Forward bends

THE BACK BODY
The final axial plane in our spinal sequences is the humble, yet challenging, forward bends. Forward bends stretch the entire back body – starting at the soles of the feet, traveling up the achilles tendon, the calves, hamstrings, glutes, outer hips, inner groins, lower back and upper back. We often presume limitations in our forward bend come from tightness in the hamstrings, but when there is tension in any of these areas in the back body, it can hinder your ability to release forward. Forward bends take a lot of patience, time and kindness. The large muscle group running the length of the back of the thighs, including the hamstrings, like plenty of gentle encouragement and warming up before they release.

FORWARD BENDS AND THE PELVIS
In its essence, a forward fold is the rotation of the head of the two thigh bone in the socket of the hip – which makes up the two hip joint. To help initiate the movement from the hip joint in your forward bends, try a few standing and seated asana with your hands on your hips, and feel into the extent of movement you can get into the anterior/forward tilt of the pelvis as you fold.

BENEFITS OF FORWARD BENDS
Our natural position of protection and self soothing is fetal position. In fetal position you’ll notice all the joints are flexed – the feet, knees, hips, back and arms. Forward bends flex the feet, hips and back, and are very calming and relaxing – easing anxiety, stress, tension and depression – helping us to move from the sympathetic nervous system of flight, flight and freeze, to the parasympathetic nervous system of rest and restore.

FORWARD BENDS IN YOUR PRACTICE
Spend some time in your warm ups paying particular attention to areas of tension in the back body. During your Sun Salutations take a few breaths in Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog, and follow the back body from the base of your feet to the tip of your crown – including the outer hips and inner groins. Supta Padangusthasana/Reclined Hand to Big Toe is a good starting point for gradually opening up the backs of the legs and the surrounding muscles. Print out the above sequence to release the whole back body. As with inversions there is lots of hidden forward bends. The ‘peak pose’ of the sequence is an arm balance which requires a deep forward bend. Click on this link to get a full list of forward bends.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Twists

TWISTS AND THE MIDLINE
The spine has a total axial rotation of 90 degrees – the neck/cervical has a range of 50 degrees, the upper back/thoracic of 35 degree and surprisingly the lower back/lumbar has only 5 degrees of rotation. For this reason, care needs to be taken with our twists, so that we don’t put excess pressure on the sacroiliac joint (where pelvis and spine meet). Our twists come from the waist and with the majority of the rotation coming from the upper back/thoracic. The spine has five different ranges of movement – forward, backwards, right side, left side and rotation. But we also have a fifth movement called axial extension. Axial extension is the movement we hope to achieve when we ‘reach through the tip of the crown’, to find as much space as we can between the vertebra, to allow the spine to rotate. When you are working with  twists, draw a line through your midline from the base of your spine to beyond the tip of your crown. When you have found this line twist your body, from the inside out, around this extended midline, like a spiral staircase. You will find you also get a better twist if you extend through your midline, and twist evenly from both sides of the midline.

BENEFITS OF TWISTS
Twists penetrate deep into the organs of the body, bringing fresh blood flow – stimulating the digestive system for maximum nutrition absorption, the liver and kidneys to remove toxins, and the lymph system which supports the immune system. They also release stress and physical tension in the chest, shoulders, neck and hips. They also stretch and strengthen the muscles of the respiratory system, bringing with it the many health benefits of ‘good breath’. Try taking some deep breaths in your twists, to get the full stretch and benefits for the lungs. Click this link to get a full list of twists.

The above sequence has two peek poses – Parivrtta Trikonasana/Revolved Triangle and Parsva Bakasana/Side Crow. Before you come into your full expression of Parivrtta Trikonasana/Revolved Triangle on the right side, when you have reached forward with your spine, place your right hand on your right lower back and check if your hips are level. When you have found a level hip position, place your right thumb in your right hip crease to ensure the hips stay in place, as you slowly reach your left arm to a brick or the ground to the right side of your right foot. In Parsva Bakasana/Side Crow draw your navel strongly in towards your spine and reach up through the crown before you take the deep twist to the right. If taking the balance is not in your practice come to the setup stage of the asana for a really deep twist. Working towards hooking your left upper arm outside your right knee.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Backbends

BACKBENDS AND THE MIDLINE
Moving into exploration of the spine is a natural progression from last week sequence of the midline. The spine runs along our midline, and gives us a physical element to work towards when ‘drawing into the midline’ in our practice. Maintaining awareness of the midline when practicing backbends, reminds us to exert equal effort right and left, and gives a stable structure for the front body to expand and the back body to curve with.

THE SPINE
The spine supports the body against gravity, facilitates movement of the torso, and protects the spinal cord. An understanding of the four natural curves of your back helps you to access safer alignment in your asana. Try standing in Tadasana/Mountain and trace the four curves of your back – starting with the concave curve at the back of your neck/cervical (115 degree range of motion); moving down to the convex curve of your upper back/thoracic (70 degree range of motion); diping again into the concave of your lower back/lumbar (95 degree range of motion); and finally the convex curve of the fused tailbone/sacral. Now take Ardha Uttanasana/Half Forward Fold with your hands on your shins, and look to find these same four natural curves of your spine as you reach through the tip of your crown. Often when we fold forward we lose our two lovely concave curves of our cervical and lumbar spine. These two curves enable the most range of motion in the spine, which makes them more susceptible to injury. The spine is involved in every asana with either flexion, extension or rotation. Yoga lengthens, strengthens and promotes good interstitial fluid health of the spine.

BENEFITS OF BACKBENDS
Backbends stimulate the nervous system, aid digestion, ease stress, tension, anxiety and depression. They also expand and breath, promoting healthy lung capacity and ease symptoms of asthma and sleep apnea. You’ll notice the increased energy throughout the room in a backbend focused yoga class. We spend a lot of our day hunched forward -  backbends stretch, expand and open the heart centre.  The mind follows the physical, and becomes open and energised too.

The above sequence warm up the spine with lateral bends, rotations and contraction backbends. It also works on lengthening the hip flexors and psoas muscle. Tight hip flexors prevent the posterior (backwards) tilt of the pelvis, restricting backbends and bringing increased flexion and pressure into the lower back. Click this link to get a full list of backbends.

LATERAL BENDS
Lateral bends are a lovely, gentle way to access the concept of lengthening up through the spine to find space between the vertebra for your backbends. Before you do the backbending sequence, try the lateral bends sequence below. Reach up tall through the spine to the tip of the crown before each lateral bend. There is lots of hidden lateral bends in our practice that you may not even notice – such as Viparita Virabhadrasana/Reverse Warrior, Parsvakonasana/Extended Side Angle and Trikonasana/Triangle – which are all great asana to take warm up the spine before a backbend peak pose.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Develop a home practice

YOUR SUPPORTIVE SPACE
Yoga is medicine for the mind body & spirit. Developing a home practice helps support you in times of need – combating moments of tension in the workplace, dealing with kiddie tantrums, or whatever your daily challenges are.

Putting aside some time for yourself, and cultivating a safe space at arms length, is becoming an increasing mechanism to counteract the busy, fast pace of our lives. Getting to know your own practice – your strengths, your limitations, your favourite asana – helps you create a practice to suit your needs, in your own time. It gives you the tools to support yourself, rather than looking to others for support, and is an empowering experience to feel you can respond to constantly changing life circumstances rapidly before they evolve.

JUST EXPLORE
Some days your home practice can be as simple as 5 minutes of Sun Salutations, or when you have put aside some time for yourself, a longer practice to get creative with. Learn to listen to what you need on each particular day, and have no expectations of your strength or flexibility. The body reacts differently to the practice each day, and within each day, each hour is different too. Finding your way onto your mat, through home practice and yoga classes, consistently and regularly, accumulates and intensifies the benefits of the practice.

GET STARTED
Try out some of the sequences here to get you started. As you become more in tune with what your body needs, delve into the asana section. Print out the Yoga Matrix graphics below, to have at hand and ask yourself ‘what do I need today? Practice poses that are familiar and safe, that you have explored in class with the support of your yoga teacher. Start listening to alignment cues in class to try out at home. All you need is enough space to roll out a yoga mat! Remember to always take Savasana at the end of your practice to assimilate all the work and re-enter your day. But most of all, own your practice, and enjoy it!

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

The midline

ANATOMY MEETS SUBTLE BODY
In yoga, the midline is the foundation on which each asana is built. This vertical axis that bisects the whole body is more than of anatomical importance in yoga – referred to as the Sushumna, it is the central channel, or Nadi, through which pranic energy flows. It is also the line where you will find the seven Chakras, or energy centres, each bringing it’s own unique quality to the subtle body.

WHERE IS THE MIDLINE?
Drawing close to the midline in our practice makes us stronger, more supported and stable. It helps you to access the deep inner muscles of the body, and  builds your asana from the inside out, rather than from the outside in. The midline travels from the tip of your crown, through the torso, bisects the pelvis, and doesn’t stop till it reaches your foundation. In standing asana the base of the midline is the ground between your feet; twisting poses wrap your outer body around the midline; in inversions, such as handstand, the midline is flipped, starting in the space between your feet, and ending on the ground between the palms of your hands. Some asana are easier to visualise the midline in. But it’s always there, supplying energy through your whole body!

ALIGNMENT CUES
Try the above sequence to explore your midline. Before you start, stand in Tadasana/Mountain with a brick between your thighs. Bring your attention to your right side body, the right side of your face, right shoulder, right arm, right torso, right leg, right foot. Notice any areas of tension you might feel. Repeat on the left side. Then bring your attention to the midline, where right and left meet, from the inside out start to hug your body to the midline, using your brick to press against. Imagine you’re trying to make your body as narrow as possible. Press into the centre for three breaths, then release. Repeat once or twice till you get to know how the midline feels. Applying equal effort between right and left side.

Focus your attention on your midline in each asana (even while you run through your warm up Sun Salutations). Try some of these alignment cues as you flow through the sequence.

• Hug your outer hips to the midline with equal effort
• Zip up your inner legs from your inner ankle to your inner groin
• Draw your navel to your spine
• Lengthen your spine to the tip of your crown
• Press your hands/feet into the mat and drag them in towards the midline
• Track your spine running along the midline

...and then let all the alignment cues go and feel into your midline!

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru