This sequence of 12 poses is nice for rising power alongside the entire posterior chain of the physique — one other manner of claiming that is that these yoga poses construct again power. (To go straight to the video breakdown, click on right here.)
Find out how to use this Yoga for Decrease Again Sequence
There are three completely different ways in which you should utilize this sequence:
- Follow or educate this sequence for a 15-20 minute apply from begin to end
- Use this sequence as a beginning place for an extended sequence. So, you should utilize a few of the central tenets and central concepts and spin it into an even bigger sequence.
- Take a few of the poses within the sequence and sprinkle them by means of a sequence on your personal college students.
Sequence Breakdown
The sequence begins with Downward-Going through Canine, to assist heat up the entire physique.
Lengthen your arms, attain by means of your shoulders, and elongate your torso. You’ll begin to heat up the leg and have interaction the hip flexors. Down Canine is basically only a easy preparation. After which we actually begin to deal with strengthening the again physique within the subsequent a number of poses.
After Down Canine, come right into a Low Lunge, or Anjaneyasana. So, what you need to do on this pose is to interlace the fingers behind you. For those who can’t interlace, you possibly can rotate the arms so the palms face ahead. Be sure you interact your whole spinal muscle mass and pull the backbone into a really light backbend. Keep in mind, that is the primary spinal extension or backbend or again physique strengthener you’re doing on this sequence, so be actually reasonable. You’re simply beginning to heat these tissues up.
Subsequent, you will have three poses in a row which can be standing poses which can be going to essentially dial us into this posterior power. It begins with Midway Raise or Ardha Uttanasana. Oftentimes after I watch college students, they don’t come excessive sufficient to essentially lengthen, strengthen, and have interaction the entire posterior sheath of the backbone. So what I need to encourage you once you’re working with the intention of strengthening the again physique is take the arms all the way in which to the shins. By doing so, you’ll interact the decrease again, the center again, and the higher again.
Subsequent is Chair Pose or Utkatasana. When we’re trying to strengthen the again physique in Utkatasana, we wish the decrease again, mid again, and higher again to be in light extension. Suppose about Utkatasana as being just like Locust Pose within the high quality of spinal engagement.
Lastly, Virabhadrasana III. Now there’s quite a lot of issues occurring in Virabhadrasana III, however in Virabhadrasana III, I need you to essentially carry lots, OK? I don’t need the backbone to only be form of draped over that standing leg. I need you to really feel like you may actually carry and have interaction the spinal muscle mass.
After the standing poses, you’ll transition to the ground for 3 face-down backbends — Locust, Cobra, and Bow. Keep in mind once you deal with these face down backbends you’re not in search of a wide array of movement, you’re in search of good cohesive strengthening of that entire again physique.
Now our remaining two poses additionally actually emphasize again physique power: We’ve Purvottanasana, also called Tabletop.
And if this pose is basically laborious for you or your college students, you may bend the knees and step the ft in, so it’s extra of a tabletop.
The final again strengthener is Bridge Pose. Though, to be sincere with you, Bridge requires the least again physique power in comparison with the earlier poses.
But it surely’s nonetheless such an excellent pose to deliver tone to that bottom and there’s one easy factor that you are able to do for your self or your college students to make it much more strength-oriented: You’ll be able to elevate one leg in direction of the ceiling or in direction of the entrance of the room.
You’ll end the sequence with a little bit little bit of lengthening. Lie in your again, pause for a second. After which take a pleasant, easy Reclined Twist to elongate out all of that spinal engagement that now we have facilitated.
Lastly, you’ll do Glad Child Pose, which can gently lengthen out a few of the muscle mass you’ve been contracting. Additionally, by holding the ft in Glad Child Pose, you’re additionally going to get a little bit little bit of size within the hamstrings and likewise the adductors, simply to assist spherical out the sequence.
And that’s it!
Keep in mind, you are able to do this apply straight up, for a 15 – 25 minute sequence. These of you that desire a longer apply or who’re lecturers, use this as inspiration to seek out extra poses that strengthen the again physique. Typically as yoga lecturers and practitioners, we simply want that.
Very last thing! For those who’d wish to study extra about sequencing, I’ve an incredible sequencing coaching which you can study all about right here: Mastering the Artwork of Yoga Sequencing