A famous yoga guru once said, you will never grow old if your spine stays young. Experts believe that you are as old or young as your spine. So how can you keep your spine young? By keeping it flexible and strong! The importance of having a strong and flexible spine cannot be overstated. And given that this is vitally important, how can we go about achieving a flexible and strong spine?
Why we should all aim for a more flexible and stronger spine
A stronger spine means that your body is better able to keep injury, aches and pains at bay. In other words that dreaded lower back pain can be avoided. Why let things get to a point where you have to treat lower back pain? Why not just avoid it! Pain can become a prison; curtailing our activities and preventing us from doing the things we love, with the people who mean most to us. Look at it this way: a strong spine means that lifting that heavy grocery bag is that much less likely to land you in bed with a strained back; and much more likely to let you enjoy that nature trek you’ve been planning!
Flexibility is not about being able to contort the body into various shapes; it is about maximizing the body’s range of motion; about achieving optimal mobility. Suppleness is also about better balance and enhanced control. Aasans that improve flexibility will also correct imbalance of posture and help to relieve physical stress.
Yoga aasans that help to improve spinal flexibility and strength
Many of the aasans that I recommend for treating lower back pain will also work for increasing spinal flexibility. With the help of these yoga poses you can improve flexibility and banish that aching, tight feeling in your back:
Plank pose of Phalakasana – This pose has many benefits including improving spinal strength. With your palms flat on the ground and your torso facing downward, your body weight is supported on your palms and your toes as you straighten the body rather like a plank. The reserve plank also has your body in a plank position, only with your torso facing upward. This is a much more difficult aasan and not something you should try without guidance.
Bhujangasan or cobra pose – as you lie on your stomach and then arch your torso up and off the ground with your head facing upward, you will feel the muscles of the back stretching and working. Over time and with practice you will be able to arch your spine further and more easily.
The forward fold position –This stretches the spine in a direction opposite from bhujang aasan. You can do this in standing position (Uttanasan) or in seated position (Paschimottanasana) with legs outstretched. You reach for your feet with your fingers and try to bring your head as close to your knees as possible. Doing this pose regularly, you will find that your reach improves and where earlier you may not have been able to touch your toes, you can easily do so.
Anjaneyasana or low lunge pose – with one leg stretched out behind you and the other bent at the knee in front of you, you will face upward with your folded hands reaching up. Not only will you feel your spine arching; you will feel the stretch in pretty much your entire body.
Over time you will feel how much freer your back feels, how you are able perform a greater range of actions more comfortably and without the apprehension of injury. After all you have only one spine; you owe it to yourself to look after it properly!
To learn and practice a range of varied aasans and styles, visit Yoga Central for a free trial yoga class in bandra. Call 99675 31905.