The Yoga Back Book: The Gentle Yet Effective Way to Spinal Health

Back Break

To relieve back tension which builds up during prolonged sitting, a ‘back break’ is ideal. Get up from your seat and practise exercises to counteract the forward-bending attitude inherent in most sedentary activities.

Practise neck and shoulder exercises such as described in chapter four. Also practise a standing version of the Stick Posture (also chapter four, here (#litres_trial_promo)), which is an excellent all-body stretch.

In addition, practise the two exercises to follow. Modify them to suit your needs or circumstances.

Posture Clasp

1 Sit on your heels in the Japanese Sitting Position (see Fig. 9 (#litres_trial_promo)). Breathe regularly.

2 Reach over your right shoulder with your right hand. Keep your elbow pointing upwards rather than forwards, and your arm close to your ear.

3 With your left hand, reach behind your back, from below, and interlock the fingers with those of the right hand. Maintain a naturally erect posture throughout the exercise and keep breathing (Fig. 11 (#litres_trial_promo)).

4 Hold this posture as long as you comfortably can. Do not hold your breath.

5 Resume your beginning position. Relax. Shrug your shoulders a few times, or rotate them, as you wish,

6 Repeat the exercise, changing the position of the arms and hands, so that the left elbow now points upwards.

Fig. 11. Posture Clasp

Variations

You can practise the Posture Clasp in a standing position, or sitting on a stool or bench, or in a folded-leg posture.

If your hands don’t touch each other, use a scarf or other suitable item as an extension: toss one end over your shoulder, and reach behind and below to grasp the other end. Pull upwards with the upper hand and downwards with the lower.

Chest Expander

1 Stand tall with your feet comfortably apart and your arms at your sides. Breathe regularly.

2 Inhale and raise your arms sideways to shoulder level; turn your palms downwards.

3 Exhale and lower your arms. Swing them behind you and interlace the fingers of one hand with those of the other. Maintain a naturally erect posture and keep breathing regularly.

4 With fingers still interlaced, raise your arms upwards to their comfortable limit; keep them straight (Fig. 12 (#litres_trial_promo)). Remember to maintain an erect standing position and to keep breathing regularly.

5 Hold this posture as long as you can with absolute comfort. Do not hold your breath.

6 Slowly lower your arms, unlock your fingers and relax. You may shrug or rotate your shoulders a few times.

Fig. 12. Chest Expander

Variations

Practise the Chest Expander in any comfortable sitting position.

After completing the basic Chest Expander, slowly bend forwards, keeping your back straight and bending at your hip joints rather than at your waist. Keep your arms pushed upwards. Relax your neck. Hold the forwards bend briefly, then slowly and carefully return to your starting position. Relax. (Did you remember to keep breathing regularly?)

Standing

When we talk of poor posture, we generally mean slack posture. To correct this, there may be a tendency to cultivate posture that is excessively rigid, and this could result in tense muscles and restricted breathing.

In correct standing, the chin is in, the head up (crown uppermost), the back flattened and the pelvis straight (neutral position). The ribcage is full and round to permit adequate ventilation of the lungs and to prevent pressure on internal organs (Fig. 13 (#litres_trial_promo)).

Fig. 13. Good posture in standing

In a strained position (Fig. 14 (#litres_trial_promo)), the pelvis tilts forwards, thus increasing the spinal curves and strain on joints and ligaments. The chin is out and the ribs are down, causing pressure on internal organs. The lower back is arched (swayback). This is the most common type of poor posture in a standing position.

Fig. 14. Poor posture in standing

Even when standing correctly, there is tremendous pressure on lumbar discs – about 182 pounds per square inch on the third lumbar disc. Avoid standing, therefore, if you can sit, walk or squat. When you must stand, rest one foot on a convenient prop such as a bar rail, a box, a low stool or a shelf under a counter.

Walking

Stand tall to reduce stress. Relax your shoulders. Flatten your shoulderblades. Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles to help to tuck your bottom in. Distribute your body weight equally between your feet. Breathe regularly. Swing your arms effortlessly. Move your legs from your hip joints. Practise Diaphragmatic breathing (see chapter eight, here (#litres_trial_promo)) for part of your walk.

When walking up stairs, try this: Plant the whole foot on the stair instead of walking on tiptoe. It will exercise your ankle and help to conserve energy as you reach the top of the stairs.

Lying

When you lie down, you relieve your spine of much of your body weight. This reduces compression on the discs. Experiment with lying positions to find those that are most restful for you.

Lie either on your back (supine) or on your side. Avoid lying on your abdomen (prone), as it places unnecessary strain on your lower spine. When you do have to lie prone, however, place a small pillow or cushion under your hips. It will prevent exaggeration of the spinal arch and reduce tension of the back muscles.

In the supine position, you can bend your knees and rest the soles of your feet flat on the surface on which you are lying. You may experiment with inserting a large cushion, pillow or bolster under the bent knees (Fig. 15 (#litres_trial_promo)). This is a very relaxing position for the back – one recommended by many orthopaedic specialists.

Fig. 15. Good posture in lying

I sometimes lie in a similar position, but with my knees together and bent, soles flat on the mat or sofa or bed, and feet about the hip-width apart. I find this easier to maintain for a longer time than if the knees were apart.

To counteract neck strain resulting from too much looking downwards, try rolling a towel, like a sausage, and putting it under your neck as you lie on your back for half-an-hour or so. You may also arrange the rolled towel like a collar to prevent your head from rolling to the side.

Consider using a feather or kapok pillow, which moulds itself to the contour of the head and neck while giving support and promoting relaxation. A foam pillow, by contrast, has recoil which tends to produce a certain amount of neck tension.

Your mattress should be firm yet able to conform to your body’s contours without sagging.

When lying on your side, place a small pillow or cushion between your knees to prevent your hips from rotating and your spine from twisting. Both legs, or only the top one, may be bent for maximum comfort (Fig. 16 (#litres_trial_promo)).

Fig. 16. Good posture in lying

Getting up (From Lying)

Never get up in a rush. Avoid getting straight upwards from a supine position. Instead, roll onto your side, bend your knees, bring them closer to your chest and use your hands to help push you onto your hip (Fig. 17 (#litres_trial_promo)).

Fig. 17. Getting up safely