Bend That Back, Girl (or Boy, No Judgement).

Citation: Savage , Jenny. “All About Backbends.” All About Backbends – Ekhart Yoga, 30 Jan. 2014, www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/all-about-backbends.

Bend That Back, Girl (or Boy, No Judgement).

I feel as though this is fairly self-explanatory.  These variety of poses stretch the back, but that’s not it. It also strengthens and stretches the hip flexors, chest and shoulders. It also tends to help release pain and tension in the back and neck. It helps to increase strength in the legs, arms, and back muscles.

As the website in the citation states, backbends can be divided into three categories. Traction, which is where “the body is bending with gravity and the muscles on the front of the body are active, helping to control the range and rate of movement.” The second is leverage, which is the strength of the legs and arms are utilized to reinforce the backbend. Lastly, is contraction. Contraction is the muscles in the back contract to overcome gravity, which usually involves you being on your front side. Not only does it have physical benefits, but it also has psychological benefits. This consists of opening our hearts to the world, which helps us build courage on and off the yoga mat. Remember, always warm up!

This practice is to make you feel more open. it is made to make you feel something. in particular, to open your heart to the world and assist you in being comfortable with being vulnerable. However, that’s what yoga does in general. Yoga aids you in feeling content in your body, at least for a moment. After you have done it for a while, sometimes that contentedness sticks with you. That’s what yoga does best. It helps show you all the wonderful things your body can accomplish, even if you thought it couldn’t, which makes you feel slightly more at ease in your individual bodies and beings.