Aren’t backbends pretty funny? We are so used to moving forward in our daily lives that I guess it just looks pretty out of place to move so far backwards. But in that case i guess a lot of the postures that we practice can be seen as pretty funny. Backbends have a special place in the funny book. They can be so physically challenging but when you get into that sweet spot between strength and ease and you breathe into it the spiritual practice jumps right in. Backbends, also known as heart openers, are a fundamental component of a well-rounded yoga practice. Here’s why we will continue to improve our backbends:

Physical Benefits

1. Spinal Flexibility and Strength:

• Backbends increase the flexibility and strength of the spine by promoting the extension of the vertebrae. This helps to counteract the effects of prolonged sitting and poor posture, which often lead to spinal stiffness and discomfort.

2. Improved Posture:

• By opening the front of the body and strengthening the muscles along the spine, backbends help improve posture. They encourage the shoulders to move back and the chest to open, which can alleviate rounded shoulders and a hunched back.

3. Enhanced Lung Capacity:

• These poses expand the chest and ribcage, promoting deeper and fuller breathing. This increased lung capacity can enhance overall respiratory function and oxygenate the body more efficiently.

3. Stimulated Nervous System:

• Backbends activate the sympathetic nervous system, which can increase alertness and energy. They also stimulate the adrenal glands, providing a natural boost of energy.

4. Increased Core Strength:

• Maintaining proper alignment in backbends requires engaging the core muscles, including the abdominal muscles, obliques, and lower back muscles. This engagement helps to build a strong and stable core.

Mental and Emotional Benefits

1. Emotional Release:

• Backbends are known for their heart-opening qualities, which can lead to the release of stored emotions. They can help in processing and letting go of negative emotions, leading to a sense of emotional freedom and balance.

2. Stress Relief:

• The practice of backbends can counteract the physical effects of stress, such as tight shoulders and a closed-off chest. By opening up these areas, you can experience a reduction in overall stress and tension.

3. Boosted Mood:

• The combination of physical opening and increased blood flow can lead to the release of endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancers. This can result in a feeling of happiness and well-being after practicing backbends.

4. Enhanced Mental Clarity:

• By stimulating the nervous system and increasing blood flow to the brain, backbends can improve mental clarity, focus, and concentration.

Energetic Benefits

1. Balancing Chakras:

• In yoga philosophy, backbends are associated with the Anahata (Heart) Chakra. Practicing these poses can help to balance this chakra, promoting love, compassion, and connection to others.

2. Energy Boost:

• As backbends invigorate the body and stimulate the nervous system, they can provide a significant energy boost. This can be particularly beneficial during times of fatigue or low energy.

Examples of Backbends

1. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
2. Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
3. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
4. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)
5. Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose)

Tips for Practicing Backbends Safely

1. Engage Core Muscles:

• Keep your core engaged to protect your lower back and maintain stability.

2. Listen to Your Body:

• Remember to always pay attention to your body’s signals. Never force a pose, and come out of a backbend if you feel any sharp pain.

Incorporating backbends into your yoga practice can bring a multitude of physical, mental, and emotional benefits. They help create a sense of openness and vitality, enhancing your overall well-being. Remember to practice mindfully and with respect for your body’s limits to fully reap the rewards of these funny yet powerful postures.

See you on your mat.

Staying Calm to Combat Triggers

Triggers are substances that can impact lives if not properly dealt with and it is important to face them head on as hiding from triggers is an unsustainable method. Taking triggers head on involves a calm, focused and determined state of mind. Easier said than done for sure but finding areas to focus on can lighten the task. Focusing on your breath is a highly effective form of staying calm during a trigger reaction. Counting up to your full inhale then counting down your exhale brings you to the present moment while calming the mind. Once a calm state is entered your next step can be taken with a logical frame of mind. Try recognizing that you are having an emotional response for your next step, identify the source of the trigger and separate your relationship. 

A Calm State and Your Nervous System 

The sympathetic nervous system is your fight or flight response, whereas your parasympathetic nervous system is often considered the rest and digest response. A calm state of mind allows the body to send an influx of feel-good hormones to your nervous system bringing you into a parasympathetic state. This position allows for healing, proper digestion, lower heart rate and basically keeps your body working as it should. Some ways you may be able to physically see/feel your body in a parasympathetic state is by an increase in salivation, Lacrimation (tears), urination, digestion & defecation. This state of being is found in our Yoga practice through every session we take. Meditation and Restorative Yoga are the greatest systems of achieving this state, but you will also find it at the end of each class when you lay in savasana, by taking a resting pose in the middle of the class, and anytime you regain connection with your breath you find a state of calm and allow your nervous system to rest. 

When it comes to your sympathetic nervous system, it’s not all fear and destruction based. This state of being allows for more oxygen to enter the body, sends extra blood to the muscles and introduces an infusion of glucose to the bloodstream. Exercise is a way to activate this system without being in danger. 

Through the practice of Asana we find ourselves in positions that are challenging enough to trigger the sympathetic nervous system then turn right around and reactivate the parasympathetic nervous system. Because both systems are detrimental to our survival keeping both active and balanced is essential to our health. So while the flight or fight response does serve its purpose it is important that we can actively turn that function off when it’s not needed and our Yoga practice gives us all the tools to do so. 

Reintroduce a Calm State to Bring You Back Into the Moment

In the life that we live stimuli are everywhere. We often have a list of tasks that “need” to be completed or a phone nearby with distractions beaming out of it. These distractions often show up demanding our attention when our attention is likely better elsewhere. Holding a baby, reading a book, lunch with a loved one are examples of times that your attention should not be pulled in different directions. Learning to come to a state of calm can bring you back to the moment you are in and redistribute your attention back to the opportunity at hand. 

Recap: How does yoga help with staying calm

• breathing through difficult postures

• a quiet space to just be

• purposeful movements 

• be in the moment

• breathing techniques to take with you and use when needed