Round the bend
Typical yoga routines include a variety of backbends practiced repeatedly throughout the postures. When doing these backbends, it’s important to create an “even” arch along the entire spine so you don’t end up “crunching” your lower back. Here are two versions of backbends.
-- Karen Voight
1 Lie face down on a mat or a padded surface with your elbows under your shoulders and your legs extended behind you. Keep your inner ankles and inner knees facing each other. With your fingers pointed forward and your forearms parallel to each other, lift your chest, bringing your chest forward between your upper arms. Draw your shoulder blades down your back and feel your upper spine arching. Hold this position for three to six breaths. Continue to the next variation or release and repeat.
2 For a slightly more advanced backbend, slide your hands back so they’re next to your lower ribs. Firmly press into your hands and keep your hips on the floor as you raise your upper body off the floor. Extend your sternum (breastbone) forward. Think of pulling your mat backward as you drag your upper body forward. Keep moving your shoulders down and away from your ears. Check that your chin is parallel to the floor so you don’t over-bend in your neck. Hold for six to eight breaths, then release your forehead down to the floor.
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Voight is the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Sleek Essentials.”