Backbends for Newer Students 6-18 Months Experience

Pixie has put together a sequence targeting students with 6-18 months experience. This sequence aims to consolidate your basic backbend practice with accessible poses to build your capacity for a fuller backbend practice.

Sequence steps

Adho Mukha Svanasana Supta Forward Downward-Facing Dog Pose Reclining Bound Angle Pose Downward-Facing Hero Pose On the breath. 3-5 minutes 1 minute Press evenly into your hands and feet. The main Join your feet together, your heels pressed to your Join your feet together under your buttocks and aim is to elongate the back of your body while pelvis. Lie back over a bolster or other form of keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to lifting your hips up as high off the ground as support. Relax and let your chest open. If fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You possible. If necessary, bend your knees a little but necessary, use a strap to hold your feet in place. can rest your head on the floor or on a block. stay strong in the legs.

Tadasana Urdhva Baddanguliyasana Paschima Namaskar Mountain Pose Upward Salute with Interlocked Fingers Reverse Prayer Pose 30 seconds 30 seconds per side 30 seconds Stand up tall and straight, place your feet close Stretch your arms in front of you and interlock your Stand in and spread your arms outward. together, with your heels and big toes touching. fingers. Turn your palms inside out and lift your Then bring your hands behind your back, join your Imagine as if you are standing with your back arms up overhead, making sure to keep your palms together, and walk them up to capacity. If against the wall. Extend your whole body from the shoulders open. Change the interlock of your you lack wrist mobility, you can also simply grab heels up through the crown of your head. fingers and repeat. hold of your elbows. Adho Mukha Vrksasana Arms Adho Mukha Svanasana Cow Face Pose Downward-Facing Dog Pose 15-30 seconds 30 seconds 45 seconds Open your hands into the floor and strengthen Extend your left arm up and the right one down. Press evenly into your hands and feet. The main your arms as you lift your body up, one leg at a Bend your elbows and reach your hands toward aim is to elongate the back of your body while time, into an inverted balance. Use the wall for each other from behind. If clasping them is not lifting your hips up as high off the ground as support if necessary. If pushing yourself up proves possible, use a belt or strap. Pull your elbows in possible. If necessary, bend your knees a little but to be too difficult, you can walk your feet up the opposite directions. Repeat on both sides. stay strong in the legs. wall.

Parsvottanasana (Concave Spine) Salamba Sirsasana I Intense Side Stretch Pose Wide Legged Forward Bend with Concave Spine Headstand 1 45 seconds 1 minute 5 minutes Place your feet one leg-length apart, your back foot Spread your weight evenly between your feet and Activate your shoulders and upper back muscles angled out slightly. Keep your legs straight as you keep your back straight as you tip from your hips, as you lift your body up into inverted balance. Use start to fold over your front leg, maintaining a placing your hands on the floor, blocks, or chair the wall for support if necessary. concave spine for as far into the bend as possible. seat, depending on your flexibility.

Ustrasana Chatushpadasana Camel Pose Four-Footed Pose Bow Pose 15-20 seconds 20 seconds 10-25 seconds Assume a kneeling position. Then, open your chest Lie down with your knees bent so that your feet As you lie on your belly grab a hold of your feet and shoulders as you reach back towards your are close to your buttocks. Grab onto your ankles from behind. Pull the feet as close to your head as feet. To decrease the intensity of the bend, lay a and lift your hips up above the ground. Open your possible, bending back to capacity. bolster over your ankles. chest up and breathe. Setu Bandha Adho Mukha Svanasana Shoulder Supported Bridge Downward-Facing Dog Pose Standing Forward Bend 1.5 minutes 45 seconds 1-2 minutes Start by lying down. Press your shoulders into the Press evenly into your hands and feet. The main Starting in Tadasana, exhale and reach down floor, using them as leverage to lift your hips up to aim is to elongate the back of your body while towards your feet. Let your spine release capacity. Use your hands to support your back and lifting your hips up as high off the ground as downwards. You can bend your knees or place allow yourself to go into a deeper stretch. You can possible. If necessary, bend your knees a little but your hands on blocks if you lack the necessary also place a block below your lumbar spine for stay strong in the legs. flexibility. support.

Virasana Forward Supta Padangusthasana I Supta Padangusthasana II Downward-Facing Hero Pose Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 45 seconds 30 seconds per side 30 seconds per side Join your feet together under your buttocks and Press your back body into the floor, point the Press your back body down. Point kneecap and keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to kneecap and toes of your supine leg toward the toes on your left leg upward, as you stretch your fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You ceiling, as you extend the other leg up over your right leg out to the side. Use a belt if necessary. can rest your head on the floor or on a block. hip. Use a belt if needed.

Halasana Virasana Forward Plough Pose Savasana Downward-Facing Hero Pose 5-7 minutes Corpse Pose 1-2 minutes Use support under your shoulders. Keeping your 5 minutes Join your feet together under your buttocks and shoulders open, lift your hips up high above your Lie down on the floor. Spread your arms and legs keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to head, dropping your feet down behind you. Place slightly at your side. Relax and concentrate on fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You your hands on your back to help keep it from your breath. can rest your head on the floor or on a block. rounding.