![]() Just as there isn’t a jagged flatness to an egg’s curve, when you are in a forward bend you want to create a sleek, continuous shape. In a forward bend, we want to smoothly and continuously flex the whole spine like the long elliptical side of an egg. The thoracic spine (mid and upper back) naturally rounds-that’s its tendency due to its structure-while the cervical spine (neck) and lumbar spine (lower back) naturally arch, curving the spine inward toward the front body. ![]() Repeat a few times, and then return to neutral. Remember what this anterior tilt feels like so that you can easily come back to it later. Feel with your hands how your hip points move down toward the thighbones in the anterior tilt, and move away from the thighbones in the posterior tilt. Practice the pelvic actions of cat (the backward tilt of the pelvis) and cow (forward pelvic tilt) to get a sense of the difference between the two. One way to create a physical marker, or "imprint," of the tilt is to come to constructive rest pose (lying on your back with the soles of your feet on the floor, knees pointing up toward the ceiling) with a neutral pelvis, and place your hands on your two frontal hip points (anterior superior iliac spines). Teachers can help their students understand the pelvic tilt through demonstration, practice, and repetition. Without an anterior tilt, there is no forward bend. The first of these is exploring the anterior (forward) tilt of the pelvis (this is the action of the pelvis in the "cow" part of "cat/cow") and how it differentiates from the posterior (backward) tilt of the pelvis (the action of the pelvis in the "cat" part of "cat/cow"). There are a few important aspects of alignment that should be addressed when sequencing toward forward bends. The Key Elements of Forward Bending Exploring the Anterior Tilt ![]() As a yoga student, you can use these same steps to help structure your home practice and to safely explore calming, grounding poses that help you to slow down and turn away from the hustle and bustle of the external world. Yoga teachers who are interested in teaching forward bend practices can utilize the following tips to enhance their sequencing skills and to bring students deeper into the reflective practice of folding forward. In fact, without being prompted, many students naturally close their eyes in forward bends to turn their attention inward even more, perhaps further revealing the introspective effect of these poses. As you move into a forward bend, your head is last to go, finally bowing down toward the body or the floor, drawing your attention away from the busy world around you. Practicing and finding comfort maintaining a forward bend takes time and patience. ![]() One of the ways we are able to bare our authentic selves is to move inward.įorward bends are the pinnacle poses of self-reflection.įorward bends are the pinnacle poses of self-reflection. Just as trees are stripped of their leaves in the fall, so too can we be stripped of all that is covering up our authentic selves-to let go of that which is no longer useful and go forward, to discover and unabashedly embrace what we truly feel passionate about. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |