Yoga Fundamentals Practice: Opening the Hip Creases and Lengthening the Torso (Back Bends)

Disclaimer

Fundamentals practices are appropriate for all levels. They are drawn from a relatively accessible syllabus of poses that covers all the important shapes and movements that will open, strengthen and balance the body. The instruction given is intended to be simple and broad, giving practical guidance for beginners and offering a starting point for deeper exploration for those who are more seasoned practitioners. Brand new beginners and those with injuries or physical conditions that might be affected by the physical practice of yoga should seek out the guidance of a trained teacher before starting.

About The Practice

General Hints for Back Bends

There are three key points to consider when organizing the legs and back for back bends. The first is to open the hip crease by reaching the thighs towards the knees and the abdomen towards the head while firming, widening and lengthening the buttocks from top to bottom. The second is to lengthen and widen the front body away from the legs towards the head to create openness in the front of the spine. You might think of lengthening from pubic bone to navel, to sternum, to the bridge of your nose and across the room. The third is to widen the back body evenly. There is often a tendency to push forward from different parts of the back to get the sensation of back bend. This only breaks the reach of the torso towards the head and creates unwanted compression. This pushing forward can happen in the sitting bones, the tailbone, the hips, the lower back, the mid back, and even the chest, depending on the person or the pose, so the general thought of keeping the back wide can be a useful catch-all preventative.

Practice Tips

To reinforce all the important points for opening your hip creases and extending your spine safely and effectively, consider the following as you go through the sequence:

• Soften and widen your lower abdomen, your hip creases and the tops of your front thighs.
• Lengthen your thighs towards your knees and your upper abdomen towards your head, keeping your lower abdomen soft and wide.
• Widen your back into the space behind you.

Sequence

Supta Sukhasana (Reclined Comfortable Pose) bolster under torso, blanket under head [2 min each leg crossing]

Supta Padangusthasana 2 (Reclined Big Toe Pose 2) bolster under thigh

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

Uttanasana (Intense Stretch Pose) feet hip width

Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hands Pose) wrists belted

Utkatasana (Furious Pose) wrists belted

Utthita Parshvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose)

Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1 Pose) arms reaching out to the sides at shoulder height

Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Hands Pose) wrists belted

Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1 Pose) arms raised, wrists belted

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)

Child’s Pose

Lunge back knee down, hands on blocks

Lunge back knee down, front foot on block

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) bolster under abdomen, arms reaching out in front

Eka Pada Bhekasana (Single Leg Frog Pose) bolster under abdomen

Ardha Dhanurasana (Half Bow Pose) bolster under abdomen

Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) bolster under abdomen

Parshva Bharadwajasana (Side Bharadwajasana’s Pose) Over bolster

Child’s Pose over a bolster

Reclined Sukhasana (Comfortable Pose) Lying on back, shins crossed, holding feet with knees into chest

Shavasana (Corpse Pose) bolster under thighs, blanket under head

About Yoga: Art+Science

This post originally appeared on my former blog, Yoga: Art+Science, a passion project that I ran from 2004 to 2014 that accumulated more than 1000 posts and articles. It appears here as part of a project to revisit all that material and update it to make it fresh and relevant to a modern yoga practice.

If you enjoyed this practice and would like to experience my approach to yoga in a live, interactive online setting, sign up for one of my classes.