A Lesson in Back-Bending – Yoga & Music

At BodyChance, often Musicians start doing Yoga!

Why? 

Because we have many trainees, who are either Musicians or Yoga Instructors. Back-bending is one of the biggest worries Yoginis have about their practice.

Not surprisingly, it is that 'worry' that can disrupt the success of a back-bending exercise.

Here's a classic example from one of my BodyThinking Pro sessions.  My trainee had been doing this particular back-bend for years, and usually had the same concern: she could not get her forehead to touch the mat in a safe way. 

She felt strained – even a little scared - once she got her head into the final position. She felt like the pose could cause some damage to her neck.

I turned to the class: "Hands up everyone who wants to damage their neck?"

At that point, I was worried too. 

Did she really understand what she was doing? I first asked if she did do this regularly? And nothing terrible had ever happened? She confirmed. With that in mind – I wanted her to demonstrate her back-bend to us all.

It was immediately clear why it was difficult.

She tilted her head back from the base of her neck first – at vertebra C7 - then she started arching her lower back out of sync with her upper spine/head. She was overworking, no doubt trying to protect herself. 

Fear so often produces exactly what is feared!

One thing I was using - in being able analyse her movement so quickly – was my years of building, studying and teaching my BodyThinking materials to my trainees. I subsequently put all that information into a comprehensive online learning system.

BodyThinking Online is a system of understanding that incorporates Alexander's Discovery of the importance of the head/spinal relationship in analysing any kind of movement you make.

Watching her start her back-bend, I could see she shortened – rather than lengthened – at the critical point between the top of the spine and base of the head. As a result, she moved her head and upper spine as one block, which meant that she could no longer bend it further back to rest her forehead safely on the floor. 

No wonder she was feeling vulnerable!

And that was not all. 

As a result of fixing her upper spine, her lower spine reacted in the same way. Premature tightening in the big extensors of your spine – before you have even started much of a back-end – is one sure way of limiting your range of bending. 

Your spinal muscles bunch up, and hinder the range of the joints above them.

I see this happen all the time. If you do back-bends, you are most likely doing this.

I realised that I did not need much skill with my hands to guide her to a smoother back-bend. We talked about the location of joints and the timing of her movement, and together she profoundly changed, increasing her back-bending by a significant amount.

She then located her forehead in a position that made it feel safe to finish.

This information is not anatomical; it's functional.

When you study anatomy, you also want to study movement – not just the bones, joints and muscles, but how they work together to do what you do.

This is what BodyThinking Online can teach you.

This month I am offering it at a significant discount for my readers, and I am throwing in three live coaching sessions for no extra cost. It’s a great deal, and it ends this month.

I’m lazy, so I will let you know about the coaching dates once you buy – they are once a month starting in January.

https://bodychance.mykajabi.com/store/oTZvjLye