Mainstream YogaLand wants you to believe that pushing to accomplish a pose means progress. Images of hyperflexible bodies on social media may look like accomplished yogis, but the snapshot doesn't tell what's happening inside their bodies, when musculoskeletal stress injuries or a mysterious pain syndrome may be acquired some years down the road.
These photos of backbends are neither "right" nor "wrong," but are good examples of how physical culture tends to view certain forms as a demonstration of yoga, despite the risk of injury. Perhaps the photo on the left appears so easy it wouldn't even qualify as a yoga pose. But gentle is my yoga.
If we zoom into the function of backbends rather than form, spinal extension should be distributed throughout the spine, not limited to a small area. The photo on the left is not fancy, but it is an example of supportive distribution of effort and extension throughout the spine, from the hips to the head. In the photo on the right, most of the back-bending is located in a small hypermobile area of the lower back. Repeated practice of this pose in this manner is a recipe for disaster.
As the jedi of Star Wars say, "This is not the flexibility you are looking for." In all seriousness, yoga doesn't happen when the body has been pushed to its limits, but when the body's limits are explored with care.
I recently saw a student for their weekly private yoga session and asked them what they felt they needed that day. After pausing to check in with themselves, they asked for stability and nourishment.
I was delighted!
After just two months of regular practice, my new student had embodied their yoga and was able to articulate their need not to push, but to yield. This is a major milestone: coming to the mat with receptivity so the body knows it will get what it needs, not what your mind or habits have determined should happen. The postures and forms help us to explore what is the right amount of effort at a pace that the breath can support.
Before you do your next yoga practice, place your hands over your heart and check in with yourself. Take as much time as you need, listen to your heart, and do your best to give yourself what you need that day.
If you're hypermobile or very flexible, more postures are available to you, but it's best to explore a normal range of motion and challenge your stability with slower movement and breathing. If you're not sure what kind of yoga is best for you at this time, or need instruction in meditation to bring your yoga practice full circle, let's connect.
In peace,
Kristen
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