6/09/2011

Random Banter on Backbends and Hips

I have recommitted to my practice. I owe some of this newfound enthusiasm to a gigantic water-bottle that I picked up at 7eleven. I know you are supposed to use water as a tool and not as a crutch, but that crutch has totally helped me to recommit.

A couple notes.

Backbends.

Camel Pose- I am a sloucher. I let my shoulders slump forward for every occasion and Camel takes every single one of the muscles that bend forward when I slouch (which is all the time) and bends them the opposite way. In Ustrasana you are literally pushing your heart against your chest, and as I push forward with my ass squeezed tight like a coconut, I can do anything. It was not always this way. Ustrasana requires so much effort and positivity while I crawl to its setup on my hands and knees. Its rewards are glorious.

Half Moon Backbend- This posture still eludes me. If I go far back and look at the wall behind me, I hinge on the wrong joints so I supposed that I am not ready to go far back. I keep waiting, impatiently for a breakthrough but it never comes. I am so stiff there.. what gives? Oh, and get this, I can do a backbend (gymnastics style).

Hips.

I actually singled out my hips during Eagle Pose yesterday. Behold the mind-body connection. I was able to move into 'dem hips' and adjust them, soo cool (at least for a yoga dork).

Final Spinal- I feel my hips stretch here and it wasn't until over a year of consistant practice that this connection was formed. This is why you don't sit on your heal when you are setting up in that posture. After a teacher adjusted me in this posture and then asked if I felt it in my hips (I was dumbfounded and my eyes undoubtedly went cross-eyed as I furrowed my brow). Hips? What? Two classes later, bam.

Triangle- with all of the heavey breathing and internal nursery rhymes I sing to my body during this posture to stay in it, my hips are actually being stretched too. Is there no end to what this posture does to my sweaty body?

3 comments:

Juliana said...

Half Moon back bend is one of my favourites but only recently. I took a seminar with Lynn Whitlow and she really emphasized about reaching back with your arms. So I try to reach back first for quite a while and then I bend more from my lower spine. I have found that this has opened my upper spine and allowed for a deeper back bend.
I love that stretch in the hips in Final Twist!

yogeekirsten said...

Thank you for the encouragement Lady J! I will keep on reaching and keep on trying, because its got to happen eventually.. right!?

Catherine said...

Nursery rhymes - you're a genius! I've gotta try that...

Re half-moon backbend - I can rock a backbend too, but I'm also a hinge-er. Lady J's point about the arms is good! I did only arms and upper back in first set last night, and still got a mad stretch.

I wanna see a pic of this water bottle!

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