Backbends are an important part of any yoga practice. They are beneficial is so many amazing ways. Not only will your spine stay flexible giving you a greater range of movement, you will find your respiratory system, circulation and your heart will all thank you for it! Most health gurus agree that staying flexible will keep your body youthful and happy. Keeping your spine healthy is essential to having a flexible body. It is worth taking a little time each day to stretch and move it. Remember to be patient and listen to your body. If anything hurts, stop immediately.
Once you feel centred move to lay prone on the floor, stretch your legs back, top of the feet on the floor. As you inhale lift the chest slightly up keeping your pubic bone on the ground and elbows bend. Doing this pose dynamically for 4-5 times to begin increasing flexibility at the spine.
From here, lift back into downward dog and take a few breaths. From Downward facing dog step the right foot forward in between your hands and keep the back foot on the ball of the feet to keep your hips neutral. As you inhale you going to raise your arms up over head first, but in this variation you going to bring your hands behind your back, interlocking of all the fingers, keeping the heel of the hands together, and think about sending your knuckles towards your back heel as you keep your core engage, and lifting the chest up towards the sky. Improving your chest opening. Hold it for 5 breath right and left side.
From your previous pose place your hands on the ground framing your front foot, then gently lower your back knee to the ground. As you inhale you are going to raise your arms up and overhead keeping your biceps in line with your ears. Sink the hips down to open the front hip flexors and increase the opening of the front of your body. Stay for 5 breaths then transition into downward dog and then repeat on the other side.
From Anjaneyasana you are going to come in to a simple twist. Place both hands down onto the ground and lift the back knee of the ground. Keep the opposite hand planted firmly on the ground and then raise the other hand up towards the sky. Stay for 6-7 breaths and then repeat on the opposite side. Twisting will increase the flexibility of the spine and will improve back bending as a heart opener.
Move into downward facing dog then step the right foot forward as you align the front heel with the arch of your back foot. Bring your arms up in line with your shoulder as you come in to Warrior 2. Take a deep inhale and reach your right arm up and over head while you still lunge in to your front knee to improve the side stretch of your body. Transitioning to downward facing dog and repeat on the left side.
From Downward facing dog you going to raise the right leg up, bending the knee and open up the hip, as you slowly shift the weight of your body on your left hand, then bringing the right foot all the way to the ground on the left side as you keep pushing your hips high to the sky and open up your heart. Between right and left is a good option to stay in Balasana, child pose for few breaths. From Childs pose come to lie on your back and rest into Savasana along your body and mind to feel the benefits of your practice
