1. Find Your Primary Curve
Yoga forward bend poses move your spine into the same form that it had during the 9 months you passed in the womb, the shape of the primary curve. Placing yourself in a forward bend compresses the abdomen to massage the organs and improve circulation. Additionally, as you fall into the bend, gravity works to stretch the hamstrings and open the spaces between the vertebra, reducing pressure on the nerves and reducing pain. Finally, as you compress the chest, you experience full exhalation of air from the lungs as you calm the mind.
2. The Power of Breath
Breathing is one of the fundamental principles of yoga, as deep rhythmic breathing not only helps to center the mind and time your poses, is also protects your body by reducing strain as you move. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth, always moving on the exhale.
3. Chill Out, Child
Of all the yoga poses, child's pose is one of the most important, and is used to warm up and cool down and also makes a great relaxation pose for when you need to rest between postures. To complete the most basic of all forward bends, rest on your knees with your big toes touching, tops of the feet flat on the mat and buttocks resting on your heels. Lean forward, resting your forehead on the mat and chest on your legs. You can either stretch your hands overhead, or place them palms up on either side of your feet and simply relax, holding the pose as you breathe deeply for as long as you like.
4. Go With Gravity
The standing forward bend is challenging, but with patience you will quickly see results. Stand with your feet together and inhale as you reach your hands overhead, stretching through the spine. As you exhale, lean forward with flat back, reaching out through your hands. Bend forward as far as you can without bending the knees, resting your hands on your knees, calves or the tops of your feet and turning your elbows out. Hold the pose for five deep breaths, pushing your hips up as you allow your upper body to relax, using gravity to gently stretch the spine. When ready, inhale and roll your spine up to standing.
5. Take a Seat
To do a seated forward bend, sit with your spine straight and legs together, toes pulling up. Inhale with your hands overhead and then exhale, bending forward at the hips while keeping your spine straight. Once again, you can rest your hands anywhere between your knees and feet, or even wrap a towel around the arches of your feet, pulling back on the ends to increase the stretch. Keep your toes pulling up as you gaze at your toes, holding the stretch for five deep breaths before engaging your abs and coming up to sitting as you exhale.
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