sad, I start a
backbend practice
as soon
as I can.
For yogis working toward more advanced
backbends, such
as wheel pose, king pigeon pose, or even an unassisted upward - facing two - foot staff pose, the yoga wheel offers a significant assist.
These are the very actions needed, she notes, to execute more - advanced
backbends, such
as Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose),
as well
as inversions, twists, and forward bends.
A common mistake almost all yoga students make is to crank the neck back into cervical extension
as they go into
backbends.
This is an excellent pose to use
as preparation for deeper
backbends.
As they come into a
backbend, ask them to lift the pubic bone toward the navel and rotate the thighs strongly inward.
presenter Rolf Gates originally based his sequencing on opening the five lines of the body in order (
as presented in Tom Myer's Anatomy Trains), organizing his classes into seven chapters: (1) centering, (2) warm - ups, (3) standing poses, (4) balancing poses, (5)
backbends and inversions, (6) finishing poses, (7) Savasana.
Your
backbend might not be
as deep, but you'll know that you're working with your spine rather than injuring it.
Backbends are thought of
as poses that open our awareness to the outside world.
Place your hands on your low back
as you come into the
backbend.
In order to stay agile
as you age, make forward bends,
backbends, and twists a regular part of your practice.
Natarajasana is usually performed
as the final pose of a series of challenging
backbends.
From Warrior II, inhale and
as you exhale, arch your upper body into a gentle
backbend.
(The sweeping arc of the upper body that you see in
backbends is another illusion; the whole upper back looks
as if it's bending, but the lift of the rib cage is what catches your eye.)
As the ribs expand, the spine elongates, which is an essential first step for
backbending safely.
There are a few widely recognized sequences of poses, such
as the Sun Salutation, which is either an incredibly meaningful ritual or a yogic pushup /
backbend / stretch which is done in a few minutes, or the Moksha Series, which takes about an hour to complete and pretty much does everything most people want out of yoga.
But just
as a professional magician attempting a new trick has to work hard to perfect its execution, so you have to make a concerted effort to become adept at
backbend sorcery.
Various asanas can challenge the person without pushing yourself harshly such
as standing and balancing poses, gentler inversions, forward folds,
backbends, and restorative poses (to name a few).
This will create a slight
backbend in your upper back, and a lovely broadening of your upper chest,
as you can see in the photograph below.
When faced with a challenging
backbend such
as Urdhva Dhanurasana, I had to quit saying that I could not do it and surrender to the possibility of allowing myself to enter the pose.
Backbends are so good for you,
as you point out, but I often find they are very challenging for me to hold because I am so uncomfortable.