Points to heart opening:
1. Tuck the tailbone....bend from the middle back
2. Use the core....engage the core through abdominal exercises, then tighten the core to pull the pelvis forward, tailbone down, and lengthen the lower back.
3. Pull the shoulders back....notice how there is a paradoxical opposition between tucking your tailbone and your shoulders jutting forward. Now, pull your tailbone back.
4. Rotate the inner tights towards each other, this spreads the sacrum.
We then moved into warrior 1 and reverse warrior, before moving into this fantastic partnered backbending series. One partner held the other's ankles (thumbs on the inside), as she or he moved into bridge or wheel.
It felt like someone cracked open a safe in my chest. Love.
Showing posts with label backbends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backbends. Show all posts
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Backbends
Oh my god, backbends.
Every time I take Chanel's class, I feel like I just learned about ten new poses or variations; I love learning how infinite the body's potential for various movements is.
This class was special. For many, many reasons.
1. The "being" sun salutations. That's what I loved so much about the last class but forgot to blog about! The central idea is that intent of the next sun salutation is going to be "I am empowered". So, you do a sun salutation with that in mind.
I am empowered, one flow,
I am free, another flow,
I am brave, I think I remember, but I'm not sure. Perhaps I am courage- I am confident? I am bold? Identity crisis :)
I absolutely love these- they are such affirmations and mantras. The power of saying something, is huge, but imagine the power of committing yourself to a sequence of actions while consciously trying to eminate that type of being.
2. An intense backbending series. I love backbending. It is incredibly detoxifying, mentally and physically, and yes I had traces of that headache that informs you that, though you may have been a bit toxic lately, at least it's coursing through you instead of stuck. We did shower pose, then heart opening back-bends with the thighs against the wall, and camel. Incredibly intense, I was exhausted afterwards.
3. Lastly, and more personally, for the first time, EVER, in class, I paused in a momentary handstand on my way to utanasana from downward dog. I've been able to do this in my home practice, but never in class before. It's scary for a few reasons: 1. Accidentally hitting someone in the head with your feet. Awkward.... 2. A subtle fear of appearing attention-grabbing. I think this is a cowardly thought- if a friend mentioned this to me, I would reply, "but it's yoga, no one cares what you are doing and B. if it is not your intent, and you have no other reason to believe you would be perceived as such, why would you worry?". Eating one's own words is important...
Every time I take Chanel's class, I feel like I just learned about ten new poses or variations; I love learning how infinite the body's potential for various movements is.
This class was special. For many, many reasons.
1. The "being" sun salutations. That's what I loved so much about the last class but forgot to blog about! The central idea is that intent of the next sun salutation is going to be "I am empowered". So, you do a sun salutation with that in mind.
I am empowered, one flow,
I am free, another flow,
I am brave, I think I remember, but I'm not sure. Perhaps I am courage- I am confident? I am bold? Identity crisis :)
I absolutely love these- they are such affirmations and mantras. The power of saying something, is huge, but imagine the power of committing yourself to a sequence of actions while consciously trying to eminate that type of being.
2. An intense backbending series. I love backbending. It is incredibly detoxifying, mentally and physically, and yes I had traces of that headache that informs you that, though you may have been a bit toxic lately, at least it's coursing through you instead of stuck. We did shower pose, then heart opening back-bends with the thighs against the wall, and camel. Incredibly intense, I was exhausted afterwards.
3. Lastly, and more personally, for the first time, EVER, in class, I paused in a momentary handstand on my way to utanasana from downward dog. I've been able to do this in my home practice, but never in class before. It's scary for a few reasons: 1. Accidentally hitting someone in the head with your feet. Awkward.... 2. A subtle fear of appearing attention-grabbing. I think this is a cowardly thought- if a friend mentioned this to me, I would reply, "but it's yoga, no one cares what you are doing and B. if it is not your intent, and you have no other reason to believe you would be perceived as such, why would you worry?". Eating one's own words is important...
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