Backbends
Anahatasana
Puppy Pose or Half Dog (Heart Chakra Pose)
Alignment Cues:
- keep the sit bones high and pointing behind you (not downward)
- start with the hips stacked over the knees and adjust forward or backwards to balance the weight
- melt the chest towards the floor
- forehead can rest on a blanket or block if it does not reach the floor
Drishti: at the floor
Stretches: chest, shoulders
Anjaneyasana
Crescent Lunge
Alignment Cues:
- parallel leg alignment (“train track” legs)
- keep the front knee over the front ankle (do not allow it to travel forward)
- arms reach overhead, lifting the gaze and the heart upwards
- arms stay next to the ears
- engage lower abdominals (pulling in and up) to protect and lengthen the lumbar spine
- the extension (arch) of the back happens in the thoracic spine
- keep the heel of the back foot reaching backwards
- lift the front of the thigh of the back leg, back leg is straight
Drishti: upward towards the sky
Strengthens: lower body muscles
Stretches: hip flexors of the back leg, thoracic spine
Bhujangasana
Cobra
Alignment Cues:
- top of the feet press down into the mat
- hands under the shoulders, pressing only lightly into the palms (or not at all)
- use the back muscles to lift the chest forward and upward
- the extension comes from the thoracic spine (upper back)
- strongly engage the lower abdominals to lengthen and protect the lumbar spine (lower back)
- engage inner thighs as if squeezing a block between the legs
Drishti: diagonally down, forward, or upward, depending on the position of the neck (maintain length in the cervical spine)
Strengthens: back extension muscles
Bitilasana
Cow
Alignment Cues:
- hands directly under shoulders
- knees directly under hips
- toes can be tucked under or tops of the feet can press into the mat
- belly drops towards the floor
- sit bones and top of the head reach upwards
- scapula retract (pull in towards the spine)
Drishti: upward
Stretches: spine, stomach, chest
Dhanurasana
Bow
Alignment Cues:
- hands can grab tops of the feet or the ankles
- reach the feet upwards towards the sky and press back into the hands
- inner thighs engage, do not allow the knees to open wide
- reach the shoulders away form the ears
- engage the lower abdominals to protect the lower back
- this posture may rock forward and backward with the breath
Drishti: forward or diagonally upward, depending on the position of the cervical spine
Strengthens: hamstrings, back extension muscles
Stretches: hip flexors, chest
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
One-legged King Pigeon Pose
Alignment Cues:
- hips remain level and pointing forward (“squared”)
- flex the front foot to keep the leg active and protect the knee
- engage the lower abdominals to lengthen and protect the lumbar spine
- extension is targeting the thoracic spine (upper back)
Drishti: upwardStretches: gluteal muscles of the front leg, hip flexors and quadriceps of the back leg, chest and thoracic spine
Marjaryasana
Cat
Alignment Cues:
- hands directly under shoulders
- knees directly under hips
- press the top of the feet into the mat
- curl the spine upwards
- drop the head to look at the navel
- pelvis posteriorly tilts
- scapula protract (widen)
Drishti: at the navel
Stretches: spine (particularly lumbar spine), trapezius
Matsyasana
Fish
Alignment Cues:
- align hands under or next to pelvis
- press into the forearms, lift the chest, and retract the shoulder blades to open the front of the chest
- let the neck gently relax into extension
- the head may touch the floor (or may not) but there should not be weight dropping into the head
- if draping the head backwards is uncomfortable (or in the case of neck injuries), place a folded blanket or a block on the floor on which to rest the back of the head
- the legs may be lifted off the floor to strengthen and engage the core muscles
- variations of this posture with lifted arms increase the likelihood of weight dropping into the head and should be avoided under most circumstances
Drishti: at the horizon (upside-down and behind the practioner)
Strengthens: erector spinae and upper back muscles used to retract the scapula
Stretches: front of the chest, shoulders
Salabhasana
Locust
Alignment Cues:
- fingers reach towards the toes
- inner thighs engage, do not allow the legs to open wide
- reach the shoulders away form the ears
- engage the lower abdominals to protect the lower back
Drishti: diagonally forward, depending on the position of the cervical spine
Strengthens: back extension muscles, gluteal muscles, inner thighs
Stretches: hip flexors, chest
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Bridge
Alignment Cues:
- heels aligned with sit bones
- knees aligned with ankles
- press into feet to lift the hips with the gluteal muscles
- engaged the inner thighs (imagine squeezing a block or small ball between the thighs
- pull the shoulders underneath the back, retracting the scapula (weight should be on the triceps and off the upper back)
- reach the chest towards your head while also lifting your chin off your chest (There should be space between the back of the neck and the floor. Do NOT flatten your cervical spine into the mat.)
- Hands can clasp together, remain flat on the mat, or be placed on the lower/middle back
Drishti: straight up towards the sky (It is very important not to turn the head sideways in this posture to avoid injury to the neck.)
Strengthens: gluteal muscles and inner thighs to lift the hips
Stretches: hip flexors, front the the chest, shoulders, and abdominals (in some cases)
Urdhva Dhanurasana
Upward Facing Bow (Wheel)
Alignment Cues:
- heels aligned with sit bones
- legs are parallel (knees point straight forward, not out to the sides)
- wrists are aligned under the shoulders
- begin preparing for bridge with hands pressing into the mat above the shoulders, elbows pointing upwards and fingers pointing towards the shoulders
- lift hips into bridge, then press into hands to lift the upper body off the mat
- try to straighten arms and legs
- use the abdominals to tilt the front of the hips towards the lower ribs, towards a posterior tilt (this helps lengthen the lumbar spine)
- press forward into the shoulders, reaching the chest towards the top of the mat
- this posture should stretch the shoulders more than the back
Drishti: at the ground, in between the hands
Stretches: shoulders, chest, abdominals, hip flexors (the entire front body)
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Upward Facing Dog
Alignment Cues:
- hands and tops of the feet are the only things touching the mat
- hands under the shoulders, arms extended
- retract the scapula and pull your chest through your arms (chest comes forward of your hands!)
- the extension comes from the thoracic spine (upper back)
- strongly engage the lower abdominals to lengthen and protect the lumbar spine (lower back)
- engage inner thighs as if squeezing a block between the legs
Drishti: diagonally down, forward, or upward, depending on the position of the neck (maintain length in the cervical spine)
Strengthens: back extension muscles, core, triceps (when lengthening into this asana from Chaturanga Dandasana)
Ustrasana
Camel
Alignment Cues:
Drishti:
Strengthens:
Stretches: