The spine and upper body move in several basic patterns.
Musculoskeletal problems are frequent causes of discomfort, sick leave and disease. In modern sedentary working life, parts of the spinal column are often overused while other parts are not used much. This imbalance may make some areas of the spine too lax and other parts stiffer than is desirable. By using the principles below, this imbalance can be corrected. Different sections of the back have varying degrees of flexibility and motility.
Many yoga postures involve forward and backward movements of the back and the upper body. In some detail, we will describe below how the back should be moved in the postures when
• bending forward
• bending backward
• rotating
Bending the body forward consists of two steps. The movement should start from the hips, producing a slight inward arching (belly out) of the lower back.
Gradually, this inward arch should move up along the spine until it reaches the area between the shoulder blades or scapulae, continuing further up along the line made by the shoulders, neck and head. The first step ends about halfway down at a point when the whole back, shoulders, neck and head are involved in the inward arch.
When this half-way point is reached, the second stage begins. This involves an outward bending (belly in) that also starts in the lower back and gradually moves upward so that the back is curved towards the body from the lower to the upper parts. Finally, the shoulders, neck and head are flexed outwards, too.
To sum up, when bending forward, the back is subject to two major movements: first, a slight inward arch (belly out) and then an outward arch (belly in). In both phases, the movements should start from the hips and gradually spread upwards.
Going back up can be done in two ways – with or without arching inward from the hips.
1. Without arching: The upward movement is started by first pressing the chin towards the neck. At the same time, an outward movement of the spine starts from the hips and rolls up along the spine until the back becomes upright. Finally, the chin is lifted; this marks the end of the upward movement.
2. With arching (more difficult): The movement starts in the lower back. By making an inward tilt in the lumbar region, the upper body is almost lifted upward. Slowly, let that inward arch move upward along the spine until it reaches the shoulders and neck. When the back has been lifted about half-way up, continue upward by gradually reducing the arching of the back. Begin with the lower back, and continue along the spine until the movement is completed and the back is straight.
In the yoga postures that include a backward flexion of the upper body, the movements usually start from the head, and it is essential that the head “governs” the movements. The head is curved backward, initiating a slight inward curving in the upper parts of the back (chest out). Let the top point of the curve move down along the spine from the neck to between the shoulder blades, down to the lower back (lumbar region), and finally to the hips. The flexion should take place as a smooth, gradual movement through the entire spinal column.
When returning to the starting position, the movements are again to begin from the hips by arching the lower back inwards (belly out). This arch should then move upwards along the spine until it passes the area between the shoulder blades. The head and the neck are the last parts to be lifted.
In some yoga postures the torso is twisted. The full effect of the twist is achieved when the student is capable of keeping the spinal column relatively straight in the postures. This may be difficult at the beginner’s level, when a simpler variety of the twist posture is recommended. It is possible to make a limited and careful twist with a slightly curved spine.