backbend Archives - THEYOGIMATT

GET TO KNOW THE ANATOMY

Eversion of the ankle is key in allowing the rest of the alignment for Kapinjalasana to unfold. Doing this action will further your ability to get your standing foot more fully onto the ground and assist you in sending your body weight towards your feet. Eversion of the ankle is created by the fibularis muscles. Strong fibularis muscles, combined with the flexibility of the tibialis anterior and posterior, ultimately translates to increased mobility/eversion of the ankle. In addition, strength in the glutes and abductors is required to lift the hips. So much for the stability aspect of Kapinjalasana, but what about grace in the pose? This comes from the opening of the front body (chest and abdominals) and is achieved by what Matt calls “bowing the spine,” which requires lifting the vertebrae up and sending them forward.

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KAPINJALASANA AT THE WALL: FIND MAXIMUM STABILITY IN YOUR ALIGNMENT

LEAN TOWARDS THE WALL

You can’t prepare for Kapinjalasana without following the same techniques as for Wild Thing. In the first step, Matt offers a standing option against the wall for you to begin to integrate the initial patterning. The next steps are what create the distinction between the two postures. The main characteristic of Kapinjalasana is the lift of the back foot off the ground, and the only way to do this is to take the expansion of your front body more forward. In the video, Matt demonstrates Kapinjalasana using a wall as a prop.

Here are the steps:

Start in Wild Thing
Take your shoulder back
Go up on the diagonal
Lean towards the toe of the front foot and towards the wall
The back foot becomes light and lifted

The wall allows you to test the limits and negotiate just how much you need to send your weight forward.

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YOGA STRAP STABILITY

Adding a yoga strap to the preparation of Kapinjalasana can also provide some great feedback as to where you may require more strength and/or flexibility. Matt offers 2 variations in the video. In the first variation, the wide loop of the strap goes underneath the sole of the back foot and around the shoulder. Matt notes that this loop may inhibit range of motion, so as you go into the posture, you can switch to a grip with your hand. The second variation is a great option if you’re already more familiar with the amount of mobility available to you. Starting with a shorter loop of the strap and a hand grip takes you into a deeper heart opener much sooner. Pushing the foot into the strap and creating resistance with the pull of the strap strengthens the back leg and offers increased stability.

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PROCESS OVER OUTCOME

Even though the objective of Kapinjalasana is to create a lightness in the back foot, it’s so much more than achieving the shape of the posture. In fact, in the full class, Matt discusses another variation, in which you reach overhead to grab your foot. He reminds you that there is always more to achieve in a posture. The benefit and value lie in enjoying and learning about the various techniques and alignments in each step of the process.

Register for Matt’s June 2023 immersion, Alignment, where you’ll improve strength, balance, flexibility, and proprioception—the essence of true alignment.

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Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Anatomy Of The Heart

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MAY 2023 Immersion

12 Vinyasa-style practices
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Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
Improve balance and proprioception
Accessible modifications and sequences
Appropriate variations for your level of practice
Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
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Double Stag Handstand

Double Stag HandstandbalanceDOUBLE STAG HANDSTAND Cultivating confidence is a non-negotiable when it comes to implementing a handstand practice. If handstands seem insurmountable even to consider, don’t fret; there might be an easier option. Easier? Really? Yes! Ok,...

Accelerated Handstand Development

Accelerated Handstand DevelopmentinversionACCELERATED HANDSTAND DEVELOPMENT Accelerating the process of achieving a goal comes from consistent practice, but it also depends heavily on the information and knowledge we’ve acquired. Whether a handstand is part of our...

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Tweak the Twists in Your Yoga PracticepadmasanaTWEAK THE TWISTS IN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE The definition of "tweak" here is the following: to improve (a mechanism or system) by making fine adjustments to it. This perfectly describes a major part of what’s involved in the...

Lotus Foundations

Lotus FoundationspadmasanaLOTUS FOUNDATIONS Lotus Pose requires a healthy amount of hip flexibility. For some, it comes easy. Reasons for this might be that the person is hypermobile in the hips, knees, and ankles and/or that many months or years of effort have been...

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasanaflying pigeonHIPS AND EKA PADA GALAVASANA Depending on where we are in our asana practice journey, arm balances may feel a little overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start. Instead of thinking about the final destination, we...

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

Hip Flexor Health for Better MovementstretchHIP FLEXOR HEALTH FOR BETTER MOVEMENT Healthy hip flexor muscles are associated with both stretch and strength. Although we’re going to focus more heavily on strength in this article, always note that both strength and...

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Get A Wheel Pose Upgrade

by Trisha Curling | May 25, 2023 | Main Page Display

Get a Wheel Pose Upgrade

Prop Options to Refine Your Alignment

urdhva dhanurasana

WHEEL POSE

Okay, buckle up for this one! These drills and variations are about to literally flip you upside down for Wheel Pose. The unique ways in which Matt demonstrates how to use props will help you get a Wheel Pose upgrade. Even if you think you have a grasp on what’s required for the pose, today’s video provides techniques that lead you away from common tendencies and guide you towards improved patterning in this heart opener. Adding to your toolkit as regards the preparation and execution of various asanas is vital in continuing to understand your body. You can only develop this understanding by mastering “micro actions.” It’s these micro actions that set a safe foundation for you to go deeper and explore further. Utilizing the support of yoga props and of the environment around you can dramatically shift your experience. Let’s find out what’s possible in Wheel Pose.

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SHOULDER MOBILITY WITH BLOCKS AND A WALL

Paying attention to the finer details makes for a significant shift in your yoga practice. This can be applied in various ways, including when it comes to improving shoulder mobility. The first two preparation drills Matt shares in the video showcase accessible ways to find shoulder mobility for greater range in Wheel Pose. The important detail here is the lifting of your shoulders “up to your ears” and keeping them there once your arms are overhead. Whether you are utilizing the blocks or the wall, Matt emphasizes how important it is to do this action first in order to avoid shoulder impingement.

In any conversation surrounding mobility, strength must be a part of it. In both drills, there is a pressing action that is added to keep your armpits lifted. As a result, you’ll activate the rhomboids and upper trapezius.

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GET A WHEEL POSE UPGRADE: PROP OPTIONS TO REFINE YOUR ALIGNMENT

LUNGE-POSITION PREPARATION

The lifting and activation from the first 2 drills nicely translates into the next Wheel Pose preparation. A vital component of the posture is the stretch of the pectoralis muscles, but hip extension is also essential. This lunge-position drill demonstrates how to combine both of these factors. The setup against the wall helps to pattern the activation of your quadriceps and glutes. The next steps involve spinal extension and the use of greater shoulder mobility. Narrowing the space between your shoulder blades (imagine that lift of the armpits) and sending the ribs forward really mimic the alignment of Wheel Pose. This bowing of the spine, as Matt refers to this technique, creates both a deep stretch in the front body and strength in the back body.

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ROLL UP YOUR YOGA MAT AND GRAB YOUR BLOCKS

Pressing straight up into Wheel Pose is not the next step; better advised is to break the press down into increments. The next two progressions involve a rolled up yoga mat and a couple of blocks placed diagonally up against a wall. Both of these options provide a great deal of support and less wrist extension, which may feel more comfortable when it is time to lift up into Wheel Pose.

The increments are as follows:

Lifting up into Bridge Pose
Coming to the top of the head, with chest towards the wall
Slowly extending the arms
Kicking through the heels (like the Lunge preparation)

Other imperative details in both drills include the following:

Keeping the elbows wide (in a cactus shape)
Activating the glutes
Adjusting the feet
Pushing down through inner heels

Equally important is to also exit the posture in increments. This maximizes safety for the spine.

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UPGRADE YOUR TECHNIQUE

Upgrading your technique essentially means that you’re in fact upgrading the alignment of your body. Doing this helps you maximize your potential. The drills from today’s video demonstrate that there’s much more to it than just practicing Wheel Pose over and over again. The mindful and methodical approach Matt offers with the use of props gives you the support and time to understand exactly how your body responds at each step. If you haven’t yet mastered a specific action, you can explore and learn how to execute the action without feeling compromised in a deeper position of the posture. This will allow you to gain as much as possible from your overall yoga practice.

If you’re interested in diving more deeply into how to maximize technique and alignment in common yoga postures, then you’ll want to register for Matt’s next immersion, Alignment.

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Anatomy Of The Heart

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FLOW & FLY

MAY 2023 Immersion

12 Vinyasa-style practices
Increase your cardiovascular activity
Foundational and advanced arm balance techniques
Improve balance and proprioception
Accessible modifications and sequences
Appropriate variations for your level of practice
Improve wrist, core, and shoulder strength
ALL LEVELS APPROPRIATE

$148.00

Continue Learning

Double Stag Handstand

Accelerated Handstand Development

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Lotus Foundations

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

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Breathwork & Chapasana

by Trisha Curling | Feb 2, 2023 | Main Page Display

Breathwork and Chapasana

Deep Core Work for Greater Opening

heart opener

BREATHWORK AND CHAPASANA

It’s pretty well understood that the way we utilize our breath in our yoga practice will affect our experience. We also can’t escape the fact that this understanding leads to how we breathe off of our yoga mats. Quite frankly though, it doesn’t mean that it will be an improved experience. There may be an expectation that if we integrate various breathwork practices consistently, then we will see improvement. Even if we do see improvement, there’s always room to grow. We can learn more, and we can even take action, but how much of a deep dive are we willing to take? This is why we are fortunate to have teachers like Matt who go deeper into the mechanics of breath. In today’s video, he demonstrates how to actually strengthen the deepest core layer of our abdominals (the transverse abdominis, or TVA) via breathwork and a pose called Chapasana.

BREATH OF FIRE

Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
Core strengthening & integration
Master your breath with pranayama practices
Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
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Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

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WHAT IS BREATHWORK?

First, let’s gain a clearer understanding of breathwork. In simpler terms, breathwork encompasses a variety of breathing techniques that may involve pace, rhythm, and/or specific patterns where the inhales and exhales vary. We may also encounter the word pranayama, which is the Sanskrit term for breathwork. More deeply, pranayama is also one of the 8 limbs of yoga from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Discussions surrounding pranayama may include energy flow and/or energy management for body and mind. As we go deeper, we begin to learn that it’s imperative to spend time on strengthening the muscles that are involved with the mechanics of breath to actualize the positive outcomes we desire. These positive outcomes may include more ease and greater capacity of breath.

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BREATHWORK & CHAPASANA: DEEP CORE WORK FOR GREATER OPENING

THE MECHANICS OF BREATH

In a recent live video from Matt’s Instagram page, he thoroughly breaks down the mechanics of breathing. This is what I’m referring to when I say that Matt goes beyond simply teaching a technique. What we actually receive is why and how the mechanics of breath are vital to our yoga practice. Within the context of Chapasana, we not only learn how to strengthen the TVA with a “diaphragmatic breathing” technique, but we also gain insight into how to stretch the more superficial core muscles (rectus abdominis), allowing for increased space for breath capacity and opening within the backbend itself. All of this translates into how it also connects with our extremities (through its impact on the serratus anterior and scapulae) for greater shoulder mobility in the posture. Examining breathwork and Chapasana as a unit helps us grasp the importance of breathwork in any posture.

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CORE CONNECTION THROUGH BREATH

In the video, Matt demonstrates a diaphragmatic breathing technique. The technique lays the foundation for Chapasana in that we need to have the ability to engage the TVA at specific points during the execution of the pose. Engaging the TVA within the context of breathwork means that we are pulling the belly back during a forceful exhale. In the live video I previously mentioned, Matt explains that during the exhalation process, a pressure is created within the torso by the squeezing in of the ribcage, intercostal muscles, and TVA. The air is forced out of the lungs in the process, which involves the diaphragm relaxing, expanding, and returning to its dome-like shape at the base of the ribcage.

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
Expand your teaching skills
Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang
SPRING ENROLLMENT OPEN! Training begins June 1

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CHAPASANA

Practicing the breath technique from today’s video in repetitive rounds is what helps to strengthen the core and muscles involved in respiration.

How is this relevant in Chapasana? Even though there is less focus on the backbend today, it’s almost impossible not to achieve greater opening. First, Matt creates a softening on an inhale for greater expansion in the front body. What’s simply incredible though is that you’ll see that expansion multiplied with the exhale and action of engaging the TVA. He pulls his belly back and up, which drives the ribcage out to the sides and up towards his shoulders. That’s the link to the extremities. This expansion leads to further spreading of the serratus anterior, creating more movement in the scapula and ultimately a better reach to grab the foot. It’s unbelievable to witness the transformation, all from the catalyst of the breath.

The Breath Of Fire Immersion starts this Friday. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to deepen your relationship to your core and the impact it has on the rest of your body.

See you on the mat!

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Strength Immersion

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BREATH OF FIRE

Moderate Vinyasa-style classes
Core strengthening & integration
Master your breath with pranayama practices
Access your core in arm balances, heart openers, twists, forward folds, inversions, and more
Learn where and how to breathe in challenging postures
Each class will include one pranayama (breathwork practice) and several core strengtheners
Access your core muscles: deep, superficial, anterior, posterior, and lateral
12 Classes: All levels appropriate
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend the livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

$148.00

Continue Learning

Double Stag Handstand

Accelerated Handstand Development

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Lotus Foundations

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

All Videos

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
exclusive online course discounts
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Open Your Heart in Camel Pose

by Trisha Curling | Aug 31, 2022 | Main Page Display

OPEN YOUR HEART IN

CAMEL POSE

Layer These Techniques

ustrasana

OPEN YOUR HEART

There’s such a majestic and robust quality when it comes to heart openers in a physical yoga practice. In order to open your heart and gain greater access to a backbend such as Camel Pose, there are specific techniques you can use. Even with their majestic qualities, your experience with heart openers can vary. They can be wonderfully satisfying or extremely difficult. It’s important to be aware of your individual circumstances at the time of moving in and/or out of any posture that calls for extension of the spine. In opening your heart in Camel Pose, there is potential to shift your experience with the posture. The techniques that Matt offers create this possibility to re-pattern what takes place in your body.

ANATOMY OF THE HEART

JUNE 2022 Immersion

Technique to expand and deepen your backbends
Foundations and preparatory postures to set you up for success
Anatomy education to prime the nervous system
Themes to cultivate the appropriate mindset for heart opening
12 Classes: 6 focused on anatomy, 6 themed for the heart
Unlock a wide range of postures including: Bow Pose, Camel, Full Wheel, King Dancer, King Cobra, King Pigeon, and more
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

~~$168.00~~ $148.00

BOWING THE SPINE

If you’ve practiced with Matt before, then you’re very familiar with the terminology “bowing the spine” when discussing backbends, or heart openers. Bowing the spine provides an immediate visual that most people can resonate with, and it is helpful in developing an awareness of the experience of what a backbend looks and feels like. You can just imagine the ease of flexibility in the spine, all while maintaining a strength and integrity of the spine during execution.

Bowing the spine teaches you to move everything forward first, which leads to opening up.

Matt explains that in a backbend, instead of just leaning back or arching the spine, you want to think about opening the front of the spine. When you learn how to do this accurately, the discs of the spine slide forward, which is really important. If they don’t slide forward, then you’re just pushing the discs down on the back side of the spine, which will put too much pressure on the discs. Adding this pressure can cause many problems, including pain due to the discs bulging and possibly hitting a nerve, which can radiate in multiple directions of the body and cause issues in other areas. Layering on techniques both provides a better awareness of what is actually taking place in your body and promotes safer execution in heart openers.

WATCH THE VIDEO: CAMEL POSE: SHOULDER TECHNIQUE

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NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

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THE CHROMATIC WAY

Matt’s development of the Chromatic approach in yoga involves not just the layering on of postures in a sequence but indeed the layering on of techniques within each posture in order to maximize benefit and to minimize injury and pain. When you start to approach your yoga practice with this methodical mindset, the body eventually becomes free and aware to create these actions with less thought.

LAYERING POSTURES TO PREPARE

Matt frequently uses postures like Cobra Pose, where he teaches the fundamentals of how to “bow the spine.” You will also find that he uses Chair Pose in this layering process.

Within these postures, we build the pattern in the body of actions such as retracting the shoulder blades while not only taking the chest/heart forward but also lifting the rib cage upwards. Getting comfortable with these actions activates muscles like the rhomboids (during the retraction) and the abdominals (when lifting the rib cage) and also develops the neuromuscular patterning in your body so that these actions feel more natural and become a more automatic response when preparing for and executing backbends.

ANATOMY OF THE HEART

JUNE 2022 Immersion

Technique to expand and deepen your backbends
Foundations and preparatory postures to set you up for success
Anatomy education to prime the nervous system
Themes to cultivate the appropriate mindset for heart opening
12 Classes: 6 focused on anatomy, 6 themed for the heart
Unlock a wide range of postures including: Bow Pose, Camel, Full Wheel, King Dancer, King Cobra, King Pigeon, and more
Lifetime unlimited access to all
Attend livestream OR practice the replays any time that’s convenient for you

~~$168.00~~ $148.00

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See The Next Start Date

KEY ACTIONS FOR CAMEL POSE ENTRY

Even before considering the traditional execution of Camel Pose, Matt takes you through what he often refers to as “Camel Pose Preparation” or “Half Camel Pose.” When preparing, it’s not just about entry into the pose; the “exiting” of the posture is also extremely important.

In today’s video, Matt provides the key steps and layering process when entering Camel Pose Preparation from the left side:

Tuck your toes onto your mat with feet wider than your hips, so that when you sit back, you can access your heel with your left hand
Retract your left shoulder (*Pay close attention here, as you will not just be drawing your left shoulder blade in towards your midline. You first lift your shoulder up, then draw it in towards the midline, and finally, send the bottom tip of your shoulder blade up towards the sky)
Next in the layering process, after this action of retraction, place your left palm on your heel with the thumb facing out
Push the right rib cage forward and up
Place your right hand behind your head. Alternatively, Matt advises using your right hand to pick up your right ribs (*this will encourage an arched position in your low back, which is the desired positioning)
Layer on a push downward into your left heel with your hand, encouraging that lift of the right side rib cage further up to the sky
Finally, look down towards your left foot

A SAFE EXIT FROM CAMEL POSE

As I mentioned before, Matt emphasizes the exit just as much as the entrance. It’s important to note that we don’t change anything. We try to maintain the arch in the spine for as long as possible in order the spine time to adjust to the new shape (relengthening once out of the posture).

Here are the steps:

Your hips slowly go back towards your heels, all while keeping the chest lifted
As you sit back down onto your feet, you can slowly reduce the arch in your spine until it is in a more lengthened position
Take the steps to enter into “Camel Pose Preparation” on the other side.

Taking this Chromatic approach keeps you in the physical practice: You are steered more towards awareness of your individual experience within each posture. Exploring Camel Pose Preparation also allows you to experience what is happening on each side of your body. This helps you step closer to what your body actually needs. Do you need to draw more awareness to the retraction? The arch of the spine? Sending your rib cage forward and up? You are simultaneously the student and the teacher within your own body. Matt guides your yoga practice with the layering of actions so that you can be fully within the experience of your own body.

Taking this approach means that you will broaden your knowledge, expand your practice, and most definitely open your heart!

See you on the mat!

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See The Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Video Extracted From: Heart Openers: Yoga Backbends Immersion

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CHOOSE YOUR PATH

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

200 Hour Training

NEXT TRAINING BEGINS FEBRUARY 2024 ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!

300 HOUR TRAINING

Continue Learning

Double Stag Handstand

Accelerated Handstand Development

Tweak The Twists In Your Yoga Practice

Lotus Foundations

Hips and Eka Pada Galavasana

Hip Flexor Health For Better Movement

All Videos

THE FREE TECHNIQUE PACK

When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
exclusive online course discounts
exclusive blogs and videos

Best Backbend Technique to relieve back pain

by matt | May 5, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

BACKBEND TECHNIQUE TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN

“BOWING THE SPINE”

Bowing The Spine

Why are backbends uncomfortable for many people?

Can we do anything to change this?

Let’s dive into my #1 backbend technique to relieve back pain and provide you with maximum range of motion. Before we do, though, we need to first acknowledge that backbends are not something most of us do every day. Quite the opposite. When was the last time you bent over backwards to type on your computer, eat a meal, or scroll through Instagram? It’s not a typical functional movement, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t serve our health and well-being.

A healthy spine has the capability to move forward and back. The easiest starting point to relieve pain is always to figure out what your dominant movement or posture is, and slowly work to reverse it. Simply put, strengthening the back muscles and lengthening the front body muscles is the first step toward feeling great in your back. HOW to do this is the challenge.

Intuitively, we know how to move our bodies, but that gets lost due to conditioned, repetitive patterning. Think of babies just about to crawl — they push themselves up into a back-bending low Cobra first and then eventually learn how to coordinate the knees. Somehow they figure out what needs to happen to be able to move. Before your yoga practice, when was the last time your peeled yourself off the floor and did something like that Cobra? So give yourself a break. If backbends are uncomfortable, it’s not because you aren’t capable; your adult body just needs to learn it again.

yoga backbend techniques: 12 classes [backbend technique to relieve back pain "bowing the spine']

"HEART OPENERS" IMMERSION

Increase spinal range of motion
Master techniques like “bowing the spine”
Release stress patterns, discomfort, or pain in your back
Twelve 75-minute classes, all levels appropriate
Learn postures: Full Wheel, Bow, Camel, King Pigeon, King Dancer, King Cobra, Scorpion, and more!
Lifetime unlimited access to all

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RECONNECT TO YOUR BODY WISDOM

Make no mistake — you have the same inner wisdom that you did as a child, but it takes some retraining. What’s more, your body develops muscle memory from all the physical and emotional contracting you do during the day. Soon, shoulders slump forward, bringing your neck and head along with them. Arms move closer together and your chest caves in.

Yoga brings awareness to the felt sense of your physical potential beyond just basic needs. Backbending is beyond your basic, functional needs, but backbends can be enriching and healing.

Learning anything new requires focused effort, routine, repetitive practice, and failure. The process is no different when it comes to learning postures in your body, except for one important distinction: Failing body postures can lead to short- or long-term injury.

To minimize risk, we have to apply smart techniques and step-by-step actions informed by contemporary anatomy education. Rather than repeating the same uncomfortable backbends over and over, hoping for change, you learn and apply new techniques. With time and repetition, you can develop the appropriate strength and flexibility that can lead to joyful backbends.

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Heart Openers: Discover the Joy of Backbending

WHAT IS “BOWING THE SPINE”?

THE #1 BACKBEND TECHNIQUE TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN AND INCREASE SPINAL FLEXIBILITY

“Bowing the spine” is a technique that combines a few key elements that I go over in detail in the video below. The dominant action is sliding your intervertebral discs forward, which requires a deliberate shifting of your rib cage. The secondary action is lengthening the distance between the upper and lower body.

If you want to try this technique in your practice and learn how to develop greater strength, range of motion, and body awareness with backbends, join me for May’s 12-class immersion: Heart Openers: Discover the Joy of Backbending

FREE VIDEO PODCAST ON BOWING THE SPINE WITH PROFESSOR MATT

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WILL THIS WORK FOR EVERYONE?

I personally don’t believe there is a practice, pose, or technique that is “one size fits all“. Everybody is different, and some techniques will be more appropriate for one body than another. I came to yoga with scoliosis, a super tight psoas, and daily back pain. Doing any backbend was torture for me. Today, backbends are my go-to pose to reset my spine and get back to feeling great in my body. Did that happen overnight? Absolutely not. It took years of practice and refinement. Bowing the spine is a backbend technique to relieve back pain and help you gain greater range of motion in your spine, but the technique itself cannot do it for you. Remember, you are the one doing the pose; the pose doesn’t do you. In other words, never try to fit yourself into a shape. Allow your body to find its own posture. That said, like any great challenge, we must learn the skills necessary to gracefully dance through it.

SPINAL RESET

Reset your spine with 12 classes focused on backbends, side bends, twists, and forward folds. This immersion is a great way to learn the biomechanics of the upper body. Get lifetime, unlimited access to all 12 classes today!