기본 콘텐츠로 건너뛰기

Strengthens the spine. Sphinx Pose

Sphinx Pose

Sphinx Pose is the infant of backbends. It can be practiced with either an active or passive approach.



Sphinx Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
Lie on your belly, legs side by side. Firm your tailbone toward your pubis and lengthen it toward your heels. Then, rotate your thighs inwardly by rolling your outer thighs toward the floor. This helps broaden and lengthen your lower back and sacrum (the downward-facing triangular bone at the back of your pelvis) to protect it in a backbend.


Step 2
Reach actively through your toes to the wall behind you. As you move into the pose, be sure to continue lengthening your tail toward your heels to protect your lower back. Your buttocks should be firm but not clenched. While your legs are active, your tongue, eyes, and brain should be quiet.


Step 3
Now set your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor parallel to each other. Inhale and lift your upper torso and head away from the floor into a mild backbend.


Step 4
The final step to building a solid foundation in Sphinx Pose is to bring awareness to your lower belly, the area just above the pubic bone and below the navel. Lightly draw it away from the floor to create a dome that rounds up toward your lower back. This is very subtle—no sucking in, hardening, or rigidity required. This belly lift supports and distributes the curvature of your backbend more evenly along the length of the spine, soothing your lower back and awakening your upper back.


 Step 5
Stay for five to 10 breaths, then exhale and slowly release your belly and lower your torso and head to the floor. Turn your head to one side. Lie quietly for a while, broadening your back with each inhale, and releasing any tension with each exhale. Repeat once or twice more if you like.





Beginner's Tip

Roll up a towel and arrange it in a U-shape on the floor. Lie with the bottom of the U just above your pubic bone and the legs of the U under the sides of your belly to help support the belly lift.



Benefits

  • Strengthens the spine
  • Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
  • Firms the buttocks
  • Stimulates abdominal organs
  • Helps relieve stress

댓글

댓글 쓰기

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

Shoulder-Pressing Pose

This arm balance relies more on precise positioning than on strength, making it more accessible for students beginning an arm balancing practice. Shoulder-Pressing Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Squat with your feet a little less than shoulder width apart, knees wide. Step 2 Tilt your torso forward between your inner thighs. Then, keeping your torso low, raise your hips until your thighs become close to parallel to the floor. Step 3 Snug your upper left arm and shoulder as much as possible under the back of your left thigh just above the knee, and place your left hand on the floor at the outside edge of your left foot, fingers pointing forward. Then repeat on the right. As you do this your upper back will round. Step 4 Press your inner hands firmly against the floor and slowly begin to rock your weight back, off your feet and onto your hands. As you straighten your arms, your feet will lift lightly off floor, not by raw strength but by ...
댓글 쓰기
자세한 내용 보기

Four-Limbed Staff Pose

Learn four-limbed staff pose because it is frequently practiced as part of the traditional Sun Salutation sequence. Four-Limbed Staff Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions Step 1 Perform Adho Mukha Svanasana, then Plank Pose. Firm your shoulder blades against your back ribs and press your tailbone toward your pubis. Step 2 With an exhalation slowly lower your torso and legs to a few inches above and parallel to the floor. There's a tendency in this pose for the lower back to sway toward the floor and the tailbone to poke up toward the ceiling. Throughout your stay in this position, keep the tailbone firmly in place and the legs very active and turned slightly inward. Draw the pubis toward the navel. Step 3 Keep the space between the shoulder blades broad. Don't let the elbows splay out to the sides; hold them in by the sides of the torso and push them back toward the heels. Press the bases of the index fingers firmly to the floor. Lift the top of the ster...
댓글 쓰기
자세한 내용 보기

Supine Pigeon/Supta Kapotāsana yoga pose

Supine Pigeon/Supta Kapotāsana(Yoga pose) Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Cross your left foot over your right quad. Lift your right leg off the floor. Grab onto the back of your right leg and gently pull it toward your chest. When you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there. Hold for at least 5 breaths and then repeat on the other side. Stretches the outer hip (abductor) muscles, including the gluteus medius.
댓글 쓰기
자세한 내용 보기