Backbends

[Guest guest]

hi all,

 

i was hoping for some feedback on backbends, i find them my weakest asana and i

am nearly thru the primary series, but am not able to do backbends from

standing, and am trying to do 5 of them in my morning practice as i understand i

have to be in the pose for sometime before you can actually attempt from

standing.

 

i can crawl down against the wall and have looked on youtube and the rest, but

am just needing advice here - it seems that after having a child and carrying

the extra weight has put a strain on my lower back so i just keep trying, and

the fear / obstacles with it are profound.

 

also still trying supta kurmasana, can just get hands to touch but feet separate

but i feel progress a day at a time.

 

anyway, just trying to learn from this in the meantime, your body is often

telling of other things going on at the time anyway.

 

take care all,

sophie

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

I have always been bendy in the back but after I gave birth, it became

restrictive and it took me about 10 months to be able to do a good backbend

again. So I would say that having had a child has something to do with it as

well.

 

What I found helpful was:

1 - Checking my back that it is straight in normal standing position and when I

held my baby by standing against the wall. Of course, people have natural curve

in the back, so when I say straight, I mean, straight in normal posture. I

found that I used to curve my back a lot without me realising it. Doing this

helped me get my spine in normal position.

2 - Once I naturally stand with my back straight like I did pre-pregnancy, I

worked on backbending normally. Started from doing it in lying down position.

Once that becomes easy, I progressed to the full backbend. Then dropback from

standing position and coming up come last once you can get a good backbend.

What I found with the dropbacks was that it is mostly the technique of learning

how to do it. When you have done it once, it is easy to do it again as you know

how to do it.

 

Take care.

 

 

ashtangayoga , Sophie Anderson <sophanderson wrote:

>

>

> hi all,

>

> i was hoping for some feedback on backbends, i find them my weakest asana and

i am nearly thru the primary series, but am not able to do backbends from

standing, and am trying to do 5 of them in my morning practice as i understand i

have to be in the pose for sometime before you can actually attempt from

standing.

>

> i can crawl down against the wall and have looked on youtube and the rest, but

am just needing advice here - it seems that after having a child and carrying

the extra weight has put a strain on my lower back so i just keep trying, and

the fear / obstacles with it are profound.

>

> also still trying supta kurmasana, can just get hands to touch but feet

separate but i feel progress a day at a time.

>

> anyway, just trying to learn from this in the meantime, your body is often

telling of other things going on at the time anyway.

>

> take care all,

> sophie

>

[Guest guest]

i have found that one of the hinderances in gaining in backbends is the hip

flexor.

when the hip flexor opens it takes some pressure from the back and also helps to

prevent lower back injury.

i find working kapotasana and ustrasana are great with the emphasis on the hips

opening and ashwasanchalanasana with the chest upright and the knee at 90angle

to the ankle again with the emphasis on the hip opening.

 

i also find that manifesting the element of water through the breath helps to

soften the back.

and quell the element of fire that is sometimes a hinderance.

 

metta

kim