Backbend today
Arms are getting closer to straight up and down. The knees are bent more deeply than I'd like today, probably reflecting my inability to take more bend in my upper back, or alternatively, to press my pubic bone forward. I think. Feedback welcome.
YC
16 comments:
Hi Lauren,
The pose looks very nice.
I work on it as well.
I think we both have to bring the feet closer to the hands or the other way round, so that the back has the right arch.
You could reach asana perfection, become fully realized and beam yogic Enlightenment light rays out of your eyes and ears and you'd still be a diehard kvetcher!
The backbend looks nice.
Ursula...in time..in time...
Carl - please do not confuse humbleness with kvetching!!
Cute yoga mat ;-)
I've always heard feet should be about hip width for backbends, but yours look wider. Is that the Ashtanga-style?
I like to look down at the mat between my hands instead of looking back, helps me arch my upper back more. And then pressing like crazy into my legs to move my chest away from my legs into a more vertical position.
Looks nice though :) You have to admit, you've come a long way baby! :)
Oh, and it has also been helping me to rock back and forth lots in backbends (as a result of tips from comments I have received ;)), to increase mobility in my upper back, and lengthen on the insides on my arms where they connect to my chest.
Last thing I'll say (I promise), is to make sure the head of the armbone is "plugged" in to the socket before you push up. It keeps the arms at the right rotation, and they are easier to straighten (in my experience).
good luck with it :)
Debby - I have been practicing it different ways with my feet. It's easier to stand up with my feet splayed, and I was trying to stand up when this pic was taken (by Brian!).
Elaina - actually, I find that it helps me to look up and then puff my chest out, and then look down. i totally agree about the arm plugging thing. My teacher helped me with that the other day. Mostly, I just have to work on...everything!
I use a block between my feet so the distance is right and my feet dont splay out, ruining my knees. I alwasy waste the first UD getting my hands in the right place. C. tried to get me to adjust my hands in UD, but once I'm up there I cant move!
Globie xx
I hate to say it, but drop-backs often compromise the pose. once you get down into position, turn those feet in and work on tucking your tailbone a bit. Most of your arch is coming from low back, so work on the pelvis and see if that frees up your upper back/shoulders.
Will it help to bring your feet parallel? I'm constantly being given that correction.
I still need to get a picture of myself in backbend... see what I'm dealing with.
I don't see how it matters if my feet are parallel. I really don't. Someone tell me why I should care if my feet are parallel?
Because with your feet parallel, you'll work to point your knees forward, and that will help you maintain the proper effort in your hips. With your feet pointed outward, your legs essentially are splayed outward, rather than parallel, as they ought to be.
Sorry, not convinced. Need more convincing. I've tried it that way, Carl, and it hasn't had that effect. Check out David Williams' leg angles in his Second Series backbends. I think that eventually it will be good to point my feet forward, but right now, I need to focus on opening up my chest so as to allow my thoracic spine to bend more deeply. Everything else is coming along.
Fair enough. Obviously, not everything happens at once.
hello, first post here...the idea behind bringing your feet, knees parallel is so you're not "pinching" or "jamming" your sacrum, by rolling the thighs inward you're creating more room at the back of the pelvis. "ideally" feet and hands are hip, shoulder width apart respectively. having said that, remember we're all put together differently and some of us will never have the "yoga journal" cover UD...it has nothing to do with flexibility it's about our bones...(check out paul grilley, anatomy for yoga, interesting ideas) of course that's not going to prevent me from hoping that i'll get my leg behind my head someday...enjoy the practice! your wheel is beautiful!
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