home practice

by Andrea Ferretti
sequence by Rodney Yee

Curves
Ahead
TELL THE TRUTH. You’ve been in the midst of a
backbending practice and felt desire flood your
entire being. It made your heart beat fast and your
Forget about eyes freeze with intense focus. It drove you to
pushing higher bend back with all your might until your groins
PHOTOS: MARTY SCONDUTO; MODEL: RODNEY YEE; STYLIST: LYN HEINEKEN; HAIR/MAKEUP: CHRIS MCDONALD; TOP: AMERICAN APPAREL; SHORTS: INNER WAVES ORGANICS

and harder. hardened, your thighbones pushed up and out,

before you begin
Yee recommends doing whatever
is necessary for you to feel mentally
and physically settled before the
sequence. If you’re feeling agitated
or full of energy, start with Adho
Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand) or do
a sequence of standing poses. If you’re
feeling quiet, chant or simply sit in
meditation for a few minutes.
The key to back-
bends is to focus
on an even
spinal curve.
after you finish
If you’d like to add to this sequence,
try Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow
Pose) after Purvottanasana (Upward
Plank Pose). Then do the twist Bharad-
vajasana (Bharadvaja’s Twist) as shown
above. Afterward, do a simple reclined
twist. Then move into Supta Baddha
Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle
Pose) and Savasana (Corpse Pose).
and your lower back arched too deeply. Later that
day, the adrenaline rush long gone, you felt
drained, spacey, and loaded with lower back pain.
Backbends are exciting, and it’s normal to crave
a deep, gorgeous arc in your spine, but pushing
yourself too hard isn’t worth the heartache—or
backache. Rodney Yee, who created the sequence
that follows, offers this simple advice: Create even-
ness in your spine by imagining that it’s like a
wheel. To do this, Yee advises pressing the thigh-
bones back toward the hamstrings and then tuck-
ing the tailbone slightly. Experiment with this
action in your backbends and you’ll begin to notice
that it keeps your lower back long and free from
compression. Also, avoid overbending your neck;
allow it to be a natural extension of the rest of the
spine rather than lettting it hang back listlessly.
By following these instructions, you will
also increase the flow of prana toward your
heart, or the fourth chakra. Yee likens the
heart to Grand Central Station: “You
want everything to flow through it. When
you overbend anywhere in your spine, it’s like
creating a kink in a garden hose. You block that
energy flow.” But if you align yourself properly, you
can bring energy into your heart chakra, which
B.K.S. Iyengar calls the seat of the soul. When you
do this, Yee says, “you’ll have the euphoria after-
ward but not the adrenaline crash. There’ll be an
energetic clarity instead of an energetic blasting.”
continued on next page

DECEMBER 2006 YOGAJOURNAL.COM 71

 home practice
curves ahead
sequence by Rodney Yee
1
1 Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), variation
Fold a blanket so that it is 3 to 4 inches wide. Roll up one end to
the size of a grapefruit. Place it 3 inches below your navel, and lie
on top of it so that it is between your hip points and above your
pubic bone. Relax and drape yourself over the prop. Then notice
how it supports your lower back: As it presses into your belly and
makes it hollow, the low back will lengthen, your tailbone will
drop, and your heels will turn away from each other. Next, place
your hands on either side of your chest and begin to slowly press
up to Cobra Pose. Wiggle your spine to get any kinks out, then
make the arch in your spine as even as possible. Repeat several
times, staying for 3 to 5 breaths each time.
2 TV-Watching Pose
Place your hands under your chin as you lengthen your torso
and legs away from your head. Experiment with the placement
of your elbows (closer to or farther from your chest). As you stay
here for 5 to 10 breaths, allow your entire spine to deepen into
your body while the muscles of your back spread wide. The back-
bend of your lower back should match the curve in your neck.
3 Ardha Virasana (Half Hero Pose), variation
Bring your left leg into a squat and your right leg into Virasana.
Place your fingertips behind you and lift your pelvis up. As the
pelvis rises, let the chest follow. Tuck your tailbone as you relax
your inner groins. Even though your pelvis lifts, press the right
thighbone back toward your hamstrings. Gaze at your chest or
drop your head back. Stay for 5 to 10 breaths, then switch sides.
10
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2
4 Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
(Bridge Pose), variation
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor,
hip-width apart. Place a yoga block under your sacrum at what-
ever height is comfortable for you. Place your heels firmly on the
ground. Bring your right leg into Virasana. If you can, reach down
and grasp your right ankle and bring the top of your right foot
close to your hip. (If you feel any knee pain, keep both heels on
the ground.) Lift your chest as you lower your right knee toward
the floor. Then lengthen your tailbone and sacrum as your thigh-
bones descend toward your hamstrings. After 5 to 8 breaths,
switch sides. Rest for 10 breaths with both feet on the floor.
5 Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
(Upward-Facing Dog Pose), variation
Place the back of a chair against a wall. Wrap your fingers around
the sides of the seat. Bring your shoulders directly above your
wrists. Extend your legs behind you powerfully, and internally
rotate your thighs. Drop your tailbone, keep your groins soft, and
press your thighbones back. Lift your chest and gaze up, but don’t
jam your neck. Stay for 5 to 10 breaths and repeat several times.
6 Standing Drop Back
Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Lengthen your tailbone
toward your heels, firm your legs, and press your thighbones
back. On an inhalation, lift your chest as high as you can until you
begin to drop back into a backbend. Remember that the entire
spine should bend evenly—avoid compressing your lower back.
Take your hands to your upper thighs and bend your knees slightly
if you need to. Stay for a few breaths and exhale to come back
up. Repeat 3 times.
7 Ustrasana (Camel Pose)
Kneel on your shins with your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
Once again, press your thighbones back toward your hamstrings
as your tailbone moves forward. On an exhalation, lift your chest
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9 DECEMBER 2006
 3

and arch back, bringing your hands to your heels. If you feel any back
4
pain, stay upright, placing your palms on your sacrum with the finger-
tips pointing up. Repeat 3 times, staying for 3 to 5 breaths each time.

8 Purvottanasana (Upward Plank Pose)

Sit with your legs extended straight in front of you and your finger-
tips about 8 inches behind your hips. Inhale, press your palms into

5
the floor, and lift your pelvis as high as you can without jamming your
lower back. Hollow your belly as you did during Cobra Pose. As you
stay for 3 to 5 breaths, focus on lengthening your entire body as much
as you focus on lifting up. Repeat 3 times.

9 Supta Baddha Konasana

(Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
Sit with your sacrum at the edge of a round bolster, and have three
blankets and a strap nearby. Bend your knees and place the soles of
your feet together, drawing them close to your pelvis. Fold two blan-
kets and place one under each thigh; it’s important to support your
legs so that you can fully relax in the pose. Place the last blanket at
the top of the bolster for your head. Next, make a very large loop out
of the strap; wrap it around the back of your pelvis and the outside of
your feet. Pull it tight enough so that your legs feel supported, but not
so tight that it causes discomfort. Lie back on the bolster. Your head

6
should be slightly higher than your chest, and your chest should be
higher than your pelvis. Rest your arms on the floor, with your palms
facing up. Stay here for 3 to 5 minutes, or longer if you like.

10 Savasana (Corpse Pose), variation

Fold your blanket so that it is a couple of inches thick and about a foot
wide. Place the blanket underneath your chest and slide your arms
under the blanket. Bring your legs hip-width apart with your knees fac-
ing the ceiling. Place a strap around your thighs to prevent your legs
from turning out and to keep your sacrum broad. Place a sandbag
on the very top of your thighs to help press your thighbones down.
Release deeply into the pose for 10 minutes. Gradually roll to your right
side, place your hands on the floor, and press up to a seated position.

7 ✄
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