Featured Pose: Supported Backbend

by Baxter

Supported backbends have always been a bit challenging for me personally, as the part of the spine that attaches to our ribs is a place where I hold a lot of tightness. So, I find it helpful to do this pose regularly, as it is a great pose to create more flexibility in that thoracic spine. 

Besides being an excellent pose for improving the back-bending ability of the rib cage portion of your spine (the thoracic spine), Supported Backbend is also is a great way to stretch the muscles and fascia of your front body, both the long axis of your belly and chest, and the side-to-side axis from your breastbone out to your shoulders. The versions with the arms overhead add even more stretch along your longitudinal length. 

This pose is very versatile, as it can be used to warm you up for a backbend practice, or as a counter-pose for either a forward bend or twist practice. You can also practice it on its own after spending time with a rounded upper back, such as after driving, gardening, or time spent at your desk.

I prescribe this pose for: 

• Stiffness in the upper back
• Tightness in the front chest and belly
• Tightness and stiffness in shoulders (especially version 2)
• Improving breathing capacity
• An antidote for time spent working with a rounded upper back, such as factory work, restaurant work, deskwork, gardening, driving, etc.
• Improving poor posture, head-forward syndrome, or text neck
• Fatigue or depression, as the pose has mild energizing and uplifting effects.

Cautions: Those with lower back pain can usually do this pose, but if you notice pinching or discomfort, then bend your knees and have your feet on the floor as in Constructive Rest position. Those with arthritis in the neck will likely need to do the versions with the head elevated on props. For those with shoulder issues, you may want to skip the arms overhead variation if it causes worsening pain in your shoulder joints. People with severe kyphosis (upper back rounding) may need to use much smaller roll under the chest and use lots of head support. 

1. Classic Version

To set up for the pose, place a bolster or thickly rolled blanket crosswise on your mat, about 2/3 of the way towards the back of your mat. If you like, you can add in a folded blanket to support your head. Then, sit down in front of the bolster about one to two feet away from it (depending on your height), with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. 

To come into the pose, use your hands to guide yourself back and down onto the bolster, arching your spine to bring your head down onto the floor just beyond the bolster. The bolster should support your upper back, with the lower tips of your shoulder blades on the center of the bolster. The tops of your shoulders should hang towards the floor but not rest on it. If necessary, shift yourself forward or backward to achieve this alignment.

Next, bring your arms straight out to your sides, just along the top edge of the bolster, so the back of your hands, and maybe your elbows, rest on the floor. You can keep your arms straight or bend at the elbows into a Cactus position (as shown in the photo). Finally, straighten your legs along the floor. Firm your leg muscles and draw the balls of your feet back towards the tops of your shins. 

When you have finally aligned yourself in the pose, release the weight of your upper body onto the support and bring your attention to your breath. Breathe comfortably for 6-12 breaths and then try to deepen your breath for 6 additional breaths. Gradually work your way up to longer holds, eventually holding the pose for up to 3 minutes.

To come out of the pose, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Then roll off the props onto your side, and slowly come up to sitting.

2. Arms Overhead

(Sorry, no photo) 

This is a great version if you want to get even more opening of your thoracic spine and the long axis of your front body, as well as improving the range of motion of your shoulders. It is especially helpful for warming up for backbends or standing poses where your arms are overhead.

Come into the classic version of the pose as above. Next, take your arms straight up towards the ceiling and actively reach upwards. Then slowly take your arms overhead, reaching more for the wall behind you than for the floor. Press your heels forward and reach your hands back at the same time.

Take 6-8 breaths in this extended position, gradually working your way up to longer holds, eventually holding the pose for up to 3 minutes. Then on an exhalation, bring your arms back up toward the ceiling and then out to your sides and to the floor. Exit as for the classic pose.

3. Block and Head Support

This is a great variation because the block is firmer than the bolster and typically invites more opening of your thoracic spine. And the blanket under your head is helpful if your neck is sensitive or painful when dropping back (the blanket could be used in the first two versions as well). 

To set up for the pose, place the block on its lowest height crosswise on the mat, about where the bolster is in the classic version and place the folded blanket where your head will be. From here, move into the pose the same way as you do for the classic version, with the lower tips of your shoulder blades resting on the center of the block. You can make the blanket thicker or thinner as your neck requires. 

While you are in the pose, work with your breath and timing as in the classic pose. Then exit the same way.

4. Two Blocks

I really like this version for focusing on increasing the flexibility of the spine and stretching of the front body, while completely eliminating the backbend of the neck and head. And with your head actually raised higher than your heart, you work more deeply with your breath or even use the pose as a more restorative, meditative position. 

To set up for the pose, place the first block on its middle height lengthwise on the mat, about where the bolster is in the classic version and place the second block is on its highest height, about 6 inches behind the first. 

Now, sit down in front of the first block about one to two feet away from it (depending on your height), with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Arch your spine a bit and use your hands to guide yourself back and down onto the first block. Rest your spine onto the block so the block is between your shoulder blades and rest your head on the second block. (If the block isn’t between your shoulder blades and/or your head is not resting comfortably on the second block, come out of the pose and move the blocks to better position.) Finally, take your arms out to the sides and straighten your legs. 

While you are in the pose, work with your breath and timing as in the classic pose. Then exit the same way.

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Yoga and Parkinson's Disease, Part 1

by Richard Rosen, guest contributor

A Road Through the Woods by Brad Gibson

When we received a question last week about yoga and Parkinson’s Disease, we turned to our friend Richard Rosen. Richard Rosen is a senior yoga teacher, who has been practicing yoga for 31 years and who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease about 9 years ago. Richard had so many interesting things to say in the response to the question that we decided to make it a separate post. —Nina
Q: Interested in suggestions for yoga for students with Parkinson's.

A: Parkinson’s Disease (I prefer Condition) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Common symptoms include loss of muscular flexibility, balance, and strength. You may notice that these are the very physical qualities promoted by the physical practice of yoga postures and related exercises. To a certain undetermined extent then, yoga exercises help to not exactly counteract PD symptoms, but go a long way toward at least a temporary amelioration. These exercises (depending on the frequency and intensity of practice) also help cultivate and refine greater body awareness, which in turn (again to an undetermined extent) allows the individual to self-correct certain of the symptoms. I’m hedging everything I say here because, as in all of life, there are no guarantees. Some conditions progress very rapidly, others only gradually. But in any case the sooner a credible practice is established the better it will serve the individual. I can’t stress this enough: once the diagnosis of PD is confirmed, if you’re not already practicing some form of yoga exercise, get started immediately with a competent teacher.

This is a very difficult question to answer in 25 words or fewer as it’s stated here. I would ask first about the students’ condition: are they pretty much at the same level of development, or are some farther along? If the former, are they all still fairly mobile, is their balance still decent, their strength and flexibility? If the latter, how serious is the situation? Do some need canes or walkers? Is the shaking debilitating at times? Different strokes for different folks is the operative approach.

And then I’d need to know something about the teacher, if there is one. Training? Experience? Are there props like chairs and bolsters? What size is the class, if there is one? Are there assistants if there are more than, say, 6 to 8 students? Don’t mean to be evasive here but a PD class is definitely not like an average public class, these are students that need extra attention.

Or are you asking in general about individual students you might be working with in a private setting? Again it’s important to tailor the work to the student’s level of development. Without more detailed information I can only give general suggestions. 

Certainly one of the most useful exercises would be a passive backbend over a bolster or rolled blanket (see here for a photo). We PD people tend to slump after awhile and the backbend helps encourage a long (not "straight") front spine. The thickness of the support would depend on the student, both his/her level of development and previous experience with yoga-influenced exercises (I assume when you say “yoga” you’re talking about asana-like postures; please remember “yoga” is an umbrella term for a wide variety of schools and practices, and shouldn’t be equated solely with asana). Obviously the stiffer the student, the smaller the roll’s diameter should be, and stiffer students will likely need a blanket support under the back of their head to prevent jamming the neck, and should also keep knees bent and feet on the floor to avoid back strain. The roll should be positioned under the lower tips of the shoulder blades so that the arms can lay comfortably off to the sides, not higher than parallel to the line of the shoulders. Initially the student might stay for a couple of minutes, then slowly over time, depending on the student and the seriousness of his/her practice, increase the stay to 5-6 minutes. I should emphasize here that if the student isn’t ready or willing to practice regularly—every day would be ideal—then the exercises will have minimal impact if only practiced once weekly or less.

While in the pose it’s essential that some attention be paid to the breath. Have the student pretend he/she can channel the inhalations slowly and directly into the space behind the sternum (yes, I know that’s where the heart is, I said “pretend”), so that each intake creates more and more space in the upper chest. On the exhalations have the student imagine sinking down over the blanket, so that with each successive exhale, he/she seems to be releasing more and more over the roll.

I’m not, at this point, particularly comfortable going any farther until I learn something more about the teacher-student relationship, the former’s chops and the latter’s needs. Please write to this blog again with more information about yourself and the students, and of what you intend to do with this instruction. 

Richard Rosen is currently the director of Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, CA. He is a contributing editor for Yoga Journal magazine, and is the author of three books, The Yoga of Breath (Shambhala 2002), Yoga for 50+ (Ulysses 2004), and Pranayama Beyond the Basics (Shambhala 2006). He’s also created a set of seven CDs titled The Practice of Pranayama, issued by Shambhala, and Shambhala will publish his Original Yoga, a book about traditional Hatha Yoga, in 2011. (To find out more about Richard and Piedmont Yoga Studio, see here.)

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