Have them feel and visualize the curves of the spine. Begin your practice with (corpse pose) or constructive rest (lying on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor) so that students can completely relax. ItвЂ™s important for students to understand the structure of the spine and how it moves while backbending. LetвЂ™s build an (camel pose) sequence using these six effective ways to sequence a backbending practice.

When you define and explain the actions of backbends, your students can start to understand and benefit from the pillars of backbending. Regardless of which backbending posture you are working up to for your peak pose, these actions must be represented in your sequence. In order for your students to reap the wonderful benefits of backbends, your asana sequences need to address very specific key actions. The term 'backbending' is often misleading as there are so many different components of the body that are working, not just the 'back or spine.'

The term 'backbending' is often misleading as there are so many different components of the body that are working, not just the 'back or spine.' A precise backbending practice is challenging because a heightened sense of bodily awareness is required to access the appropriate muscle groups to work efficiently in backbends. Along with cultivating healthy postural habits in our daily lives, working with backbends can help to bring balance back to the body. We tend to spend hours leaning over computers and rounding over cellphones to text, causing our shoulders to round forward, which can create a plethora of problems in the spine and the rest of the body. Backbending postures are an exquisite way to strengthen the spine and open the front of the chest.

Backbend yoga sequence