Compare the sides

My teacher Gary Kraftsow likes to say that human body is a “weight bearing mechanism within gravitational field.” The weight of the upper body (head, ribcage, spine, limbs, organs, etc.) is organized as one column and it needs to be transferred through the pelvis into two columns of your legs. The crucial junctures for this transfer are the sacroiliac joints that link your sacrum (bottom part of the spine) to your pelvis and legs.

The symmetry and proper functioning of those joints are crucial for maintaining proper posture, pain-free back, easy gait, and overall structural integrity. This week we will investigate the symmetry and stability of those joints.

HOW TO: Lie down on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor. Take few deep breaths. Bring your attention to the point of contact between your lower back and the floor. Notice if your pelvis feels level. Then lightly lean your knees from side to side and notice how the areas around your sacrum feel. Do you feel any difference from right to left? Then extend your legs down and notice if your pelvis feels level, if your legs feel like they are equal length, whether or not you have any discomfort on either side of your lower back. Did you discover any asymmetry around your sacrum?

If you have recurring discomfort or sense of instability in your lower back, check out our brand new series Yoga for Lower Back and Sacrum Stability > (Enter code happy30 at checkout. this coupon is good till June 30, 2019)

Read more about lower back pain stemming from sacroiliac joint asymmetry>