YOGA JUMP BACKS & JUMP FORWARDS
THE DREAMY, MYSTICAL FLOAT
SIDE ANGLE
dreamy yoga jump backs and jump forwards
We’ve all seen those yoga teachers and/or practitioners who float through the transitions of jumping back from Uttanasana to Chaturanga and/or jumping forward from Downward Facing Dog to Uttanasana. They seem to have hang time like Michael Jordan going in for a dunk. It can be absolutely mesmerizing to watch the ease with which they execute these transitions. There’s no magic pill to take when it comes to building these transitions into your practice. It is also important to note that it absolutely does not have to be a goal to build the “end result” into your practice, but the drill we see in today’s video (“The Slide Back”) can be done simply with the intention of building strength and awareness in our practice overall.
Like anything else, it’s revisiting drills like these repeatedly over time that helps us to see transformation in our bodies and in our practice as a whole. What we ultimately gain is a deeper awareness of our bodies. This awareness shows us what we need to strengthen and where we need to place our bodies in space.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN?
When jumping back into Chaturanga, it’s true that we must cultivate strength throughout the body as a whole unit, but there are some key areas where we need to bring our focus and attention.
Wrists
We’re required to bring our wrists into extension in order to stack our bodies above our hands and to bear the weight of our bodies. We also grip our fingers into the floor in order to recruit and strengthen the forearm muscles.
Serratus Anterior
Pushing the floor away and creating fullness in your back creates protraction of the scapulae. The activation of the serratus anterior slows the descent of the body into Chaturanga, where the scapulae will then find retraction.
Pectoral Muscles
Placing our hands wider than shoulder width apart and turning the hands out as if turning two knobs away from one another (along with the protraction of the scapulae) helps to turn on (contract) the major pectoral muscles. This happens when we find external rotation of the humerus while the elbows rotate in. This helps to draw the energy in towards the midline of the body.
Triceps
The triceps also play a role in stopping you from bending too soon. The triceps help to oppose the action of the joints (i.e., elbows bending too much and too soon).
STRENGTH
Yoga For Strength: Strengthen Your Weaknesses • Maximize Your Physical Potential
- 12 classes: Each class targets a specific muscle group
- Strengthen your core, back, hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, legs, and arms
- Learn creative ways to strength train within the context of a yoga practice
- Increase mobility by balancing your strength with oppositional muscle groups
- Joyful accountability to help you reach your practice goals
SALE PRICE: $138.00 $128.00
5 STEPS TO FOLLOW
“Slide Backs”
For this drill, you can use a blanket or towel on a hardwood floor. Alternatively, you might wear socks or use sliders on a carpeted floor.
- Place hands on the ground wherever they go (might be far out)
- Turn hands out
- Lean forward with chest and grip the fingers
- Grip the ground and slowly slide the blanket back to a plank position
- Slowly pull it forward: “Jump Forward”
SLIDE BACKS LEAD TO JUMP BACKS
The slide back drill is great preparation for the “dreamy jump back” because of all of the pieces we have to put together in order to execute. But it’s in this process of self awareness, reflection, and inquiry into the body where we build a deeper relationship with our own individual yoga practice.
You can continue to explore strength and the ways to slowly cultivate it in Matt’s October 2021 Immersion, Strength
Practice with Matt live and get lifetime access to:
- 12 classes: Each class targets a specific muscle group
- Strengthen your core, back, hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, legs, and arms
- Learn creative ways to strength train within the context of a yoga practice
- Increase mobility by balancing your strength with oppositional muscle groups
- Joyful accountability to help you reach your practice goals
See you on the mat!
~Written and Edited by Trish Curling
STRENGTH
Yoga For Strength: Strengthen Your Weaknesses • Maximize Your Physical Potential
- 12 classes: Each class targets a specific muscle group
- Strengthen your core, back, hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, legs, and arms
- Learn creative ways to strength train within the context of a yoga practice
- Increase mobility by balancing your strength with oppositional muscle groups
- Joyful accountability to help you reach your practice goals
SALE PRICE: $138.00 $128.00
Livestream Class Packages
STRENGTH
Yoga For Strength: Strengthen Your Weaknesses • Maximize Your Physical Potential
- 12 classes: Each class targets a specific muscle group
- Strengthen your core, back, hips, shoulders, wrists, ankles, legs, and arms
- Learn creative ways to strength train within the context of a yoga practice
- Increase mobility by balancing your strength with oppositional muscle groups
- Joyful accountability to help you reach your practice goals
SALE PRICE: $138.00 $128.00
SHOULDER REVELATION
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HEART OPENERS
DISCOVER THE JOY OF BACKBENDS
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MOVE • BREATHE • RELEASE
YOGA • BREATHWORK • MEDITATION
- YOGA: TRANSFORM YOUR BODY
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- MEDITATION: AWAKEN YOUR MIND
- THE TRIFECTA OF YOGA
- 12 CLASSES: ALL LEVELS
THE DANCE
ALIGN • REFINE • FLOW
- MOVEMENT TRANSFORMATION
- ALIGNED TRANSITIONS
- TARGETED STRENGTH
- DEEP HIP OPENERS
- 12 CLASSES: INTERMEDIATE
THE PULSE
BALANCE • STRENGTH • FLEXIBILITY
- SHOULDER STRENGTH
- HEART OPENERS
- HAMSTRINGS & BUTTOCKS
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- 12 CLASSES: ALL LEVELS
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2020 IMMERSIONS
HIPS • HEART • HANDSTAND
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- HEART OPENERS
- HANDSTAND TECHNIQUES
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BIRDS OF PARADISE
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- LEADS TO BIRDS OF PARADISE
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BEST STARTER PACKAGE
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- 2 GUIDED MEDITATIONS
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- 6 PEAK POSTURES
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THE SPINAL RESET
- BACKBENDS & SIDE BENDS
- TWISTS AND FORWARD FOLDS
- SPINAL BIOMECHANICS
- 4 POST-CLASS MEDITATIONS
- 12 CLASSES: ALL LEVELS
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JOURNEY TO BLISS
- PHYSICAL MEETS SPIRITUAL
- EXPLORE THE KOSHAS
- MIND-BODY TENSION RELEASE
- FOUR GUIDED MEDITATIONS
- 12 YOGA CLASSES: ALL LEVELS
$148.00 $118.00
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- 12 YOGA CLASSES
- 4 GUIDED MEDITATIONS
- LIFETIME ACCCESS TO ALL
- 12 PEAK POSTURES
- 12 YOGA SUTRA THEMES
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THE BREAKTHROUGH
- HIP OPENERS
- HIP BIOMECHANICS
- EMPHASIS ON ARM BALANCES
- 4 POST-CLASS MEDITATIONS
- 12 CLASSES: ALL LEVELS
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- FULL BODY RESET
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- 4 GUIDED MEDITATIONS
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