To follow a balance yoga routine, it is essential to learn backbend If you have just begun your yoga journey, adding Backbend to your stretching routine will build flexibility and strengthen your muscles.
However it is better to start with some gentle Backbend yoga poses and then safely and slowly build up to advance backbends.
What Is Backbend Yoga?
Back pain yoga is a category of Yoga Poses that increases hip flexibility, improves the mobility of the thoracic and lumbar spine, and opens the front body Backbend yoga may be challenging for those who sit at the desk throughout the day and suffer from low back pain. Please read our article to know the backbend yoga poses that suits beginners.
Below are five Backbend yoga poses for beginners but, first, acknowledge the benefits of doing Backbend yoga.
Backbend yoga improves both physical and emotional well-being our everyday activities involve compromising alignment and posture and bending forward.
Besides our sedentary habits, gravitational forces and other movements cause pain in our bodies and misalignments Backbend is beneficial in bringing the body back into balance.
It strengthens shoulder, chest, hips and back. It promote good posture, releases tightness and tension, lengthens the spine, improves mobility and increases flexibility.
Benefits of Backbend Yoga
- Alleviates back pain
- Strengthens the back muscles
- Stretches the hip flexors
- Activates life force energy
- Increases circulation
- Improves posture
- Opens up the chest and shoulders
- Boosts mood
- Improves breathing
How To Practice Backbend Yoga Safely?
To practice Backbend yoga safely, follow the tips discussed:
- For a strong foundation, root down via hands, feet, hips or legs.
- For strong core, make sure to draw the limbs towards the body midline.
- Reach the tail bone away from the head
- Relax your shoulders down the back
- Practice to create an even arch over the entire spine
- Keep your neck long
- Better if you practice the Backbend yoga under the guideline of a qualified teacher, especially if you are pregnant, suffer from back, neck injury, or have headaches.
- Never strain yourself into any position. Stop when you feel pain or any discomfort. Make sure to adjust your neck in a relaxed and comfortable position
- Maintain a steady and smooth breath entire the time
- As a beginner, do only maximum 3 backbends in a row to prevent injury and avoid holding challenging poses for long.
- Before you start with backbend, make sure to warm up your spine and do some exercise that targets your hips, upper body and thigh.
- Never practice backbend yoga with stomach full.
3 Easy Backbend Yoga Pose For Beginners
Camel pose – Camel pose stimulate circulatory respiratory, endocrine and nervous system. In addition, it tones the kidneys and opens the chest.
Steps:
- Stand on your knees, ensuring your knees are hip-width apart. Sit in kneeling position. Sit up tall so that your tailbone is slightly tucked under you and towards the floor.
- Place the fingertips of both the hands at the base of your spine – Cover your sacrum with your palms to support the lower back.
- Inhale, look up and slowly lean backwards to bend backward to extend it is comfortable for your neck. Open through the sternum.
- Exale and reach for your heels. Push your glutes forward. As you are about to reach for heels, engage the front of thighs. Keep looking back and up
- Pull up onto your heels and continue to shifting your weight forward. Behind you, touch the shoulder blades together.
- Hold the position and continue to inhale and exhale
- Exit the pose by supporting the lower back with your hands and gently rise from your backbend.
Eight-limbed Pose – This pose stretches your shoulders and neck. It realigns and strengthens the spine.
Steps:
- Come into four-limbed or dog pose. Breathe out and lower down your chin and nose along with your chest to the mat. Keep your chest in between your palms.
- Keep your elbows to your sides; press your chest to the floor. Raise your tailbone upwards to the ceiling pressing the ground by your feet, knees, and palms. Make your chin touch the floor. Make a gentle arch by your spine while you raise your tailbone. Do not to give strain to your spine.
- Set your eyes in a straight direction.
- Your shoulders should not touch the floor.
- Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds.
- Repeat the process 3 to 5 times.
Melting-Heart Pose – This pose opens up your heart and pectoral muscles of spine, chest, lower back, neck and thoracic. This pose improves breathing.
Steps:
- Begin with tabletop position on ll your fours. Rest the top of your feet on the ground keeping knees hips distance apart, and under the hips. Also, your hands should be shoulder-distance apart. Elbows, wrist and shoulders are in straight line.
- Keep your gaze between the hands. Start to walk both hands out in front of you, dipping your chest down towards the floor.
- When you can’t stretch hands out any further, bring the upper chest to lay on the ground. Rest the forehead or chin to the ground.
- Spread the fingers firmly and wide. Press your palms into the ground.
- Engage your belly by drawing you navel in and up towards your spine. Do not to exaggerate the curve of lower back.
- Release the pose by lifting the chest off the ground and walk the hands back to tabletop position.
Start practicing Backbend yoga and deepen your Yoga Asanas. Strengthen your spine and improve your posture. Once you master, easy Backbend yoga poses for beginners start with advanced poses under the guidance of qualified and experienced yoga practitioner.
