Backbends ~ Going back to go forward

This week we emphasized the alignment of the pelvis which is fresh in our minds after working on Visvamitrasana.  In backbends, the outer spiral occurs more naturally and we know that we want to create the inner spiral first to create space for the outer spiral.  So - for most of us this means that we need to revisit the inner spiral in our backbend.

Bridge Pose - Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

A few key things to think about in the lower body as we initiate backbends:

• press thru both feet (mound of the big toe, inner edge of the heel, mound of the pinky toe, and outer edge of the heel - in that order)
• engage the shins (shins in)  - you can also think about holding something between your knees - a block or a juicy melon that you don't want to drop
• release the groins (soften the groins to create more inner spiral) - then engage your tailbone towards your knees

Next week we will be focusing on the upper body in Urdhva Dhanurasana.