Backbends Yoga poses, especially ones that involve bending the spine backward, are among the most difficult yoga asanas for the body to perform.
Backbend stretches in a balanced yoga routine are neither stressful nor dangerous, but they help build strength and flexibility, strengthen the hips and back of the thighs, improve mobility of the lumbar and thoracic spine, and expand the front body (chest, abdomen, and pelvis) while contracting the muscles of the middle back.
Read on to discover the anatomy and benefits of Backbends bends in yoga, as well as how you can practice these moves safely and effectively.
What are the benefits of Backbends Yoga poses?
On the physical level, the practice of backend yoga poses improves your physical and emotional well-being.
- Strengthen your back muscles, shoulders, chest, and hips
- Lengthen your spine
- Stimulate and open up your heart chakra
- Increase flexibility, and improve mobility
- Relieve tension, tightness, and pain
- Promote good posture
- Also, help bring your body back into balance
- Backbends heat and energize your body
- Yoga backbends relieve fatigue
- Releases energy stored in the spine
- Increases circulation
- Boosts mood
- Improves breathing
- Backbends are said to as heart openers
A Backbend Practice For All Practice Levels
The following poses are some of the most common Backbends Yoga Poses you will find in yoga classes. If you are new to yoga, you may wish to familiarize yourself with and practice these asanas before attending a yoga class.
Ushtrasana – Camel posture
This is a foundational back-bending yoga pose known to open Anahata (Heart chakra). Ustrasana stretches the chest muscles, lowers blood pressure, and promotes healthy digestion as well as adds flexibility and strength to the body. It also relieves the body of lower back aches.
How To Do:
- To do Ustrasana, first, sit on the yoga mat with the support of your knees.
- Now keep the width of your knees equal to the shoulders and keep the soles spread towards the sky.
- After this, while bending your spine backward, try to keep both hands on the ankles.
- Keep in mind that at this time there should not be excessive pressure on your neck and the part from waist to knees should remain straight.
- In this stage, take deep breaths 5 to 10 times and then slowly come back to normal.
Bhujangasana – Cobra posture
Bhujangasana is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga. It is also a heart-opening backbend that allows you to stretch your entire upper body, strengthen the entire back and shoulders, relax the entire upper body, and rejuvenate the spine.
How To Do:
- First of all, lie down on your stomach by spreading a carpet on the flat ground.
- After this, lift the front part of the body by coming into the push-up posture.
- In this easy, the torso has to be raised in the forward direction.
- Stay in this posture according to your physical capacity.
- Then come back to the first stage. Do this ten times daily.
Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
The bridge pose is a reclined backbend and chest-opening yoga pose that strengthens your hamstrings, abdominals, and glutes. Also stretches the chest, neck, and spine as well as calms the brain, reducing anxiety, stress, and depression.
How To Do:
- In this pose, bend the legs from the knees and bring them near the hips.
- Keep the palms near the hips only.
- Taking a long deep breath, slowly raise the hips upwards.
- You can also take the help of your hands to lift the hips.
- Stop the breath according to your capacity by going up and then slowly come back to the first stage while exhaling.
Bow Pose – Dhanurasana
Dhanurasana is an amazing yoga pose to opens up the chest, neck, and shoulders and allows your body to explore a gentle backbend. The bow pose is a great exercise to tone the leg and arm muscles as well as add greater flexibility to the back.
How To Do:
- First of all, lie down on your stomach.
- Bending the knees, bring them near the waist.
- Now hold both ankles with your hands.
- Now lift your head, chest, and thigh upwards.
- Try to take the weight of your body on the lower abdomen.
- Try to pull the body forward by holding the feet.
- Do this posture for about 15-20 seconds according to your capacity.
- Exhale slowly and relax by keeping the chest, and feet on the ground.
Locust Pose – Salabhasana
Salabhasana is a prone back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. This pose increases flexibility Strengthens shoulders and arms and strengthens the entire back ·
How To Do:
- First of all, lie down on your stomach.
- Now while breathing, raise your legs and torso.
- Keeping your knees straight, lift the leg up.
- Keep the palms facing down.
- Your weight should be on your pelvic floor, abdomen, and lower ribs.
- Remain in this posture for some time, then while exhaling, slowly bring your legs and head down to the floor.
Fish Pose – Matsyasana
Matsyasana is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga. This pose stretches out the same upper body muscles, relaxes the upper back and neck muscles, and also stretches the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
How To Do:
- First of all, lie down on your back by laying a yoga mat in a clean and open place.
- The hands should rest on the ground near the hips and both feet should be joined together.
- After that, bending both your knees and taking the support of your hands, you will come into the Padmasana position.
- After coming to Padmasana, put your knees on the ground.
- Will keep the elbows straight and try to raise the neck by putting a little pressure on them.
- Now by turning the neck, we will keep the upper part of the head above the ground.
- After that, by putting pressure on the elbows, we will also lift the waist from the middle.
- Hold the toes with the fingers of both hands.
- Meanwhile, keep breathing and exhaling and try to stay in this asana for 20-30 seconds.
Wheel Pose – Urdhva Dhanurasana
Urdhva Dhanurasana has many health benefits such as it opens the chest so the lungs can function better, increasing flexibility of the spine, and managing anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
It is the deep backbend that gives stability and strength to the spine. Try to do this asana only after warming up. Begin with subtle exercises or easy exercises first to allow your body to acclimate to this position or chakrasana.
How To Do:
- Begin by lying on your back with your legs bent.
- Place your hands on opposite sides next to your ears or under your shoulders.
- Point your fingers in the direction you want to go.
- As you inhale, press your hands and feet into the ground for stability and lift your pelvis by straightening your arms and legs.
Pigeon Pose – Kapotasana
Kapotasana opens your hip joints and helps in reducing pain and stiffness in the hips, legs, back, and shoulders. Also an effective hip-opening asana and stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck.
How To Do:
- First of all, sit in the posture of Vajrasana.
- After this, hinge the waist backward. legs will remain bent
- After this, take the hands above the shoulders and rest them on the ground.
- Now try to raise your body.
- When you get used to this, try to lift the body by holding your feet
- Remain in this pose for some time, and take deep breaths. Now return to your starting position.
It may seem difficult to do this asana. It may not be right the first time.
Conclusion
Backbends yoga are important to proceed mindfully and strengthen and energize the body. The practice of backend yoga poses improves posture, builds stronger core muscles, gains shoulder and hip stability, and improves the flexibility of the spine, shoulders, hips, and pelvis. Additionally, intermediate practices like seated backbend poses are related to heart-opener yoga poses.
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