Uttanasana or standing forward bend in yoga is an ubiquitous pose in yoga classes. The pose lengthens the back of the body, brings fresh blood into the head and is a component of surya namaskar or sun salutation.
Uttanasana and other forward bends can be problematic for those with lumbar spine issues and low back pain. Go slow. When someone has low back pain we usually recommend more back bending and less forward bending until the problem resides.
The hamstrings are inordinately tight, remember to go slow and breathe. Yoga is not a race, it’s all about feel. If the pose feels good, then it is good. Allow your chest to rest on your thighs and slowly lift the kneecaps to lengthen the legs and deepen the hamstring stretch.
https://www.robertgardnerwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Robert-Gardner-Wellness-Header.png00Robert Gardnerhttps://www.robertgardnerwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Robert-Gardner-Wellness-Header.pngRobert Gardner2012-11-02 17:03:512012-11-02 17:03:51How to forward bend
Warrior 1 pose or virabhadrasana 1 is a common pose in a standing series in hatha yoga. It makes a great transition pose from various standing postures including warrior 2 and triangle though the foot alignment is slightly different.
Remember that as you attempt the pose the shorter the stance, the closer the feet are to each other the easier it will be. You can always scoot the 90 degree foot out further if you need more depth. Align the hips so your guns face forward and lift the spine. A 90 degree knee gives you the workhorse in your quadriceps and builds strength in your lower body. Pull the belly in and lift your spine. Long slow breathing through the nose while retracting the neck will complete the alignment through your spine and relish the sense of space you create.
Lift your arms in any position you like but slowly work them up above you for extra lift. No slouching. Use your breathing to massage your body into position.
Try going through several poses in sequence including this one. Triangle and warrior 2 are good options.
Trikonasana or triangle pose is an extremely common standing posture in hatha yoga. Its simplicity allows a beginner to do the pose while true mastery may take years. I’m not even close and I’ve been working at it for 8 years. This pose is an easy transition from warrior 2 though the feet are often closer together in triangle. This pose works deeply into the hamstrings and hips and often new students feel sore in these areas the day after class.
Go slow, feel your body flow into the pose. Work on the alignment and be less concerned with depth. It’s not about doing the pose perfectly, it’s about feeling your way through the pose and breathing into a new space. Triangle may be one of those friends for life poses you’ll return to but it always has something to teach you. If necessary align yourself from the ground up. Start at the feet, how do they feel? Can you be more grounded? Can you feel more anchored to the floor then lift out from that? Work your way up the body, like running yourself through a scan. Feel the pose, embrace it. Breathe and love the space you create.
The twist in the pose comes after you’ve lengthened your spine. Students slouch in this pose frequently and I find the hand reaching out to the mirror to be the easiest way to prevent this from happening. Once you’ve felt it several times it’s easier to not make that mistake but when you start really reach out to create a long spine before you concern yourself with twisting. When you do twist, twist from the lower spine first then spiral out to the up stretched hand.
If you decide to turn your head make sure you’re balanced and grounded. It’s not uncommon to fall out once you turn the head so ground into your feet first. Don’t rush to turn the head, go slow, feel the twist through the neck. Tuck your chin and when you look up your chin will be closer to your shoulder. This chin tuck is safer for your cervical spine and if you feel strain take note, you’re probably not tucking the chin.
Try the transition from warrior 2 into triangle. Find a foot spacing that allows you to leave the feet where they are and go between both poses to feel the difference. Most of all, breathe. The breath will take you more deeply into the pose. If you feel strain back off, breathe deeply and let it slowly work its magic.
Plow and shoulderstand are usually performed together, plow first then up into shoulderstand. This gives the shoulders a chance to settle, allows the spine time to lengthen and open as well as blood to begin to settle near the head. Once you’re comfortable with the standard poses the variations allow some movement of the legs in a wide range of motion.
You can literally play in the poses once you’re comfortable and you’re searching for new space, new feeling and opening of tissue. Yoga poses feel focused, calm, aware and centered while you’re in them. Once you’ve found good space in your body breathe deeply and see if your rib cage, diaphragm and spine can find a new space to open into. The sense of play comes from an open awareness without destination. You’re not just trying to go into the pose deeper, you’re exploring.
Breathe into the pose. Feel it out, make small adjustments and fine tune movement. Enjoy how the poses feel.
https://www.robertgardnerwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Robert-Gardner-Wellness-Header.png00Robert Gardnerhttps://www.robertgardnerwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Robert-Gardner-Wellness-Header.pngRobert Gardner2012-04-18 19:43:072012-04-18 19:43:07variations in plow
Shoulderstand or salamba sarvangasana is the queen of the yoga poses. Along with headstand which is the king, they are royalty. These two poses, if you can do nothing else during a day, are said to be the most beneficial. The blood bath that the thyroid and parathyroid receive is said to be extremely healing to the human body. Long term I believe this is why many yogis live long lives, regulating the endocrine system is no small feat.
Make sure to use the mats or blankets and go slow. This small steady platform will take pressure off of the neck and allow the spine to lift up into a true inversion. If anything feels off, uncomfortable or strained come out. Yoga is not a rush but a lifetime pursuit. Go with standing poses, wait for your strength and flexibility to grow then return. I’ve done this in my practice with both headstand and shoulderstand.
These poses are more advanced but I’ve covered them first to stress their importance. Standing poses will be next in the series.
Halasana or plow pose is a common pairing with shoulderstand or salamba sarvangasana. Plow allows a deep flexion of the spine and opening that supports the eventual lift into shoulderstand. One should be cautious, particularly if you’ve not performed this pose previously. Go slow, walk the feet back and take your time. Your breath is more important than the depth of the posture you achieve.
The pose helps the thyroid, parathyroid and the digestive tract due to pulling the belly towards the spine. Additionally you can get a hamstring stretch and the benefits of a partial inversion. Use the mats or blankets as shown in the video. I used to loathe both plow and shoulderstand due to attempting the pose without and feeling strain on my cervical spine or neck.
Plow is an excellent addition to a vibrant energetic practice. It’s calming to the nervous system as is common with forward bends.
Respiration is influenced in very interesting ways in headstand. Since we’ve shifted the effect of gravity upon the body by turning upside down, we’ve done the same to our breathing. Right side up the diaphragm pushes the abdominal organs down and flattens out from it’s bowl shape to open the base of the rib cage. This vacuum helps pull air into the lungs. Upside down however the abdominal organs are now putting pressure on the diaphragm and the muscle has to work against gravity to lift the abdominal organs. Essentially, you’re making it workout.
The exhale in headstand is smooth, easy and not forced. As you relax the diaphragm releases and air smoothly flows out of the lungs as the abdominal organs press down helping force air out of the lungs. Combined with the usual ujjayi breathing that’s common in yoga you have a one two punch that strengthens, tones and refines the musculature of breathing. After years of practice, even when at rest, a yogi’s breathing is still full and strong from strengthening these areas.
Headstand also allows freedom to the legs and spine to move in many directions. Your hips are now free to move within whatever range of motion feels good. Upside down isn’t so bad.
I always say headstand is a yogic cup of coffee. I feel calm, alert, energized and focused after doing the pose.
Inversions bathe the endocrine organs (pituitary gland, thyroid and parathyroid) in blood meaning they are allowed to do what they’re supposed to do. Cleansing and repair happen and proper function returns or is maintained. The increased blood flow to the head includes the brain, the part of the body that uses the greatest blood supply. The morning wake up I do with headstands pushes blood up then down my body repeatedly as I shift my space in gravity.
Reading Anatomy of Hatha Yoga I was surprised to find out he listed two different versions of headstand, one at bregma, another at the crown. Exploring the pose over time I became aware that my skull wasn’t completely level and my neck was certainly not in proper alignment. I’d been told that headstand is a bad idea for someone with my specific injury, a whiplash. I wondered why the pose made me feel better and decided to listen to my body as opposed to stop doing a pose I liked.
I realized over time that headstand gave me space to correct cervical spine issues from the top down. By shifting my head slightly in various directions I had resistance to push into the muscles around my neck, connecting into the base of my skull and into my upper back. I could essentially work in three dimensions and now upside down to reverse any structrual torsion or shift that’d taken place over time. Long story short, not only was headstand good but I could work on my long term alignment in some tricky areas.
