Blog-asana: Words on Yoga
3 Backbends for Days When Our Backs Won't Bend
One Saturday morning class, a few of us were sitting on our mats at the studio, and our teacher said, "So, what needs to happen today?"
And one of us groggily replied, "Coffee."
To which she answered, "So backbends, then!"
And I won't deny that taking my spine in directions it's not used to going in are fantastic for waking up. They're energizing and heart-opening and generally feel like coffee for my soul. But there are days (oh, there are days) where wheel pose, lord of the dance and viparita dandasana are just not going to happen.
Good to know, then, that there are alternatives.
1) Cow
Cat/Cow flow, which is a good idea before any vinyasa practice, is a great way to start preparing for backbends. Cow is already a gentle backbend, and it gives us a stable base from which we can safely feel out our tight or tender spots. Remember to be kind to the neck as you come in and out, dropping the head back last (if at all).
2) Sphinx
I love this as an alternative to Cobra, for whenever my low back is feeling tight or tender. It's far more supported, and can be as gentle or intense as you choose. For a softer stretch, focus on pressing down with the forearms and lifting up through the collar bone. For more intensity, think about pulling the elbow back toward the hips and pressing down through the pelvis. The chin can point up, but only if the neck feels no strain when it does - if this is the case, simply face forward.
3) (Supported!) Bridge
The first time I stuck a block under my sacrum I couldn't believe nobody'd told me about this before. Bridge can be as active as you please, but the supported version can be great for sciatica, and can be performed with a block at any height. For more intense pressure, release one or both legs forward (foot/feet on the floor) to let the weight of your lower body press your sacrum down onto the block. The unsupported version of this pose is a necessity for warming up the back before more intense backbends like wheel, viparita dandasana, and kapotasana.
And one of us groggily replied, "Coffee."
To which she answered, "So backbends, then!"
And I won't deny that taking my spine in directions it's not used to going in are fantastic for waking up. They're energizing and heart-opening and generally feel like coffee for my soul. But there are days (oh, there are days) where wheel pose, lord of the dance and viparita dandasana are just not going to happen.
Good to know, then, that there are alternatives.
1) Cow
Cat/Cow flow, which is a good idea before any vinyasa practice, is a great way to start preparing for backbends. Cow is already a gentle backbend, and it gives us a stable base from which we can safely feel out our tight or tender spots. Remember to be kind to the neck as you come in and out, dropping the head back last (if at all).
2) Sphinx
I love this as an alternative to Cobra, for whenever my low back is feeling tight or tender. It's far more supported, and can be as gentle or intense as you choose. For a softer stretch, focus on pressing down with the forearms and lifting up through the collar bone. For more intensity, think about pulling the elbow back toward the hips and pressing down through the pelvis. The chin can point up, but only if the neck feels no strain when it does - if this is the case, simply face forward.
3) (Supported!) Bridge
The first time I stuck a block under my sacrum I couldn't believe nobody'd told me about this before. Bridge can be as active as you please, but the supported version can be great for sciatica, and can be performed with a block at any height. For more intense pressure, release one or both legs forward (foot/feet on the floor) to let the weight of your lower body press your sacrum down onto the block. The unsupported version of this pose is a necessity for warming up the back before more intense backbends like wheel, viparita dandasana, and kapotasana.