If you’re feeling sluggish after a late night or stuck in an afternoon slump, you may want to try an energizing backbend. Simply opening up the chest, leaning back, and stretching out the spine can give your body an instant jolt of energy. So before you take another shot of espresso, you may want to try a natural energy-booster like Ustrasana (Camel Pose).
A note on backbends: When you practice backbends like Ustrasana, it is important to create a healthy arch without over-arching into the lower back. Aligning the body and turning on the “wheels” (the pelvic wheel + lower/upper thoracic wheels) helps prevent over-arching and compression in the lumber spine which can cause pain. Focusing on lengthening and elongating the spine is key.
- PELVIC WHEEL: Lift the frontal hip bones up as you lengthen the buttocks toward the back of the knees.
- UPPER THORACIC WHEEL: Open up the chest and arch the upper thoracic. Lift the sternum from the navel, draw the shoulders and trapz away from the ears and establish the curve in the upper spine before you drop the head back.
- LOWER THORACIC WHEEL: Soften the front ribs toward the hip bones and lift the back ribs away from the waist.
Other poses that may help give you a natural jolt of energy and combat fatigue include:
-Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
-Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
-Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
-Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Arch Matsyendrasana)
-King Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana)
-Lord of the Dance Pose (Natarajasana)
-One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
-Sphinx Pose
-Upward Bow Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
-Upward-Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Btw – since many of you have been asking about my blue and white cushions and bolster, here’s the site where you can find it: Chattra, Divine Yoga Gear
These Chattra 100% cotton zafu and zabuton block-print covers are crafted in ethical workshops in India using traditional techniques. Zafus are filled with USA grown buckwheat hulls, zabutons with US grown clean cotton.
About: Chattra creates and sells small-batch, hand-block and screen printed yoga and meditation gear crafted by master artisans in India.
