Deepen Your Practice | Spine Strengthening Series Part I

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WAKE UP TO WORK

Good morning to all my lovely yogis! I love waking up on a friday and getting a good yoga session in first thing. It's a great way to stay accountable for the weekend before the late night parties and afternoon cocktails. You really have to stay on track and get disciplined in order to reach the goals you want. It's a balance, am I right?

If you can't already tell, I'm ready to start a new summer series you guys! This season, I'm focused on spinal health and ways to strengthen this crucial part of your body. I believe that the vertebrae is a key system and we need to consistently improve and strengthen our muscles and joint alignment in the area, thus building overall wellness.

Let's keep in mind that the spinal cord is made up of nerve fibers, running from your brain through a canal. This canal is made up of bones. All along the spine, your nerves are connected to various parts of the body. So we must understand just how much our spine impacts our quality of life. We must keep it strong and healthy!

“IN BIKRAM, WE SAY: HAPPY SPINE, HAPPY LIFE.”

Did you know that over 120 muscles are contained in the spine? Did you know that your spine has excellent memory? It also takes over 100 joints to provide a full range of motion! For years, I didn't really understand how to properly execute poses or backbends. I didn't know how posture and sleep can affect our back and spine either! It wasn't until an instructor helped me create a better, stronger foundation. I finally learned and understood the concept of compression: when you cut off the flow of oxygen, you come out of the pose releasing fresh blood and improving circulation.

The key is to always lift up out of the waist! Tighten the core and squeeze the glutes. This will protect your spine.

I can't stress how important this is when you're moving throughout a sequence. It's not how deep you go, it's about your technique and working to deepen your practice, at your own pace. In this part I series, we'll start with a mini yoga sequence designed to improve posture, mobility, and muscles surrounding your spine.

 
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CAMEL POSE

Sequence benefits:

  • strengthens shoulders and back

  • improves posture

  • expands chest, respiratory system

  • loosens vertebrae, relieves stiffness

  • helps with lower back pains

  • increases flexibility in spinal erectors

  • increases elasticity in the vertebrae and back muscles surrounding it

  • improves oxygen and blood flow

1. BEGIN BY COMING TO A KNEELING STANCE.

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2. PLACE YOUR HANDS ON YOUR LOWER BACK, PUSHING YOUR HIPS FORWARD.

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3. CONTINUE TO SAFELY PUSH YOUR HIPS FORWARD. DROP THE NECK.

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4. WHEN YOU'RE READY, ALLOW YOUR RIGHT HAND TO GRAB THE INSIDE OF YOUR RIGHT FOOT. LEFT HAND, LEFT FOOT.

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I WAS HAVING A LITTLE FUN HERE!

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5. TO SAFELY COME OUT OF CAMEL, PLACE YOUR HANDS ONTO YOUR LOWER BACK AND SLOWLY RAISE UP.

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6. AFTER YOU'RE UP, YOU CAN GO INTO CHILD'S POSE OR SIMPLY HANG HERE TO CATCH YOUR BREATH. IT'S NORMAL TO FEEL A LITTLE NAUSEOUS AFTERWARDS.

 

STANDING SEPARATE LEG HEAD TO KNEE POSE

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1. BEGIN IN A WIDE LEG STANCE, LEFT FOOT FORWARD. THE BACK RIGHT FOOT IS AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE. HINGE FORWARD, KEEPING A STRAIGHT SPINE.

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2. CONTINUE MOVING TOWARDS YOUR FRONT FOOT. THE GOAL IS TO GET YOUR FORHEAD TO THE KNEE. BRING YOUR LEFT HIP BACK, RIGHT HIP FORWARD. THEN TRY IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE, REPEATING THE STEPS.

 

PIGEON POSE

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1. YOU WILL START BY COMING TO A PLANK POSE, THEN BRING THE RIGHT KNEE FORWARD BETWEEN YOUR HANDS. SET THE RIGHT KNEE AND HIP DOWN SLOWLY. HANG HERE FOR ONE MINUTE,THEN REPEAT ON THE LEFT SIDE.

 

MEDITATION MOMENT

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TAKE A MOMENTODAY TO BREATHE, INVITE LOVE AND CONTENTMENT INTO YOUR WORLD. RELEASE ALL EXPECTATIONS AND FEARS.

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