Yoga > Practice

5StepstoSaferBackbends
Doyoutuckyourtailboneinbackbendingposes?Heresasmarterwayto keepyourbacksafeandgetadeeperopening.
BY Doug Keller

ON June 7, 2013

Itwouldbehardtoimagineyogawithoutbackbendstheyreinvigorating, uplifting,andheart-opening.Backbendsstimulatetheproperfunctioningof thedigestivesystem,helppreservethehealthofthevertebraeandspinal disks,andopenthebodytodeepdiaphragmaticbreathing.Itsnowonder thatbackbendsareanimportantpartofanyhathayogaroutine.

Atthesametime,theseposesplacestrongdemandsuponthemost vulnerablesegmentofthespinethelumbarregion.Toprotectagainst pinchinginthelowback,manyteachersgivecuestoscooportuckthe tailbone.Buttheresabetter,morepreciseapproachtosafebackbending thatengagescertainkeycoremusclesandthetraditionalhathayoga practiceofmulabandha,orrootlock.Tounderstandjustwheninstructions regardingthetailboneareappropriateandwhenweshouldengageour coreinsteadletstakeacloserlookathowthesacrummoveswithinthe pelvis.

SacralMovement
Thepelviscontainsthreebonesthataredesignedtomoveinrelationshipto eachother.Thetwohipbonesswingbackandforthwiththelegs,whilethe sacrumispositionedbetweenthem,twistingslightlyfromsidetosideasit mediatesbetweenthemovementsofthehips. Thesacrumalsohasitsowndistinctiveactioncallednutationatippingor noddingforwardofthetopofthesacrumwhichiscrucialinsupporting thespineduringbendingmotions,includingbackbending.Thesacrums neutralpositionwhensittingorwalking,forexampleisoneofslight nutation.Thisminorforwardtilthelpstosupportthenaturalinwardcurve ofthelumbarspine;itisastableyetunlockedpositionthatallowsfree movementofthehips.

Tadasana,ormountainpose,ontheotherhand,
requiresthatthepelvisbelockedintoastable, unmovingpositionatthesacroiliac(SI)joints(the surfaceswherethesacrumjoinstoeachhipbone)in ordertomaintainthestillnessandsteadinessofthe posture.Thisisaccomplishedbyslightlyscoopingthe tailbonedownandforwardanactioncalled counternutation,whichcausesthetopofthesacrumto tipslightlybackward.Counternutationdoesnot generallyapplyifthebodyisinmotion;itisspecificto tadasanaandotherpostures(suchas parshvakonasana,orsideanglepose)inwhichthe bodyismeanttobeinasinglestraightlinefromthe heelsthroughthecrownofthehead. Whenyoubendbackwardorforward,however,theoppositeactiontakes placeinthesacrum:thetopofthesacrumautomaticallynodsforward beyonditsneutralposition,andthetailboneshiftsslightlybackward. Studiesshowthatthissacralnutationinspine-bendingposesstabilizesthe sacrumwithinthepelvicbonesinamoresecureandlessvulnerable positionthancounternutation,where,particularlywithbackbending,you maybemoreatriskofpinchingthetissueswithintheSIjoints,forcingtheSI jointsintomisalignment,orotherwisestrainingorjammingyourlowback. Soifwerenotscoopingortuckingthetailbone,whatshouldwedoto protectthespineinbackbends?

TheRightSupport
Therightsupportforbackbendingrecruitsseveralmusclesinthepelvis, butstartsatthedeepestlayeroftheabdominalmusclesthetransverse abdominals.

Thetransverseabdominalsplayasignificantactiveroleinstabilizingthe trunkofthebodyformovement.Theywraparoundthetorsofromthe fasciaofthelumbarspineandtheupperedgesofthehipbonesattheback bodytothefrontedgesoftheribsandtherimofthepelvicbowl.Essentially, thetransverseabdominalsproducejustenoughpressureintheabdomen andpelviccavitytodistributethestressofmovement,sothatnosinglepart ofthelowbackbearstheentireburden. Inordertoconsciouslyengagethesemuscles,youcanfocusontheiraction inthelowerabdomen,aboutthreeinchesbelowthenavel.Whenyou contracthere,youcanfeelthemusclesfirmintowardthesacrumanddraw uptowardthenavel;atthesametime,thetwohippointsatthefrontofthe pelvissqueezetowardeachother,asifthereisastringbetweenthemthatis tightening.

ASimpleExperiment
EngagetheTransverseAbdominals

Sitcross-leggedinsukhasana (easypose)andplaceyourhands toeithersideofyourhips;bend yourelbowssoyoucanplace yogablocksorbooksunderyour hands.(Thissameexperiment canbedonewhilesittingona chairwitharmrests;placeyour feetonthefloorandyourhands onthearmsofthechair.) Bringanaturalinwardcurveto yourlowback,tippingyour pelvisslightlyforward.Tuck yourchintowardyourchestto helpyoudrawyourshouldersbackandopenyourchest.Thenpresswith yourhandstoliftyourweightoutofyoursitbones(youdonthavetolift yourhipsentirelyoffthefloor).Feelhowthepitofyourabdomennaturally tonesandlifts,yourhippointsdrawtowardeachotherinthefront,and yoursacrumlengthensdownwardfromyourwaistlinetowardyour tailbone,asifyourtailbonewereheavyorrootedintheearth.

FindMulaBandha
Nowlookdeeperinside,beyondtheseactions.Ifyoupayattentiontothe musclesofthepelvicfloorattheperineum(theregionbetweentheanusand theurethra),youllfindthatyoucangentlydrawtheperineumupwardas youlift.Thisisthesubtleactionofmulabandha,atoningandinnerliftof themusclesofthepelvicfloor.Thenlowerthehipsbackdown.

Nextseeifyoucancreatethesameactionsatthepelvicfloorbeforeyoulift yourhips,andthenliftup.Inthisexercise,mulabandhaismostaccessible whenyoustartfromtheabdominalactionwejustdescribed:thepitofyour abdomentonesandlifts,andyourhippointssqueezetowardeachother. Thisactionhelpsyoutoinitiatetheliftoftheperineum.Whenyouengage mulabandha,yourpelvis,abdomen,andlowbackwillfeelsteady,stable, andlight,regardlessofwhetheryoureliftingyourhipsuporsettingthem down. Noticewhathappensintheareaofthesacrumasyoupracticetheactionsin theabdominalsandpelvicfloor.Thedeepmusclesthatyoufeeldrawing downwardfromyourwaistlinetowardyourtailbonearethemultifidus muscles,whichlieclosetothesacrumontheinsideofthetwohippointsat thebackofyourpelvis.Whenthetransverseabdominalsengageatthepitof theabdomenandthesacrumisstabilized,themultifidico-contractand inflate.Inthisway,themultifidusmusclesactlikeprotectiveairbagsthat cushionthesacroiliacjoints,preventinganypinchingofthejointtissue. Forcomparison,tryscoopingyourtailbonedownandforwardbeforeyou liftup.Yourelikelytofeelthetriangleofmusclesbetweenthetailboneand thesitbonestenseup,andthereisahardnessandgreaterefforttotheaction oflifting.YoumayevenfeelaslightpullordiscomfortintheSIjoints.Inthis sittingposition,scoopingthetailboneworksagainstthenaturalnutated positioningofthesacrum.

SafeBackbending
Thisnutation(aforwardtiltofthesacrumrelativetothehipbones)also occursnaturallyduringbackbending.However,itispossibleforthesacrum tonutateexcessivelyunderthepressureofthebackbendespeciallyif

yourehypermobileintheSIjoints.Soitisessentialtoengagethecore musclesdescribedintheexerciseaboveinordertostabilizeandprotectthe lowback. Byengagingthetransverseabdominals,themultifidi,andalsothemuscles ofyourinnerthighs(asweshallseebelow),youprovidethesupportfor mulabandha,drawingenergyupfromthecenterofthepelvicfloorand helpingthespineextendintoahealthybackbend.Theexampleof

ustrasana,orcamelpose,illustrateshowtheseactionsallcometogether.

Ustrasana
Acamelkneelsdowntoreleasetheburdenofpacksandpassengersplaced uponitsback.Inustrasana,wemimicthecamelsreliefwhenwefindalight andexpansivefeelinginthepose,asifwetoojustslidaburdenoffour shoulders. Activatingthecoremusclesandmulabandhainpreparationforthis kneelingbackbendprovidesthenecessaryfoundationforthefeelingof extension,expansion,andreleasewithoutanycompressioninthespine.(In contrast,tuckingyourtailboneandclenchingyourbuttockswould immobilizeyourspine,pinchthesacroiliacjoints,andplacetheburdenof thebackbendalmostentirelyuponjustacoupleofvertebraeL4andL5in yourlumbarspine.)

Tobegin,kneelonablanketwith yourkneesandfeethip-distance apartandyourtoesturned under.Restyourhandsonyour hipsandpositionyourhips verticallyaboveyourthighs. Placealightyogablockbetween yourupperinnerthighs.The widthoftheblockshouldallow youtokeepyourthighsparallel, withyourkneesslightlywider thanyoursitbones.Firmthe musclesoftheinnerthighs(the adductors),asiftryingtoliftthe blockuptowardyourpubic bone,andthendrawtheblock backtowardyoursitbones.This willtipyourpelvisforward, increasingthearchinyourlower back.Finally,ratherthanclenchingyourthighsontheblock,drawyour innerthighsapart,asifyouweretryingtodroptheblockbutwithout actuallydroppingit.Theseactionsintheinnerthighscreatespaceforthe sacrumandallowfortheproperamountofnutation.Nowthestageissetfor engagingyourtransverseabdominalsandtheinnerliftofmulabandha. Withoutchangingthearchinyourlowerback,dropyourchintowardyour chestandexhaleasyoufirmthepitofyourabdomen,squeezingthehip pointsatthefrontofthepelvistowardeachother.Feelthebroadeningat thebackofyourpelvis,acrossthewholeareaofthesacrum.

Useyournextinhalationtoliftthroughyourtorsoandlengthenthesidesof yourbodyfromyourwaistlinetoyourshoulders.Nowthepitofyour abdomenisnotonlyfirminginwardbutalsodrawingupward.Takeyour attentiondowntoyourperineum,atthepelvicfloor.Withtheliftofthe lowerabdominals,drawupfromtheperineum,initiatingmulabandha withoutcreatinganyclenchinginyourbuttocksorhips.Onceyouve activatedmulabandha,youcantaketheblockout(thoughyoumaywant totrythewholebackbendwiththeblockinplace). Beforetakingthespineintothebackbend,lookfortheslightsqueezeofthe deepmultifidusmusclesintheareaofthesacrum.Drawdownwardthrough thesemusclesfromyourwaistlinetowardyourtailbone(withoutscooping), androotthroughyourlegsasyoucontinuetoliftupfromthepelvicfloor andthepitofyourabdomen.Toprotectyourneck,keepyourheadlooking forwardandyourchintuckedtowardyourchest. Yourspinewillnownaturallywanttoextendintoabackbend.Withyour nextinhalation,pressyourhipsforward(yoursacrumwilltipforward slightly,asitshould)and,withoutallowingyourchesttocollapse,reach backtotouchyourheels,palmsfacingout.

Itsnaturalforyourwholebody toshiftbackslightlywhen reachingfortheheels,sopress yourhipsforwardonceagainto bringyourthighsbacktoward verticalovertheknees.To deepenthepose,pointyourtoes backandplacethetopsofyour feetflatonthefloor;ifthiscauses anystrainintheknees,come backtothepreviousversion. Finally,liftandopenyourchest toallowyourspinetofully extendintothebackbend.Itmay feelnaturaltotakeyourhead backintothefullexpressionof thepose.Ifthiscausesanypinchinginyourneckorlowback,however,keep yourchintuckedtowardyourchest,andcontinuetoworkontheactionsin thelowerbodythatwehavebeenpracticing.Theneckextensionwillcome intime.

Holdtheposefor3to5breaths. Tocomeout,engageyour quadricepsbygrounding throughyourfeetandlowerlegs. Youcantakeyourhandstoyour hipsasyoupressyourhips forwardanddrawyourspineup, lettingtheheadcomeuplast. Whenyoucomefullyupright,its appropriatetoscoopyour tailbonetostabilizeyourspine andsacruminitstadasana position.Youcanalsogiveyour backmusclesarestbysitting backintobalasana,orchildspose.

TheKeytoSafeBackbending
Asweveseen,thekeytosafebackbendingistostabilizethesacruminits optimalnutatedpositionwhileprotectingthespinefromoverarching.By engagingtheinnerthighs,thetransverseabdominals,themultifidi,and mulabandha,weprovidecoresupportforthesacrumsothatwecandrop ourburdensandreapalltheinvigoratingbenefitsofbackbends.
ABOUT Doug Keller (http://yogainternational.com/profile/57) Doug Keller has a masters degree in philosophy from Fordham University. His yoga journey includes 14 years of practicing in Siddha Yoga ashrams, intensive training in the Iyengar and Anusara methods, and nearly a decade of teaching in the U.S. and abroad. Asana instruction, essays, and other enlightening information are available on his website (http://www.doyoga.com).
#preventing injuries
Photos by Andrea Killiam

Suggested Next

Heart Opening Backbends

By AnaMargret Sanchez

READ MORE (/article/view/heart-opening-backbends)

Related Event Entering the Cave of the Heart

WITH Pandit Rajmani Tigunait

READ MORE (/events/view/entering-the-cave-of-the-heart)

JUL

11
Related Content

Lower Back Blues?

By Doug Keller

No More Back Pain! Tone Restorative Yoga: the Right Abs Awaken the Back of the By Doug Keller Body
By Greg Capitolo

2 Exercises for Strong Abs (and a Healthy Back)

By Doug Keller

All Content Copyright Yoga International 2012-Present. All Rights Reserved.