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Summer 2018 lower back

There are few people who haven’t experienced lower back discomfort, if not downright pain, at some point of their lives. Humans simply aren’t built very well! The places where the spine changes its curvature – the cervical (neck) to thoracic (upper back) vertebrae, the thoracic to lumbar (lower back) vertebrae – tend to be our problem areas. Often, the neck and lower back will reflect each other’s level of ease, or lack thereof. The abdominals, especially the transversus abdominis, are also involved in keeping the back healthy, for when they are weak, the lower back muscles have to take on more than their fair share of work.

This week’s practice focuses on what to do to release the lower back. Since the hips and lower back are intimately connected, as we learned while exploring the psoas and piriformis during the hips practice (password: “sleepy”), you’ll find we revisit several of our hip asanas again. Practice on for a lower back easing restorative session!

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Windshield wipers: Start lying back in constructive rest, and windshield wiper your knees slowly side to side to warm up your lower back.

Block under sacrum: From constructive rest, push your knees forward, which will pull the hips off the ground, and place a block under your sacrum. Use the height of block appropriate for your practice that day. Relax your hips completely onto the block and feel the delicious stretch through the lower back. If you’d like to add a little extra stretch, touch your knees together without moving the feet (you can lift the heels, though). When coming down, remove the block and lay down the vertebrae one at a time, starting at the top of the spine.

Feet remain hip width apart and parallel. Sternum is lifted.

Lower back bolster: Roll up a blanket bolster and place it behind you. Lie down, with the bolster nestled into your lower back. Your hips might not touch the ground – don’t force them down, but do allow the spine to melt over the bolster. Windshield wiper the knees from side to side, again without moving the feet.

Relax spine like a wet noodle over bolster.

Side bolster twist: Roll onto your side while still on the bolster, and nestle it in the soft space between your hip and lower ribs. You might want to move the bolster around a bit unit it feels comfortable. Tuck your knees up, place the foot of the top leg above the knee of the bottom leg, and encourage the upper thigh to roll out. Then reach the upper arm up and out while rolling onto your shoulder blades. (Caution: if your piriformis is extremely tight, this asana might provide too much stretch; begin with thread the needle instead.)

Make sure that your outstretched hand does not drop lower than your shoulder (bottom photo). Place a block under the arm if your shoulder blade does not touch ground yet.

Salabhasana/locust: Lie on your belly, place your forehead on the ground arms next to you. Press the tops of the feet and ankles into the ground (ankles won’t touch, but just have the intention), and make the sacrum heavy; engage your abdominals while relaxing your glutes. Lift upper body (keep those glutes from engaging!) – you may leave the hands on the floor for assistance or lift them next to your body. This pose strengthens the back muscles, which is also important for keeping the lower back happy.

The photos below are from when I could still lie on my belly… 🙂 Sphinx pose (bottom photo) is also a good back muscle strengthener.

Salabhasana/Locust (variation) and Sphinx: both of these asana ask the mid-spine to extend. Keep neck long on both.

Janusirsasana/head to knee pose: Take a seat, stretch the legs out in front of you, then bend one foot in towards the other thigh. Hold the outside of the foot with the opposite hand, or use a belt. Twist slightly towards the leg, so that the spine and leg are lined up one on top of the other, then extend the spine, as you bring the belly to the thigh first, then the lower ribs, then chest, and finally head – this might be a multi-year process! Eventually, you may place the hands one on either side of the foot, as in the photos below.

Tip the pelvis forward in this asana, or place a blanket under your hips if that is a challenge.

Janusirsasana variation: Begin the same way as for janusirsasana, seated with legs in front, one bent. Take hold of extended foot with opposite hand, but instead of keeping the back straight and bringing the belly/lower ribs/chest/head to the leg, round the spine and pull away from the foot until you feel a lovely stretch through your entire back.

Draw abdominal muscles in to enhance this rounded back stretch.

Uttanasana with back against wall: Stand in front of a wall, then take a forward fold. Walk in as close as your back allows, plant feet hip width apart and parallel, and lean into the wall while extending the spine. This is a fantastic pose if you can really let go and trust the the wall is going to hold you up!

Keep front of thighs engaged, heel firmly planted. Release into pose completely.

Simple one-legged twist: Lie back and cross one bent leg over the other straight leg. Keep shoulders down. Twist to the point where that the asana feels good for you. Relax muscles lining the spine and breathe well.

Keep knee bent, or straighten leg for additional twist and stretch.

Finish with savasana and enjoy the after effects of a happy lower back! 🙂

~namaste,

Sylvia

 

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Summer 2018 Hips

If I ask a yoga class of riders on what they’d like to focus, inevitably most people say “hips and shoulders.” Most riders recognize that we tend to hold tightness and tension in these two areas, and that we need to do something about it to ride and connect with our horses well. Hence, last week’s practices addressed the shoulders, and this week’s practices focus on the hips.

The two main muscles on which we are focusing are the psoas and the piriformis (the “terrible p’s”), which need to be both supple and strong for us to ride well. The psoas is a deep hip flexor, bringing the knee up, while the psoas is an external leg rotator, turning the leg out (both of these muscles work along with other hip muscles, of course, and have additional roles, but these are the most important and basic). For more details about the role of the psoas in riding, refer to this post from July 2017.

After mentally taking some moments to transition into practice, begin with high lunge, moving into low lunge:

Anjaneyasana – high lunge. Keep energy flowing freely down back leg by lifting it up from inner thigh.
Anjaneyasana – low lunge: Arms can be raised above shoulders for additional stretching of hip flexors. Press top of back foot into ground for stability; pad under back knee with blanket if uncomfortable.

Thursday only: claps the hands behind you and lift the sternum into a backbend.

Be sure to press top of back foot into ground, and imagine that you are drawing front foot backwards (although it doesn’t move). Engage core, and lift heart. You need not take head back, only if that is comfortable on your neck.

Low lunge with side stretch: place a block under the lower hand if stretching all the way to the floor is too far for you at this stage (this photo is from our yoga for riders e-book)

Virabhadrasana I/Warrior I pose: Feel the grounding of the pose through the feet, yet the uplift of energy through the upper body. Refer to second set of photos below for a reminder about knee alignment.  Thursday only: Humble warrior (right side of photo below).

Square the hips towards the front of your mat while keeping pinky side of back foot, along with hell, well grounded. Imagine that you are stretching the mat long between your feet.
Virabhadrasana I/Warrior I leg alignment – be mindful of keeping the knee in line with the second toe of the foot

Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II pose: Grounded through feet, light with upper body. Note alignment of knee in second photograph below.

Hips open to side of mat – think of external rotation of the thing bones, while dropping tail towards floor, but not tucking. Imagine stretching the mat long between feet. Keep shoulders relaxed.

Thursday only: repeat last week’s bound extended side angle pose.

Bring the head in line over the front foot – this will automatically align the hips. Keep heel of straight leg well grounded.

Warrior II leg alignment – it is especially easy for the knee to fall over the big toe or even further in here; think about rotating the thigh bone out towards the pinky toe.Thursday only: Half pigeon pose, then bend back leg (optional)

Flex the foot of the bent leg, and place the bent knee far to the right (if right leg bent). Keep the weight evenly distributed on both hips.
Half pigeon pose extending forward: Keep the front of the body long
For a bigger stretch of the hip flexors and front of the thighs, draw hip of back leg forward.

Upavista konasana/Seated wide legged forward fold: Keep knees and toes pointing straight up towards ceiling, even as you move deeper into the pose.

Upavistha konasana/Wide legged forward fold: Front of spine remains long. If you find your pelvis in a posterior tilt (tuck), place a folded blanket under the seat to help you find a more neutral pelvic alignment.

Side twist with bolster: Tuesday class, we did not get to this, but feel free to practice this pose as well if you are familiar with it. If not, we will return to it again in a future class.

Ensure bolster is placed comfortably under side. Release into the pose – no effort.

Happy practicing – and sweet dreams thereafter 🙂

~namaste,

Sylvia

 

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Movement and breath

Welcome to our Summer 2018 12-week yoga course! I usually focus on the connection between breath and movement during the first class of a series, because without it, we cannot practice yoga. The prana, or life force, is what connects mind and body, and that is the breath. Yet, many of us have never learned how to breathe well. Whether you are a beginner or seasoned practitioner, returning your attention to the breath always brings benefits.

Tuesday class practice tips are below, using selected poses from our class. Please make breathing and finding elegance and ease in each movement the primary focus, and all else will follow 🙂

Cow/Cat pose: breathe in during cow (=more space for your lungs), out during cat (= less space for your lungs). This pose warms, stretches and strengthens the spinal/back and belly muscles.

Cow/cat poses – be sure to draw the shoulders back in cow (top photo) and the bellybutton up to the spine in cat (bottom photo).

Knee to nose: Begin on your hands and knee, extending one leg back. Exhale when your knee comes in, inhale when taking the leg back. This pose is excellent for stretching the back and engaging the abdominal muscles.

Keep toe of uplifted leg pointing down (not out to the side), and push ground away with hands as you bring knee to nose or forehead.

Rag doll roll up: Breathe as many breaths as you need as you slowly roll up from a forward bend. Bend back down and repeat several times, feeling your spine release stretch and release.

Knees slightly bent, bellybutton pulled up to spine, arms and head hanging as each vertebra stacks on top of the one underneath.

Lunge with touchdown: Stepping back into a deep lunge pose with one leg, keep the knee over the ankle of the front foot, heel of that foot planted firmly. Touch the back knee down lightly, repeating 3-5x. Step up into forward fold between sides.

Keep back leg energized when straight, and touch down very lightly when bringing knee down. Keep spine extended long.

Thread the needle: cross one leg across the other at the ankle, then reach for the thigh or shin of the other leg. Keep the knee of the crossed leg open out to the side.

Keep foot of crossed leg flexed. Exhale when drawing legs in towards chest, inhale when releasing away from chest, making small pulsations of movement in time with the breath.

End lying on your back in savasana, or corpse pose, legs straight or feet on the floor if your lower back feel tight (these patterns take some time to undo), and enjoy the feeling of renewed energy flowing through you body!

Happy practicing 🙂

Sylvia

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Main event: Hanumanasana, forward split

This week we have been moving towards Hanumanasana, or the forward split, during practice. This fantastic pose requires both forward bending action at the front leg/hip interface, and back-bending action at the back leg/hip interface, along with suppleness in the hamstrings.

(Note that in class, we add many additional poses before trying hanumanasana, so go slowly if you are trying this on your own, and above all, be gentle with your body – the hamstrings tend to be vulnerable to tearing if pushed too quickly into a stretch.)

But first, as we continue to explore hip biomechanics, it is important to examine the “duck” and “tuck” action of the hips – or, referred to in a more scholarly manner, the anterior and poster tilt of the pelvis (see photos below). Neither extreme is helpful in yoga poses, as too much the anterior tilt compresses the lower back vertebrae and discs, and too much posterior tilt rounds the upper back and strains the lower back muscles and ligaments.

Utkatasana (fierce pose) demonstrating the duck (anterior tilt) and tuck (posterior tilt) of the pelvis.

Being able to isolate these movements in various asanas will give one a better sense of one’s patterns – whether one tends towards lordosis (over-arching the lower back = anterior tilt) or kyphosis (over-rounding the lower and upper back = posterior tilt). These patterns tend to show up in all other poses, so being aware of them allows one to correct them. In addition, the patterns will show up in riding as well, with anterior tilt leading to a stiff lower back that cannot follow a horse’s movement, and posterior tilt leading to extremely tight hip flexors and rounded shoulders, again leading to an inability to elegantly follow a horse’s movement.

Some good poses in which to try both extremes of duck and tuck and then find the “happy medium” follow. These poses also allow one to explore more hip action and also lead to our main event pose.

Start with Supta padanghustasana (lying down hand-to-big-toe pose) and Anjaneyasana (lunge) variations from last week’s practice. Think about how your pelvic tilt changes as you practice these poses.

Supta padanghustasana: Press the foot into the strap with the same pressure as you pull on the strap. Keep bottom of extended leg moving toward floor.
Bending and straightening the leg can help in finding space in the hip socket
Turn foot and knee out at the same angle starting at the hip joint. Keep hip bones even on floor – do not be tempted to go too far at the expense of alignment.
You can allow the leg to cross all the way over the body for this twist. Draw the upper hip away from the shoulder and keep pinky side of foot drawn back/flexed.

Anjayenasana, or high and low lunge poses, provide nice counterposes throughout the practice – throw in this pose anytime you feel like you’d like to stretch out the hip flexors to rebalance the body during the sequence.

Anjaneyasana – high lunge: Counter pose to forward folds
Anjaneyasana – low lunge: Arms can be raised above shoulders for additional stretching of hip flexors. Press top of back foot into ground for stability; pad under back knee with blanket if uncomfortable.

Then move onto Prasarita padottanasana (wide legged forward fold) variations below.

Prasarita padottanasana starting variation, with hips over ankles and spine extended. Note that feet are parallel to each other.
Prasarita padottanasana variation with knees bent and long spine helps one access the hinge at the hips, which will be necessary for the next variation of the pose.
Prasarita padottanasana variation with head moving towards floor. Hands are between feet and front spine is long – the bend comes at the crease of the leg/hip interface, not at the waist. Weight is shifting slightly toward balls of feet. Think “duck” to lift seat-bones here.
Prasarita padottanasana with arms clasped being back. Note what happens to the lower back when you first bring the arms together behind your back – likely a “duck” anterior tilt. Correct this by drawing your lowest ribs together and your abdominal wall up towards the ribcage.

Next, practice Utthita padangusthasana, standing hand-to-big-toe pose variations. It’s like the earlier hand-to-big-toe pose, except standing – how is it a different experience for you now that the orientation of your body to gravity has changed? Note that forward folding poses progress in difficulty from supine (lying back, least difficult) < standing < seated (most difficult).

Utthita padangusthasana with leg forward and to the side. Explore pelvic tilt even in this pose.

Parsvottanasana, intense side stretch (as pose that looks nothing like it’s English name, in my opinion!) really asks the hamstrings to extend. Again, please be gentle with yourselves, and only go to about a 6 or 7/10 intensity level on this pose at first.

Parsvottanasana preparation – one can also put one’s hands on blocks to help keep the front of the spine long
Parsvottanasana intensified – the belly, then the lowest ribs touch down on the extended front leg.

Next is Upavistha konasana, or wide legged seated forward fold. Note that a posterior tilt (tuck) is very common here, as is rounding the back – resist both by placing a folded blanket under your seat and bringing the belly down first.

Upavistha konasana. Keep the knees and toes pointing straight up towards the ceiling, even as you move deeper into the pose. The front of the spine remains long.

Finally, move into Lizard pose (no Sanskrit name that I know of!). Start with the hands down, then bring the forearms onto a block or the floor. Hug the arm with the front knee (which will want to splay out). The back knee on the floor or a blanket makes the pose a little more accessible; lifting the back knee adds intensity.

Lizard pose – note that the foot is outside the hand.

And finally – Hanumanasana, or forward split pose. It is vital to keep the back leg from turning out in the hip socket by continuing to turn the knee towards the floor, and drawing the back leg’s hip forward, while the front leg’s hip draws back.

Hanumanasana. Use blocks and the breath to help yourself ease into the pose – and don’t get overly ambitious!
Hanumanasana-ahhhhhhh 🙂

Happy practicing and ~namaste!

Sylvia

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Main Event: Eka hasta bhujasana (leg over shoulder pose)

Our Spring 2018 yoga courses are focusing on the varying biomechanics of yoga poses through “main event” poses – end starting with forward folds. The first week’s pose is aka hasta bhujasana, leg over shoulder pose, which requires the practitioner to have full range of motion in the ball-and-socket hip joint and pliable hamstrings. The poses below will help you on the journey to the pose – the journey might not end next week, next month, or even next year, but it’s well worth it to nurture “well-oiled” hips (and lower back as an incidental positive effect). Happy practicing! ~namaste, Sylvia

Supta padanghustasana: Press the foot into the strap with the same pressure as you pull on the strap. Keep bottom of extended leg moving toward floor.
Bending and straightening the leg can help in finding space in the hip socket
Turn foot and knee out at the same angle starting at the hip joint. Keep hip bones even on floor – do not be tempted to go too far at the expense of alignment.
You can allow the leg to cross all the way over the body for this twist. Draw the upper hip away from the shoulder and keep pinky side of foot drawn back/flexed.
Anjaneyasana – high lunge: Counter pose to forward folds
Anjaneyasana – low lunge: Arms can be raised above shoulders for additional stretching of hip flexors. Press top of back foot into ground for stability; pad under back knee with blanket if uncomfortable.
Half pigeon pose extending forward: Flex the foot of the bent leg, and place the bent knee far to the right (if right leg bent). Keep the weight evenly distributed on both hips. Keep the front of the body long.
Flex the back foot, draw the heel back enough for the knee to leave the ground, encourage the hip on the same side to move forward – this stretches the hip flexors.
For a bigger stretch of the hip flexors and front of the thigh, draw hip of back leg forward.
Rocking the leg in the hip socket 1: Sit with spine upright – a blanket under the hips will assist in this
Rocking the leg in the hip socket 2
Cradling the leg: The preparatory pose prior to moving into full leg over shoulder pose
Eka hasta bhujasana – leg over shoulder pose: Place the leg as high up on the back of the shoulder as possible, and press the upper arm into the leg to encourage it to move further back. Keep chest lifted.

PS: Our asana practice is followed by philosophical readings from TKV Desikachar‘s The Heart of Yoga to set the context for physical practice – if you practice with us remotely, please join us in reading this lucid, guiding text, and leave your thoughts below!

 

 

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Sidedness

In this week’s classes, we focused on examining how the left and right sides of our bodies feel different – what is tighter? what is stronger? what is looser? what is more flexible? We are all one-sided to an extend, as are our horses, and this is not inherently “bad” – it just is, just as our internal organs are not all symmetrically distributed inside our bodies. Nonetheless, riding, and especially dressage, does require symmetry, and it is something with which many riders struggle.

It is much easier to identify and begin to undo one’s sidedness when on a yoga mat, rather than when riding one’s horse – who himself has sidedness to a lesser or greater extent. As long as one takes an approach of curiosity, rather than obsessiveness, to exploring one’s sidedness, it can be fun to figure out what is us and what is the horse when we have difficulty while tracking to a particular side! Then, using our yoga practice as a tool, we can come to more symmetry, balance, and happiness all around.

Sidedness often originates in the hips, with uneven psoas or piriformis muscles, although there are other causes too, of course. One hip may be higher than the other, or one side may be further forward than the other; often, both imbalances are present, and they have a ripple effect through the body. The pictures below demonstrate – in exaggerated form – these misalignments.  Once you have identified what is going on with your hips – itself a process of awareness and exploration – you can use asana practice to rebalance the sides.

These are exaggerated examples of one hip higher than the other (top row) and a torque in the hips (bottom row). Often, both misalignments occur together.

I usually suggest to students that they begin with the side that needs help first, then do the asana on the other side, and then return to the first side – hence repeating the asana twice on the more challenging side. For example, of your right psoas is tight, hold a lunge with the right leg back first, then switch to the other side, and then return to the first side, with right leg back.

If you have identified a torque in your hips, then the variations of the Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana) below can be useful. The first photo is the classic way to do the pose, opening the hip crest up and back. The second photo is not how the pose is usually taught, but helps re-align the torque in the hip. In both variations, be aware of not allowing the knee to fall in toward the center of the mat.

If your left hip torques forward (first photo of this post, lower left corner), then roll the right seat bone under and the left hip up and back.
If your left hip torques back (first photo of this post, lower right picture), then draw the crest of the rim down and forward.

Happy exploring and happy practicing!

~namaste