BackBend : Recharging the Spirit

When you are exploring asana practise, you encountered, different levels of Backbend, For some working towards those backbends are not their thing.

‘Back bending isn’t fundamental to life’.

There is truth in this, you are not going to use a wheel pose to pick things up from the floor, but there are other benefits that I think get overlooked. As deskbound warriors or victims of doom scrolling text-neck, you can probably attest, that you nature position of you neck in to elongated and down at what ever media is consuming your time. In this day and age, we need backbends to rescue are backs and posture. There is even mental impacts to putting our body in contortion-like posture everyday. So if you are not doing a bridge everyday, you missing out on the great impact it could make.

Backbends are not that deep.

For many a back bend, is when the spine is in deep extension and the lower spine is primarily being used is a way that we cannot even comprehend our bodies to move. But that actually happens to be a very deep back bend, if you come to a class and do a baby cobra, you are have done a backbend. You don’t have to ever go into scorpion pose if you never want to.

Backbends are vital to a yoga from because they strengthen back muscles and stretches out the front body. When at a desk, the front body is caved in, unless you are vigilant of your posture. It is not a bad thing for you to be there, but it is the rinse and repeat of the spinal flexion, without the spinal extension, which causes weak back muscles and immobile spine, that could become injured by doing a simple task. By inviting, spinal extension into your life, you are encouraging more movement and strength that can help your everyday.

Opening the chest, is also helping you receive more oxygen and can elevate your energy levels, and increase circulation. Some deep backbends doubles, as inversions, which also help circulation and get more blood to the brain, making you more focus and gain more mental clarity.

Backbends, like most forms of movement, can increase endorphins and release dopamine, making you happier and more satisfied with yourself. It reduces stress, but most importantly builds confidence. That confidence is carried off the mat as reassurance of yourself and the things you can accomplish. Your motivations of unlocking harder posture can be carried on in life, maybe to make bold decision or maybe to slow down and feel the satisfaction of the little things.

Backbends are the building blocks of a Powerful Practise.

Opening the heart space, with deep backbends is a very satisfying physically, but it can be gratifying to the heart and mind. As the heart space holds the 4th chakra, by opening it up, you are giving room for gratitude, kindness to yourself, joy and a sense of freedom. I think it is also important to say that yoga, release stress and a lot of built up emotions and trauma, that can be held back when we are constantly caving are chest in.

With self-consciousness from life experience, our posture can be changed and become withdrawn from experiencing all that life has to offer. This comes with the nervous system, we can remain in a safe space, when we are a state of spinal flexion, as our parasympathetic part of the nervous system is activated.

Whereas, the sympathetic nervous system, makes us more confidant and out-going. It can encourage us to take risks and learn how to cope with stress, rather than avoid hard thing. This is going to make you have more energy and be more alert so you can become more motivated in pursuing your goals.

Movement generally is going to encourage this activation of the sympatheic nervous system, especially new movement or deeper backbends, and although we like to think yoga will lower cortisol, it will in the end, but it is probably going to heighten it, which is a good thing. This narrative of always lowering your cortisol, is like saying ‘oh just be happy’. To feel happy, there has to be some sadness. ‘Oh don’t stress’, to relax there has to be some stress. Having a movement practise to control the stress, helps you in the long run to control the stress in your life.

Your parasympathetic nervous system, will relax you more, if you activate your sympathetic nervous system. You have to have your yin and yang.

Backbend are just Fun, as well.

You probably did a couple of backbends, as a child, and now the concept of doing wheel, makes you think you would snap in half.

Here’s some back bends for you, my desk warriors:-

Cat/Cow (especially your cow) - Take it easy, very nice in the morning and can be done everyday.

Sphinx Pose - lovely gentle and can open the heart space, but make sure to engage the glutes.

Cobra Pose - making sure the glutes are engaged, but again not forcing the spine.

Camel Pose - there are lots of gentle modifacations, and can really build your confidence in backbend.

Backbends are great at giving us lots of energy and don’t have to be some circus trick to be practise.

I hope you give them a try and find peace with in them.

enjoy x