Bending over backwards
Our body’s natural response to danger is to curl in, protecting our most vulnerable part – our heart, both the physical heart and the energetic heart space. Backbends do the very opposite action opening us up to the world. We are exposing ourselves and that takes courage – but also builds more of it! Overcoming our fears on the mat can give us courage off the mat too.
As backbends open the chest and upper body they stimulate the Heart chakra (Anahata) allowing us to open more fully in our lives too; to our emotions, experiences and in our relationships.
Strong backbends can sometimes release stored emotions: frustration, fear, anger, sadness as well as joy and love, so it’s not unusual to feel some of this again as it works through your body. It is possible to feel irritated after a backbend class but I’ve also finished a practice with a real sense of love and compassion. Either way, it is good to have these emotions released!
Our spines are an incredible combination of strength and flexibility of Sthira and Sukha. Strong bones and large muscles give us structure and protect sensitive nerves, while flexible ligaments and tendons allow the spine to move in all different planes.
With regular backbends we can help to protect this wonderful balance by increasing mobility while strengthening the supporting muscles around the skeleton.
Backbends can be broadly divided into three categories:-
- Traction – Where the body is bending with gravity and the muscles on the front of the body are active, helping to control the range and rate of movement. These are poses such as Camel Pose(Ustrasana).
- Leverage – Where the strength of the arms or legs are used to deepen the backbend, Poses like Bow (Danurasana) or Cobra (Bhujangasana).
- Contraction – Where the muscles on the back contract to overcome gravity. These are generally poses where you are lying on your front such as Locust (Salabhasana).
In some practices strong backbends are immediately followed by strong forward bends. There is logic in this to balance the energy and practice but for some people it can be more gentle for the spine to be neutralised with twists or extensions like Downward Facing Dog in between.
Physical benefits of backbends
- Backbends are invigorating and strengthening.
- They stretch the quads and hip flexors and help open up the shoulders and chest, an area where lots of us hold tension.
- They build strength and power in the legs, arms and back muscles.
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