Sunday, February 19, 2017

The Spine

A bit of anatomy, and lots of yoga exercices afterwards, as a reward!


Knowing how your spine works is crucial for a safe yoga practice. It is common for many yogis to get injured because our bodies tend to compensate for weak muscle groups, which causes us to “dump” into certain areas or strain ligaments and muscles. For example, in certain yoga poses, if you have weak abdominals, your body will compensate by dumping the pressure into the low back, which in turn will strain – and in some cases injure – your spine.

The spine is the foundation for most, if not all, yoga poses. Learning how the spine functions, along with how to properly protect it, will help prevent future injuries.
The spine is made up of four regions: cervical (neck), thoracic (upper back), lumbar (lower back), and the sacrococcygeal (sacrum). Each region has its own curvature and vertebrae.

The cervical spine (the neck) is the most mobile part of your spine. It has the most movement, so a common mistake is overuse or over-stretching in this area. Since the cervical spine is the most flexible part of the spine, it is subject to the most injury. Therefore, it is essential to not over-twist or over-bend this area.
 
The thoracic spine consists of 12 vertebrae, and they attach to the ribs, which protect your heart. This is the least mobile part of the spine, so it is safe and most beneficial to move this area as much as you can, which is challenging since the vertebrae are attached to bone.
 
The lumbar spine (lower back), like the neck, is also very mobile. It is made up of the lower five vertebrae and it is an area where students tend to dump their body weight, often leading to lower back issues in the future.
 
Now that we’ve covered the basics of spinal anatomy, let’s apply that to your yoga practice!


1. Locust Pose

2. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog)
This pose expands the chest and opens the lungs while strengthening the muscles of the spine, arms and shoulders.

4. Dhanurasana (Floor Bow)
This yoga pose is meant to open the chest and stretch the entire front body. Floor Bow helps relieve minor back pain while strengthening the back muscles and improving your posture.

5. Ustrasana (Camel pose)
If you are not comfortable with Floor Bow, Camel pose is a great alternative because the ground supports your legs, making it easier to keep your legs properly spaced. This posture also improves flexibility in your thoracic spine, which is an important goal.

6. Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel pose)
This is a great pose to extend and bend all four regions of the spine, really tying everything together. It opens the entire front body, and extends the back body simultaneously.

It is essential to avoid dumping your weight into your lower back (or lumbar spine). This is vital in 95% of backbends. Most students are very bendy in their lumbar spine, and since there is already a natural curve in this area, the tendency is to overcompensate for other areas in the body that are weak by dumping all the weight into the low back.

It is important to train the muscles around your upper spine to be able to support you in backbends so your body does not naturally dump into the lower spine.

The key principle to keep in mind when going into backbends is to keep the natural curve in your spine. Usually students tend to overarch, over-bend, and dump into the weaker areas. Remember to apply these important tips and cues – they will transform your yoga practice and increase your spine’s overall strength and wellbeing.


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