Stretch and strengthen your hamstrings and back
Our contemporary sedentary lifestyles are not kind to our backs (weakening them) and our hamstrings (tightening them). Tight hamstrings can pull your pelvis out of alignment and increase the strain on your lower back. We all know how committed the yoga world is to stretching the hamstrings, but whenever we embark on that journey, we need to be sure to do the following:
- We need to increase circulation to hamstrings before we stretch them (otherwise, we are risking tears in hamstring tendons)
- We need to combine hamstring stretching/strengthening with lower back stretching/strengthening because these structures are intimately linked and work together.
Back-bending postures work great for the first task, and forward-bending poses are perfect for the second. In this yoga practice, we combine these two types of poses and gradually increase the intensity of the work for your back and your hamstrings. This practice emphasizes asymmetrical poses to challenge your body one side at a time. It culminates with some deep asymmetrical forward bends that will stretch all posterior (back) structures of your body. This practice will also help you feel a bit more grounded and balanced by building awareness of your body’s position in space and using Bhumisparsha mudra to connect to the energies of both earth and spirit.
ATTENTION: Do NOT insist on keeping your legs straight in poses if your body is not ready for it. Keep your knees slightly (or more than slightly) bent and focus on lengthening your spine.
Please give it a try and let me know how it feels!
