FitSugar

Partner Yoga Pose: Grounded Backbend

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Backbends are some of my favorite yoga poses. Since our bodies rarely have the opportunity to bend this way, not only is arching the spine a treat but it stretches the front part of your body quite nicely. Not only that, but increasing flexibility in your spine is a great way to stay healthy and avoid lower back pain. Since full backbends (Wheel pose) can be intimidating and challenging, give this variation a try. In it you use your partner's body as support, and be able to gently roll back into the pose.

For detailed instructions read more.

Partner #1 (man) sits on the floor with his knees bent and his feet hips-width distance apart. Partner #2 (woman) sits on his knees facing him.
She then extends her legs out and Partner #1 presses his arms against them to hold her in place.

When she's ready, she places her hands on his shins, and gently arches back. To help her lower her torso smoothly, she walks her hands down Partner #1's shins until her head is on the ground. She can straighten her arms and press the backs of her hands into the ground for a little support.
Partner #2 stays like this in a backbend for as long as she wants, and when she's had enough, she can walk her hands back up Partner #2's shins and also uses her abs to help her sit up. Then they switch positions so Partner #1 can have a turn.

Strike a Yoga Pose: One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:30:00 -0700

So many people I know are always complaining of lower back pain and tight shoulders from sitting all day. We're either standing or hunched over a desk and we hardly ever bend our backs in the opposite direction. So give this One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose a try. It's similar to the grounding backbend Inverted Staff pose, but you'll also feel this one in your hamstrings and hips.

Sanskrit Name: Eka Pada Viparita Dandasana
English Translation: One-Legged Inverted Staff Pose
Also Called: One-Legged Headstand Backbend

You can get into this pose from backbend or headstand. To find out how read more.

From Wheel pose:

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the ground (heels as close as possible to your booty). Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the ground above your shoulders, fingertips facing your feet.
As you inhale, press into your palms and lift your head and shoulders off the ground, placing the crown (top) of your head on the mat. Now place your elbows on the ground on either side of your head in front of your face, and interlace your hands behind the back of your head.
Bring your feet together and then raise your right leg straight into the air. Actively press the sole of your left foot into the ground to help lift your right foot ever higher. Stay here for five breaths then lower your right foot to the ground and lift your left leg. Stay for another five breaths.
Then lower your left foot back to the ground and place your palms flat on the floor. Lower your hips back to the ground and hug your knees into your chest to release your lower back.

Or from Bound Headstand pose:

Begin with your hands and knees on the mat. Lower your elbows to the floor and interlace your fingers, forming a semicircle with your hands. Place the back of your head against your palms, and the top of your head on the mat, so your skull is vertical to the floor. Now straighten both legs and walk your feet towards your face as close as you can.
Shift the weight of your hips over your shoulders and keep your elbows planted firmly on the mat. Lift your right leg straight up towards the sky and then your left, coming into full headstand.
From here, keeping your elbows and head stable, begin to bend your knees, lowering your feet towards the ground behind you. You'll need to arch your back as much as possible to help you land softly. Once your feet are on the floor, step them together and raise your right leg straight into the air. Stay here for five breaths, pressing the sole of your left foot firmly into the ground to help you lift your chest and hips higher. Then lower your right leg to the floor and lift your left leg, staying for another five breaths.
Then lower your left foot back to the ground, walk your feet in towards the back of your head and kick your feet over so they're on the same side as your face. (This part is tough, so keep practicing).
Come into Child's Pose to release your lower back.

Strike a Yoga Pose: King Pigeon

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:30:00 -0700

It's so important to include backbends in your stretching routine. Not only do they increase flexibility in your spine and neck, but they also stretch your abs, hip flexors, shoulders, and chest. This pose is a combination of Bow and Cobra and it's one of my favorites.

Sanskrit Name: Raja Kapotasana
English Translation: King Pigeon Pose
Also Called: Cobra Bow

Want to know how to get into it? Then read more.

Lie on your belly. Bring your legs together so your knees are touching. Extend your arms straight out in front of you.
Begin to slowly walk your hands toward your torso, keeping your hips and thighs on the ground, but gently arching your lower back, coming into Cobra. Walk them in as far as you can, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Actively roll your shoulders back and down away from your ears, elongating your neck.
Bend your knees and lower your head between your shoulder blades. Work on touching your toes to your head.
Stay here, opening through your chest, and take five deep breaths. Then slowly lower your chest back to the ground.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Inverted Staff Pose

FitSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0700

If you love backbends, it's because you are probably emotional with an open heart and tender nature, and hold excitement about the future. Here's a variation to the backbend called Inverted Staff. The base of this pose is actually a headstand, so it's a very grounding.

Sanskrit Name: Viparita Dandasana
English Translation: Inverted Staff Pose
Also Called: Two-Legged Inverted Staff or Headstand Backbend

There are two ways to get into this pose. To find out what they are read more.

From Wheel pose:

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the ground (heels as close as possible to your booty). Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the ground above your shoulders, fingertips facing your feet.
Inhale, press into your palms and lift your head and shoulders off the ground, placing the crown (top) of your head on the mat. Now place your elbows on the ground on either side of your head in front of your face, and interlace your hands behind the back of your head.
Once your head and arms feel stable, walk your feet away from you, straightening through your legs. If it's easy, press the soles of your feet firmly into the ground so you can lift your chest and hips higher.
Stay here for five breaths then walk your feet back in, place your palms flat on the floor, and lower your hips back to the ground. Hug your knees in to release your lower back.

Or from Bound Headstand pose:

Begin with your hands and knees on the mat. Lower your elbows to the floor and interlace your fingers, forming a semicircle with your hands. Place the back of your head against your palms, and the top of your head on the mat, so your skull is vertical to the floor. Now straighten both legs and walk your feet towards your face as far as you can.
Shift the weight of your hips over your shoulders and keep your elbows planted firmly on the mat. Lift your right leg straight up towards the sky and then your left, coming into full headstand.
From here, keeping your elbows and head stable, begin to bend your knees, lowering your feet towards the ground behind you. You'll need to arch your back as much as possible to help you land softly. Once your feet are on the floor, walk them out away from you, straightening your legs. Stay here for five breaths, pressing the soles of your feet firmly into the ground to help you lift your chest and hips higher.
To come out of this pose, walk your feet in towards the back of your head and then kick your feet over so they're on the same side as your face. (This part is tough, so keep practicing).
Come into Child's Pose to release your lower back.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Wheel

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 04:00:00 -0800

In Ashtanga yoga, right before you go into the closing sequence, you do the Wheel, aka backbend. This is one of my favorite poses because not only does it increase flexibility in your spine, but it also opens up your shoulders and strengthens your upper back and thighs.

Sanskrit Name: Urdhva Dhanurasana
English Translation: Upward Bow Pose
Also Called: Wheel or Full Backbend

Want to know a great trick for getting into this pose? Then read more

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the ground (heels as close as possible to your booty).
Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the ground above your shoulders, fingertips facing your feet.
Inhale, press into your palms and lift your head and shoulders off the ground, placing the crown (top) of your head on the mat.
Check to make sure your hands and feet are parallel. You can stay here, getting used to being upside down, or take a deep inhale as you straighten your arms and lift your head off the ground. Once you're fully in the pose, try to walk your hands and feet a little closer together.
Stay here for five deep breaths and then slowly lower your body down. Eventually you want to do this pose for a total of three times.
Hug your knees into your chest to release your lower back. Then roll up to a sitting position and do a Seated Forward Bend as a counter pose.

Fit's Tips: If you want to try this pose but feel you need a little support then try Wheel pose with an exercise ball.

Get on the Ball: Advanced Camel

FitSugar — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I love backbending poses. Stretching through the front of my body makes me feel so open and alive. I always feel so energized afterwards.

One of my favorite backbends is the Camel. It feels amazing on its own, but if you do it with an exercise ball, you can stretch your spine even further. Just place the ball against a sturdy wall, arch back, place your hands on the ball and walk them down. You can even work on getting the crown of your head on the ground, which is a great prep for an advanced backbend called Thunderbolt. Check out this video to see how to get into it.

Music: The Calling by Pressure Drop

Stretch It: Seated Heart Opener

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:30:00 -0800

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought we could all benefit from a little heart-opening stretch. This simple and relaxing backbend will open your chest, neck, shoulders, and abs. It will also increase flexibility in your spine, and make you feel centered and full of energy.

To learn how to do this pose, read more.

Begin sitting on your heels in Hero pose.
Lean back and place your palms flat on the floor about eight to 10 inches behind you so your fingertips are pointing away.
Press your hands firmly into the ground and lift your chest as high as you can, arching your back, and push your hips into your heels. To increase the stretch, lower your head behind you, stretching through your throat and the front of your chest even more.
Stay for 30 seconds, then lift your head and torso up and come back into Hero pose.

Minutes to a Healthier You . . .

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:30:00 -0700

You may feel like if you don't have enough time to do a full workout, that it's not worth doing anything, but every minute that you move adds up. If you're not sure what to do, try this five exercise circuit and repeat it twice.

To find what the five exercises are read more

Squats: Stand with your feet hip width apart. Bend you knees and sit back, keeping the weight towards your heels. Then stand up. Do 20 reps.
Push-ups: Do regular push-ups or rest your knees on the ground. Do 15 total, even if you need to stop and take a break.
Reverse Lunges: Stand with your feet together. Step your right foot back about two feet and lower your hips so that your front thigh is perpendicular to the ground (your back knee will be directly below your hip). Then step your right foot forward returning to the start position. Do 15 reps on the right leg and then switch to the left.
Backbend: Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place your feet as close to your hips as possible. Place your palms on the ground above your shoulders, so your fingertips are facing your feet. Press into you hands and lift your hips, back, and head up off the ground. Hold like this for 20 seconds and then lower yourself back to the ground.
Plank on your elbows: Stand on your hands and knees. Place your elbows on the ground so your forearms are parallel. Now step your feet back one at a time so that your body is in one straight line (make sure your hips are in line with your shoulders). Hold like this for a count of 20 and then release.

Now repeat these five exercises one more time. Try it! I think you will like it.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Half Wheel

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:30:00 -0700

Backbending poses are great for opening your heart and chest, both figuratively and literally. I love this particular backbend because not only does it increase flexibility in your spine, but it also stretches out your shoulders and the back of your neck. Because it doesn't require a lot of energy, it has both a calming and energetic effect on the body and mind.

Sanskrit Name: Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
English Translation: Bridge Pose
Also Called: Half Wheel

Want to know how to get into Half Wheel? Then read more

Begin lying flat on your back with your arms along the sides of your body, with your palms facing down.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Walk your heels as close as you can to your bum, and turn your heels out slightly so the outside edges of your feet are parallel with the outside edges of your mat.
With your palms and feet pressing firmly into the ground, lift your hips up. Try to keep your thighs parallel.
Stay here, or clasp your hands together below your pelvis, extending through your arms. I like to rock my weight from side to side so that I can pull my shoulders in and bring my shoulder blades closer together.
Stay here for 5 or more deep breaths. Try to keep lifting the hips up as high as you can, and gaze towards your belly. You can watch to make sure you are doing ujayi breathing correctly. Your stomach should remain still, and you should be able to see your ribs expanding and contracting with each complete breath.
After you've had enough, gently drop your bum back onto the ground. You can repeat this pose again after taking a break, or stretch through your lower back by hugging your knees into your chest.

Fit's Tips: Half Wheel pose and the knee hug counterpose is great to do if you suffer from lower back pain.

Couch Time: Scorpion

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Since I run a lot, my hip flexors and lower back get really tight, so I love stretches that focus on opening these areas, such as Scorpion. This is actually a yoga pose that's a balancing backbend. It feels amazing on the front of your body and your spine, but it's a really difficult pose to get into, let alone hold long enough to get a good stretch. You can do it using a ball, but here's another way using a couch.

Music: "Field of Green," by Careless

To give it a try read more.

Kneel down in front of a couch, and place your forearms on the ground, so your fingers are a few inches away from the base of the couch. You want your elbows directly underneath your shoulders. Look between your hands, not at your feet.
Shift all your weight into your arms, straighten your legs and walk your feet as close as you can towards your elbows.
Lift your right leg up into the air. Then kick off the ground with your left foot, and let your right and then left foot gently fall to rest on the couch.
Walk your feet so your heels are on the edge of the couch - focus on pressing into your hands to help lift your head up as high as you can.
Stay here for thirty seconds, feeling the stretch in your belly, hip flexors, quads, and back. Then lift your right foot off the couch, and slowly kick your feet off and release them back to the ground. Stretch out your lower back by coming into Child's Pose.
Repeat this move again, this time with your left leg in the air.