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Yoga Sequencing: Teaching Technique Reverse Engineering

by matt | May 14, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

INTELLIGENT YOGA SEQUENCE TECHNIQUE

REVERSE ENGINEERING

Yoga Sequencing

HOW TO DESIGN AN INTELLIGENT YOGA SEQUENCE

REVERSE ENGINEERING

Designing an intelligent yoga sequence for your at-home practice or for your students can create a massive lifelong impact. Whether you are an an aspiring yoga teacher, an at-home practitioner looking to build your personal practice, or a seasoned teacher looking to increase the efficacy of your classes, this is for you.

Because most of the 200 hour yoga trainings in the West have so much material to cover in a relatively short amount of time, the element most often neglected is anatomy, especially in designing yoga sequences that help your students get the most from their time with you.

So today I want to share a yoga technique with you that I teach in my 200- and 300-hour trainings.

Designing a class is much like a puzzle; there is a clear destination in mind, but we need to put one piece together at a time. Or consider sequencing as an instruction manual, a step-by-step, action-oriented guide for what to do and when to do it. In order to design an intelligent yoga sequence, we can use a technique I call “reverse engineering.” What does that mean?

yoga backbend techniques: 12 classes [backbend technique to relieve back pain "bowing the spine']

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First you want to know what your peak posture is.

A peak posture is a yoga pose that is challenging to your student. That challenge may present itself as requiring one of 4 anatomical elements.

Strength
Flexibility
Balance
Proprioception (knowing where your body is in space)

Balance and proprioception can overlap, but they each present their own challenges, so I count those as separate features.

So choose a peak posture. For today, let’s work with Dancer Pose (Natarajasana), because it requires a few different anatomical elements.

After you choose your peak pose, assess the anatomy of the pose.

In my 200 hour and 300 hour trainings, we go into much more specificity of many yoga poses — covering anatomy, biomechanics, and technique. To clarify, the 200 hour training is designed for yogis looking to deepen their practice and learn the skill sets for teaching yoga. The 300 hour training, on the other hand, is for certified yoga teachers looking to certify at the 500 hour level. In this training, you wish to both develop a masterful understanding of the body as it relates to the yoga practice and attain highest-level skill sets as a teacher (200 hour + 300 hour = 500 hour certified).

You don’t have to be an anatomy expert to design a yoga sequence that will help your students get the most from your classes and come to know their bodies better. Anatomy is really just a language — names for bones, muscles, joints, etc. These are important, of course, but communication and connection with your students is arguably even more important.

A surgeon might be incredible at her craft, but if she doesn’t have a good bedside manner, she won’t make her patient feel comfortable, and that can impact how well the surgery goes. A yoga teacher might know a lot about anatomy, but if they aren’t connecting with their students, the students may not return, and a valuable opportunity is missed.

So let’s think about Dancer Pose. If you’re an anatomy geek like me, you may already be thinking about what makes this posture challenging for some and accessible for others. To assess this, we need to look at which muscles are lengthening and which will require flexibility. If you are a yoga teacher already, this will likely be familiar: Typically, you learn this at the 200 hour level. In my 300 hour training, we go a step further and consider the required strength as well as actions, techniques, and biomechanics. To keep things simple, I won’t be diving into all these avenues here. My intention is to convey the structure of an intelligent yoga sequence. Once you understand the structure, it can be applied to all aspects of the physical practice.

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Assessing the Peak Pose

What is a peak pose?

Many people get worked up when I mention a “peak pose,” because they feel yoga shouldn’t be destination-oriented. This is not actually what yoga teaches; yoga has a very clear goal, or destination, in every ancient text. No sacred teaching instructs us to eliminate the destination. Rather, the teachings reveal that focused attention on actions, thoughts, breath, etc. cultivate awareness. Some would call this ultimate awareness Samadhi, or Consiousness, Being, Union, Stillness, Mindfuless … The list goes on. Point is, these are all goals.

So asana practices are what help us move toward the ultimate awareness, BUT there is a caveat. If you are focused solely on that goal while you practice, you will not be aware of the elements of your practice and will miss out on important nuances. Ironically, keeping your focus only on the goal means you’re less likely to achieve it. This applies to a peak pose as well. If you are focused only on the peak pose and rush through the preparatory poses and techniques, you miss necessary learning and will be less likely to access the peak pose in the most efficient, functional, and even life-changing way.

As a teacher, you use a peak posture as a destination and work backwards. Think of it like using a GPS in your car: you enter the destination from your original point and it delivers step-by-step instructions. If you don’t pay attention to the steps, you don’t arrive.

Let’s assess Dancer Pose and develop a road map for your students so they can step into presence and action. With you as their guide, your students do not necessarily need to know the destination. In this way, you can keep calling their attention to “the now” every step of the way. This method is for you, the designer of an intelligent yoga sequence.

Let’s think about the shape. You know that in Dancer Pose, you will need to reach your arm back. So what could you do with your students that would prepare their bodies to reach back?

Here’s the question:

What muscles are limiting the ability to reach back?

Answer: pectoralis major (chest), front deltoids (shoulder)

Do you need to know that? NO. Another easy way to assess is to reach back with your arm and feel what area of your body is stretching. To prepare yourself for this action, you would simply do other poses that stretch the same area.

Dancer Pose also requires balance. What pose could you offer that would require balance AND reach arms back?

If you said Airplane Pose (Dekasana), we’re on the same flight 😉

Dancer Pose also requires a backbend, so you’d want to prepare your students by including yoga poses that extend the spine, like Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana).

Bonus: Stretch the front thighs and hip flexors. You could prepare students for this in a low lunge (Anjaneyasana), perhaps with bound hands, or reaching for the back foot. (This might be too intense for some with tight quads. Use a strap to make it more accessible.)

All these poses that prepare your students for the peak pose are what I call “layering poses.” In my trainings, I teach my students to prepare 5-7 of these poses. These are the real substance of a good sequence. You can still include other poses to help warm up the body and get your students connecting their movements to breath, but layering poses are the ones you’ve put the most thought into. They are the poses that will transform your time with your students from a class to an experience.

So let’s review. Here are the steps to design a powerful and effective yoga sequence for your yoga students.

1. Choose a peak posture.

2. Assess the anatomy of that peak pose, or look at the shape.

3. Teach 5-7 poses that mimic that shape and prepare your students for the peak pose.

FREE VIDEO PODCAST ON CREATING AN INTELLIGENT YOGA SEQUENCE USING THE TECHNIQUE OF “REVERSE ENGINEERING”

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Heart Openers: Discover the Joy of Backbending

MISTAKES TO AVOID

It’s pretty common for a teacher to think of a peak pose like Dancer Pose and think hmm … shoulder openers; I need shoulder openers. Then they offer poses like Eagle Pose (Garudasana). True, Eagle opens the shoulder muscles, but the exact opposite shoulder muscles needed for Dancer. If you were using this as a way to shorten opposing muscles before lengthening them, then that could be an intelligent decision. But in terms of preparatory lengthening, Eagle is not the right layering pose for Dancer. Accuracy is key, which is why the 200 Hour and 300 Hour are so focused on developing refined skills and understanding of the body.

With the right sequencing, your classes will be more supportive, and your students will leave feeling like they’ve learned something. That learning will stay with them throughout their lives. This is what it means to create an impact.

Follow the structure laid out in the video:

1. Choose a peak posture.

2. Assess the challenges: flexibility, strength, balance, proprioception. I suggest starting with flexibility to keep it simple.

3. Choose 5-7 layering postures.

4. Weave these poses through your class.

Ready to go deeper into anatomy, biomechanics, and sequencing? In my 200 and 300 hour trainings, we not only cover those topics, but you will also learn techniques for meditation, pranayama, yoga philosophy, and developing your yoga business. The 200 hour training is suitable for all levels. If you have a burning curiosity to learn and develop your practice, then the 200 hour training is perfect for you. The 300 hour training is only suitable for yoga teachers at the 200 or 500 hour level looking to become more masterful as professional yoga teachers.

Not sure if the training is right for you at this time? Send me an email and we can set up a time to chat.

Co-written and edited by 300-hour Chromatic yoga teacher, Donna Morin

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MORE WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICE

HEART OPENERS IMMERSION

Increase spinal range of motion
Master techniques such as “bowing the spine”
Release stress patterns, discomfort, or pain in your back
Twelve 75-minute classes, all levels appropriate
Learn postures: Full Wheel, Bow, Camel, King Pigeon, King Dancer, King Cobra, Scorpion, and more!
Lifetime unlimited access to all

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Best Backbend Technique to relieve back pain

by matt | May 5, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

BACKBEND TECHNIQUE TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN

“BOWING THE SPINE”

Bowing The Spine

Why are backbends uncomfortable for many people?

Can we do anything to change this?

Let’s dive into my #1 backbend technique to relieve back pain and provide you with maximum range of motion. Before we do, though, we need to first acknowledge that backbends are not something most of us do every day. Quite the opposite. When was the last time you bent over backwards to type on your computer, eat a meal, or scroll through Instagram? It’s not a typical functional movement, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t serve our health and well-being.

A healthy spine has the capability to move forward and back. The easiest starting point to relieve pain is always to figure out what your dominant movement or posture is, and slowly work to reverse it. Simply put, strengthening the back muscles and lengthening the front body muscles is the first step toward feeling great in your back. HOW to do this is the challenge.

Intuitively, we know how to move our bodies, but that gets lost due to conditioned, repetitive patterning. Think of babies just about to crawl — they push themselves up into a back-bending low Cobra first and then eventually learn how to coordinate the knees. Somehow they figure out what needs to happen to be able to move. Before your yoga practice, when was the last time your peeled yourself off the floor and did something like that Cobra? So give yourself a break. If backbends are uncomfortable, it’s not because you aren’t capable; your adult body just needs to learn it again.

"HEART OPENERS" IMMERSION

Increase spinal range of motion
Master techniques like “bowing the spine”
Release stress patterns, discomfort, or pain in your back
Twelve 75-minute classes, all levels appropriate
Learn postures: Full Wheel, Bow, Camel, King Pigeon, King Dancer, King Cobra, Scorpion, and more!
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RECONNECT TO YOUR BODY WISDOM

Make no mistake — you have the same inner wisdom that you did as a child, but it takes some retraining. What’s more, your body develops muscle memory from all the physical and emotional contracting you do during the day. Soon, shoulders slump forward, bringing your neck and head along with them. Arms move closer together and your chest caves in.

Yoga brings awareness to the felt sense of your physical potential beyond just basic needs. Backbending is beyond your basic, functional needs, but backbends can be enriching and healing.

Learning anything new requires focused effort, routine, repetitive practice, and failure. The process is no different when it comes to learning postures in your body, except for one important distinction: Failing body postures can lead to short- or long-term injury.

To minimize risk, we have to apply smart techniques and step-by-step actions informed by contemporary anatomy education. Rather than repeating the same uncomfortable backbends over and over, hoping for change, you learn and apply new techniques. With time and repetition, you can develop the appropriate strength and flexibility that can lead to joyful backbends.

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WHAT IS “BOWING THE SPINE”?

THE #1 BACKBEND TECHNIQUE TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN AND INCREASE SPINAL FLEXIBILITY

“Bowing the spine” is a technique that combines a few key elements that I go over in detail in the video below. The dominant action is sliding your intervertebral discs forward, which requires a deliberate shifting of your rib cage. The secondary action is lengthening the distance between the upper and lower body.

If you want to try this technique in your practice and learn how to develop greater strength, range of motion, and body awareness with backbends, join me for May’s 12-class immersion: Heart Openers: Discover the Joy of Backbending

FREE VIDEO PODCAST ON BOWING THE SPINE WITH PROFESSOR MATT

To implement this technique and access your spinal potential, check out

Heart Openers: Discover the Joy of Backbending

WILL THIS WORK FOR EVERYONE?

I personally don’t believe there is a practice, pose, or technique that is “one size fits all“. Everybody is different, and some techniques will be more appropriate for one body than another. I came to yoga with scoliosis, a super tight psoas, and daily back pain. Doing any backbend was torture for me. Today, backbends are my go-to pose to reset my spine and get back to feeling great in my body. Did that happen overnight? Absolutely not. It took years of practice and refinement. Bowing the spine is a backbend technique to relieve back pain and help you gain greater range of motion in your spine, but the technique itself cannot do it for you. Remember, you are the one doing the pose; the pose doesn’t do you. In other words, never try to fit yourself into a shape. Allow your body to find its own posture. That said, like any great challenge, we must learn the skills necessary to gracefully dance through it.

SPINAL RESET

Reset your spine with 12 classes focused on backbends, side bends, twists, and forward folds. This immersion is a great way to learn the biomechanics of the upper body. Get lifetime, unlimited access to all 12 classes today!

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FINAL THOUGHTS ON IMPLEMENTING THE BACKBEND TECHNIQUE TO RELIEVE BACK PAIN, “BOWING THE SPINE”

If you want to balance your habitual physical patterns, backbends are an EXCELLENT practice to do so. Be sure that you are not just practicing shapes — that will tend to cause pain. Instead, practice techniques that give you access to the appropriate physical expression for your particular body. To learn how to apply this technique properly in your body, it is best to implement it under the guidance of someone who understands it within their own body. I highly recommend getting the Heart Openers 12-class immersion in order to take the step-by-step journey that will not only leave you feeling proficient with the technique but also give you access to a wider range of backbend postures.

TOP RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS

MORE WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICE

"HEART OPENERS" IMMERSION

Increase spinal range of motion
Master techniques like “bowing the spine”
Release stress patterns, discomfort, or pain in your back
Twelve 75-minute classes, all levels appropriate
Learn postures: Full Wheel, Bow, Camel, King Pigeon, King Dancer, King Cobra, Scorpion, and more!
Lifetime unlimited access to all

GET THE DETAILS

← See Previous Blog See Next Blog →

Continue Learning

Yoga Sequencing: Teaching Technique Reverse Engineering

Best Backbend Technique to relieve back pain

firefly pose titibhasana

release low back pain in backbends

3 Best Yoga Practices for the 5 Layered Self, Asana, Breathwork, & Meditation

yoga pose alignment full wheel

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firefly pose titibhasana

by matt | Mar 30, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

FIREFLY POSE, TITIBHASANA

STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL: LEARN TO FLY

FIREFLY POSE

FIREFLY POSE, TITIBHASANA

STEP-BY-STEP TUTORIAL: 4 KEY ACTIONS

Firefly Pose (Titibhasana) might have you thinking, “There is no way I’ll ever be able to do THAT pose!” Yes, for sure it requires strength and flexibility, but with the right application of techniques, you will surprise yourself.

Firefly is a pose I teach in many of my workshops and online immersion classes because it brings a lot of laughter and a lot of those “Aha!” moments with it. Just have a couple of yoga blocks (or books) and a nice big couch cushion, because you are probably going to find yourself accidentally seated a few times while learning. It’s part of the fun factor!

In the video below, I collected a few clips from online classes & immersions so you could see how I come into Firefly from different angles. Try this with me, and together we will unlock Firefly Pose, Titibhasana.

There are 4 key actions you can apply to your Firefly Pose right now. With consistent practice, your Firefly could take flight.

ARM BALANCES

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Crow Pose, Side Crow, and variations
Flying Pigeon, Koundinyasana 1 & 2
Titibhasana, Bhujapidasana
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Firefly Pose • Titibhasana

The following tutorial footage in this video snippet of Firefly Pose (Titibhasana) is taken from the March 2021 Immersion titled MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE

Prep for Firefly Pose, or Titibhasana

To set up for Firefly Pose, Titibhasana, you first want to separate your feet so that they’re wider than your hips. Then bring a set of yoga blocks behind your feet.

Now, bring your arms to the inside of each leg, fingers facing forward. Bend generously into your knees, as if coming into a squat. Move your hands back behind your legs. Place the palms of your hands firmly on each block with hands wide. Fingers/hands turned outward a bit usually provides more ease on the wrists.

The final prep step is to bend your elbows, creating a sort of table for you to sit on. Be sure to keep your arms wide.

Now you’re ready for Firefly Pose, Titibhasana!

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4 KEY ACTIONS TO MOVE INTO FIREFLY POSE, TITBHASANA

Push into your hands and round your back, protracting your shoulder blades. That will activate your serratus anterior (shoulder blade muscles) and your core. You will instantly feel lighter as a result.
Lift your heels and come onto your toes. Squeeze your legs toward each other. Miss this step and you’re likely to fall back.
Now, keep that squeeze and TURN your legs in. Better yet, try this step one leg at a time to get the feel for the squeeze. This is a really important step! Teachers — here is a key tip if you are demonstrating this for your students: If you’re demonstrating this pose, emphasize the thighs rolling in (if the knees are bent that means the feet will actually go outward, so keep their attention on what your upper thighs are doing to avoid confusion).
Lastly, and least importantly, straighten your legs (your knee joints) by activating your quadriceps.

ARM BALANCES

Learn 12+ arm balances while expanding your knowledge of the body and increasing your body awareness. All classes are 75 minutes and ALL-levels appropriate

Crow Pose, Side Crow, and variations
Flying Pigeon, Koundinyasana 1 & 2
Titibhasana, Bhujapidasana
Handstand, Forearm Stand, and many more!

SALE PRICE: ~~$198.00~~ $128.00

GET THE DETAILS

Can’t straighten your legs?

Many people tell me their hamstrings are too tight, so they can’t straighten their legs. That may be the case, OR it may be that the quadriceps are too weak against the tightness of the hamstrings. To be honest, approaching from the perspective of what to strengthen is usually far safer and more effective than just stretching.

Sit in a straddle position (don’t worry about how wide). Activate your quads by pulling your knee caps toward your hips and straightening your knees. Now, keep your right knee straight and lift your right thigh off the ground. Crazy how much of a challenge just this can be! You can lean back at first; that might help. Try each side. Even if you can’t get each leg off the ground, you will be developing your quad strength by trying to do this. Over time, you will get it! By strengthening your quads, eventually strength will win over inflexibility.

Want to support the continuation of these blogs? The best way to do so is to share them on social media or with friends via email! Thank you for stopping by!

TOP RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS

1. MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE (footage in above video), 12-class immersion

2. Arm Balance Immersion: 12 Classes — 12 Arm Balances

MORE WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICE

← See Previous Blog See Next Blog →

Continue Learning

Yoga Sequencing: Teaching Technique Reverse Engineering

Best Backbend Technique to relieve back pain

firefly pose titibhasana

release low back pain in backbends

3 Best Yoga Practices for the 5 Layered Self, Asana, Breathwork, & Meditation

yoga pose alignment full wheel

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release low back pain in backbends

by matt | Mar 15, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

YOGA ALIGNMENT: COBRA POSE

RELEASE LOW BACK PAIN IN BACKBENDS

COBRA POSE

YOGA ALIGNMENT: COBRA POSE

HOW TO RELEASE LOW BACK PAIN IN BACKBENDS

If you feel back pain in backbends, you are not alone.

Many people experience low back pain in backbends. If you’re experiencing this or just feeling stuck in your yoga poses (or you’re a yoga teacher), then you have come to the right place. When done properly, backbends feel like a lengthening of the spine rather than stiff and compressive. With the right actions, backbends also strengthen each segment of the back, which weakens after hours of sitting — something most of us do each day.

Cobra (Bhujangasana) is one of the most overlooked backbend poses because it’s not as sexy or challenging as other backbends, but it shouldn’t be. For most people, it’s one of the most effective and accessible postures to increase spinal mobility. While most teachers focus on Upward-Facing Dog, I practice and teach Cobra because it’s hands-down the best prep for backbends.

BENEFITS OF COBRA POSE

Cobra Pose is my top suggested pose to release low back pain in backbends.

Here’s why I think we should give this pose its due props. First, Cobra is done from the mat, so it’s more stable and doesn’t require balance. Why is that important? When balance is involved, the midsection will unconsciously hold tension, much of which happens in the abdominals. So? Too much abdominal engagement decreases spinal extension (backbending), likely causing compression instead of an expansion.

When the body is stable, it relaxes, and this is one of the keys to backbends. You cannot approach a backbend from a place of fear, aggression, frustration, motivation, or any emotional state associated with an overly active sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). In other words, when it comes to these postures, force does not work the way it would when approaching something like an arm balance or heavy weight-lifting.

I’m not preaching that there is no effort in Cobra, but rather that backbends require softness, surrender, and extremely accurate and well-placed effort. This is best learned in a stable environment, and Cobra Pose is where I suggest you train.

Second, students can take the pose to the level that is right for their bodies, and with consistent practice, progress becomes apparent fairly quickly. With the alignment I share in Cobra Pose, your elbows are bent, and rather than pushing your way into a backbend, you pull yourself up. This makes it harder to mistakenly compress the spine as in a posture like Upward Dog.

Today I want to share with you exactly how to release low back pain in backbends, through what I call the “3-part Cobra.” This approach to Cobra can truly help both teachers and students access a more complete range of motion while building strength, length, and flexibility through the core region of their bodies. Let’s go over this 3-part Cobra that I teach in all of my online immersions and online teacher trainings

HEART OPENERS

The Heart Openers Immersion provides you with the necessary techniques to develop your body awareness for pain-free yoga backbends. Learn techniques to decompress the spine like "bowing the spine". Learn the anatomy of each posture while you practice. Some of the postures you will develop are

Cobra Pose, Bow Pose, Camel Pose
Wild Thing, Dancer Pose, Chapasana
Full Wheel and its variations
King Cobra, King Pigeon, King Dancer

ALL Levels Appropriate, Lifetime Access to All Classes, Unlimited Views

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Release Low Back Pain in Backbends with The 3-Part Cobra

The footage in this video snippet is taken from the March 2021 Immersion titled MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE

3-PART COBRA STEPS

THE SETUP

From prone position (on your belly), bring your hands wide, bend into your elbows and come onto your fingertips.

THE STEPS

Part 1: Inhale to raise your chest, shoulders, and upper ribs off the mat, gently rounding through your upper back.

Part 2: Soften your ribcage forward, letting your shoulder blades come toward each other. This will initiate the bowing effect by relaxing the abdominals. In this step, you have the ability to control the placement of the backbend. Moving pressure out of the low back by stretching low ribs forward is relieving for most people. If you want to release low back pain in backbends, focus your attention and practice primarily on this step!

Part 3: If and only if your back feels great in Part 2, then you are ready to move to the next step. Here you re-engage your abdominals BUT NOT the outer abdominals. You’re not trying for a six-pack here. Instead, try drawing your abdomen UPWARD while pressing your low ribs forward. If you feel compression in your low back as a result, this means you pushed with your arms instead of pulling your belly up. Think of the image of a bow that I showed at the beginning of the above video. You have to press the center of a bow forward. Instead of pushing, PULL your low rib cage toward the front of the mat.

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

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Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
Expand your teaching skills
Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
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WHY IS THE ALIGNMENT OF COBRA POSE ON FINGER TIPS?

Someone asked me why I don’t suggest doing this pose with the palms of my hands planted on the floor. She said doing it this way gave her a much greater range of motion, pushing her torso higher up.

She is 100% right, and I told her THAT’S exactly why I use my fingertips.

When we have palms on the ground, we have a tendency to push. We put less weight on fingertips, which forces us to use our back muscles (pull muscles). Instead of pushing the upper body into the lower body, causing an L-shape that compresses the lower spine, we will have an easier time pulling the rib cage away from the pelvis, decompressing the spine.

Of course, if you cannot do Cobra on your fingertips because it is causing you pain in your joints, then do not force it, but do your best NOT to push.

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Instead of measuring how deep your backbend is externally, feel it from the inside. When you push yourself up, it will certainly look like a deeper backbend, but you are only deepening 1 or 2 joints, and that is the problem. It’s better to appear like you aren’t going deep, instead feeling the depth within. This requires letting go of instant gratification and embracing true transformation, which always looks slow on the outside until one day, you are placing your feet on your head in a backbend.

Let’s review that one more time…

In a supportive backbend, it’s the center of the body — the ribcage — that bows forward in order to lengthen the spine. So it’s not a push of the hands that moves the body up and back; rather, it’s an engagement of the upper back muscles that pulls the chest forward and through the arms.

If you are ready to apply 3-part Cobra to release low back pain in backbends, then I highly recommend Journey to Bliss and Spinal Reset. Both of these immersions will share with you these steps and many more toward the goal of increasing spinal mobility and decreasing discomfort.

To learn more about the proper setup for Wheel Pose, check out Backbends and The Glutes with a short follow-along video.

TOP RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE (footage in above video)

2. HEART OPENERS 12-Class Immersion. Learn Techniques and Biomechanics for Backbends

3. THE SPINAL AWAKENING: 12-Class Immersion

MORE WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICE

Edited by 300-hour Chromatic Yoga Teacher, Donna Morin

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3 Best Yoga Practices for the 5 Layered Self, Asana, Breathwork, & Meditation

by matt | Mar 1, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

3 BEST YOGA PRACTICES FOR THE 5 LAYERED SELF

ASANA “YOGA”, PRANAYAMA “BREATHWORK”, MEDITATION

3 BEST YOGA PRACTICES

5 LAYERED SELF AND THE 3 BEST YOGA PRACTICES

What are the 3 best yoga practices and why? You are likely already familiar with Asana, as it is the physical practice of yoga that has been widely popularized across the world. The other two practices are gaining popularity but not necessarily amongst yoga practitioners.

Imagine if someone came along and said here are the 3 magic herbs you need to take daily in order to heal your mind, body, and balance your energy. Yet instead of taking all 3 herbs, much of the world just got really excited about 1 of them. The recipe would be incomplete, and so would the benefits. This is what has happened with yoga, and we are missing out on massive benefits as a result.

Asana is for the body

If you have been reading my blogs, and following my work, you know that I love sharing tips about the physical practice. The human body is something I am particularly passionate about. I am not here to tell you that the physical practice isn’t important; it definitely is. I simply want to support your transition to the next phase so that you not only feel better physically, but you learn to cleanse the mind and balance and optimize your energy, which is what the yogis call prana.

What is Prana?

Prana is the word for the relatively unexplainable life force within each of us that causes our hearts to beat and our lungs to inflate and deflate. In its simplest explanation, prana is our energy system. The aspect of prana most asana practitioners are interested in is the energy channels- specifically Ida and Pingala, known in modern science as Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Nervous System. This is your “rest and digest” relaxing energy and your “Go Go” focused, alert energy. Learning to manage, balance, optimize, and utilize energy/prana is one of the major goals of the yoga practitioner. With the right practices, you can become masterful at sleep, wakefulness, alertness, rest, calm, focus, exercise, etc.

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What is the Mind or Heart-Mind?

In a moment, we are going to get into the layers of our Self and the 3 practices for total well-being. But first let’s discuss something that is often ignored- the mind. What is the mind? This is no easy question to answer. Even the mental health industry struggles to define it. How can you establish the health of something you can’t even define?

It’s one of those interesting points of discussion. We know we have a mind, but the only tangible, physical representation of it is the brain and nervous system. No one has yet to dissect a mind or know for sure what thoughts are and how exactly they are formed. Fortunately, yogis have been contemplating and studying the mind for centuries, so we can turn to them for answers.

The mind is our way of experiencing the world by using thoughts and emotions to process time, space, physical sensations, and events. The mind is perhaps the most important system to take care of because it governs our entire perception of our existence. This is why yoga is most often defined as the study or science of the mind when we look at sacred texts. You will never see it defined as the study of the body, though that, too, is a part of studying the mind.

So, as magnificent as the physical practice of yoga is, it is limited- only targeting one layer of our being, called deha, or body. Yes, feeling better physically helps us energetically, mentally, and emotionally but it’s a temporary Bandaid. To get to the root of the challenges our mind present, we need a yoga practice that focuses on all the layers of our being, which include:

The 5 Layered Self, According to Tantra Yoga

Deha: The Body
Citta: Heart-Mind, thoughts & emotions
Prana: Energy, life force, autonomic nervous system
Shunya: The Void, calming, peaceful, clear, stillness
Cit: Blissful Awareness

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“THE TRIFECTA” THE 3 BEST YOGA PRACTICES

Under the umbrella of yoga, there are many amazing approaches to working with the 6 Layers of our Self, but if I am to recommend the top 3 best yoga practices, it would be as follows, not in any particular order:

Asana: (commonly referred to as yoga) Cleanses deha, the body.
Meditation: cleanses the heart-mind first. With practice, allows us to root deeper into Shunya and Cit, pronounced “Chit”. Meditation cultivates our ability to experience Blissful Awareness, even in our day-to-day tasks.
Pranayama: Balances out our energy levels.

For each of these layers, there are specific yogic practices. Most familiar and most popular is Asana- movement of the body which helps develop awareness, strength, and flexibility. We can think of this as a cleanse for the physical form.

Then there is Citta, Heart-Mind. It’s unfortunate that many of us are not provided with the proper tools to keep the mind clean. We brush our teeth because plaque builds up daily on the teeth. Similarly, the mind builds up and collects unwanted toxicity but rarely do we learn how to take care of that. To cleanse the mind, we use the practice of meditation, specifically mantra– a repetitive phrase to cultivate the mind’s attention and strengthen our ability to focus.

For prana (Energy) there are incredible breathwork practices available to us in the yoga lineage, called pranayama. Breathwork helps balance the autonomic nervous system, so that we can harness the “go go” energy when we need it and cultivate “rest and digest” energy when our bodies and minds are stressed and overworked. Finding balance between the two allows us to live our lives with more intention rather than being driven by emotion.

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THE PROBLEM

Now that we know these 3 practices help us to feel better physically, mentally, emotionally, AND energetically, why don’t we practice them routinely?

Well, the answer is simple. We created a habit, or pattern, of brushing our teeth, but haven’t yet created one for meditation and pranayama. Maybe you haven’t created one for yoga yet either?

THE SOLUTION

To create a habit, repetition is the only thing needed. However, repetition requires effort and prioritizing your time. Most adults struggle with this. I once read a quote that said something along the lines of “If you have the time, meditate for 20 minutes each morning. If you don’t have time, meditate for an hour each morning.” It’s funny but it’s also the unfortunate truth.The more you fill your day, the more time you need to process and digest everything coming in.

Let’s acknowledge that routinely showing up for yourself and practicing asana, pranayama and meditation might seem like a lot at first. This is why I have created an online program to make this easy for you. It’s called MOVE•BREATHE•RELEASE, consisting of 3 practices per week, each with all three elements, so you do not need to find time to do them separately. Each class is fully guided so all you have to do is commit. I will take care of the rest.

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firefly pose titibhasana

release low back pain in backbends

3 Best Yoga Practices for the 5 Layered Self, Asana, Breathwork, & Meditation

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yoga pose alignment full wheel

by matt | Feb 20, 2021 | Home Page, Main Page Display

YOGA ALIGNMENT: FULL WHEEL POSE

THE 3 MYTHS DEBUNKED

FULL WHEEL

YOGA ALIGNMENT: FULL WHEEL POSE

Yoga alignment for Full Wheel Pose is anything but simple, but achieving an easeful expression of the posture in your body is most definitely attainable. We just have to break through some of the alignment myths that many teachers have been taught are “correct”.

Let’s quickly discuss the name of this posture because it has many. Wheel Pose is usually translated as “Chakrasana” because it opens ALL the energy centers. The posture is also known as Urdhva Dhanurasana which translates to Upward Facing Bow Pose. Many backbends in the yoga posture are either named Bow or after a type of Bow. Moving forward, I will use any of these names when discussing my suggestions regarding the alignment for full wheel pose.

Debunking the 3 Myths

What you may have been taught is the correct Yoga Alignment for Full Wheel Pose:

Hug your elbows in. Do not activate the glutes. Tuck your tailbone.

These are cues used often to move a student into wheel pose, but are they helpful? I don’t think so.

Wheel pose, Chakrasana is a very active and advanced pose. It requires extreme flexibility AND strength of the hips, shoulders, and wrists. Flexibility is required along the front body, and strength is required along the back body. The good news is, with disciplined practice and a healthy dose of body awareness, this powerful heart-opening extension pose can be accessible to many.

We need to clear some things up so you can start practicing the best alignment for your full wheel pose. Meaning, you may have some things to UNLEARN before you can dive deeply into your practice. Yoga teachers, please take a breath. You are not a bad teacher if you have said any of the following to your students – we are all in the process of learning and developing our skills as practitioners and teachers. Instead, celebrate that you are here, curious and ready to learn.

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Myth #1: Tuck, hug or “squeeze” your elbows in.

Most of us are told to tuck our elbows in before rising into wheel. At this stage of the pose, this cue doesn’t really work.

I’ll show you why. Try this:

Follow along with the video at minute marker 7:50.

From a seated position, bend your elbows to a 90 degree angle in front of your chest, wrists bent so that palms face up. Now you’re simulating “tucking” or “squeezing” your elbows in. Move your elbows up and see how high your arms lift.

Now come back to position and widen your elbows. Press your arms up again.

Feel the difference? It’s pretty noticeable. Just like weightlifters would never tuck in their elbows to lift massive weight over their heads, you don’t want to limit your shoulder range of motion by keeping your elbows tucked. So elbows wide as you lift into your wheel.

WHAT IS THE CORRECT YOGA ALIGNMENT FOR FULL WHEEL?

Once IN the pose, you can certainly wrap your elbows in but this may not serve you if you find it challenging to straighten your arms. The reason why is that hugging your elbows in is actually an action at the shoulders, not at the elbow. This action is called external rotation of the upper arm bone. External rotation can be really great to help stabilize the shoulders, but remember that stability means less mobility. When you externally rotate the upper arms, your shoulder blades will follow the arms and will protract (move away from each other). Protraction creates stability and less mobility.

There is no correct alignment here; you have to assess what your needs are. Do you need more mobility or stability? If you are struggling to straighten your arms and your upper back feels stiff then DON’T wrap your elbows in, and DON’T protract your shoulder blades. IF, on the other hand, you are very mobile, coming up to wheel is easy, and your upper back easily extends, then of course you will want to balance out your mobility with stability. In that case, wrap your elbows in and broaden your shoulder blades.

Myth #2: Relax your glutes as you lift.

I don’t care if you’re Gumby or the Hulk, you cannot lift your hips off the ground against the weight of gravity without activating your glutes. The muscles that lift your hips from the ground ARE THE GLUTES, Gluteus Maximus in particular.

Imagine yourself walking for a moment. Better yet, walk around. Note how every time your upper thigh goes back behind you and your toes prepare to push off, your back buttock (and upper hamstrings) contracts. It’s activated. That’s what your glute muscles do when your hips are in extension.

Wheel is a powerful hip extending pose, so to lift yourself off the ground, you cannot relax your caboose. Once you are in full expression of your pose, there is no need to hyper squeeze your glutes or anus for that matter – this is an over activation of deeper muscles, and all it will do is leave you constipated (likely true).

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THE BUTTOCK SOLUTION

Instead of hyper squeezing or clenching your deep buttock muscles, try to press into the inner edges of your heels. This will engage the T.F.L. (tensor fascia lattae) and internally rotate the thigh bones. Because T.F.L. is an internal rotator of the thigh, it balances out the Gluteus Maximus, which is an external rotator of the thigh.

BONUS: Activating T.F.L. creates a facilitated stretch, which is an activation of a muscle while it is in a lengthened position. Facilitated stretching is a way of increasing flexibility without losing muscle and joint integrity. Check out the Best Stretch for Your Hamstrings.

Myth #3: Tuck your tailbone.

I imagine the intent behind this cue is to get the student to activate their buttocks and probably core muscles. But anytime you scoop your tailbone, you’re taking your lumbar spine into flexion (rounding). You might ask, Isn’t that safer? In short, no. Trying to round your low back while simultaneously moving into full wheel is a collision course waiting to happen. BE SURE TO WATCH AT 12:35 Seconds FOR CLARITY

FULL WHEEL WORKSHOP

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Full-length workshop teaching you yoga alignment for full wheel pose. Develop the necessary flexibility and strength through applied techniques. This workshop is available in pay-what-you-can format or you can purchase Full Body Bliss, the 12 class immersion that includes this workshop.

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Yes, it is true that an active core can help you stabilize your spine, but a lot of people concentrate on superficial muscles like rectus abdominus or obliques. Contracting these muscles while in wheel shortens your abdomen, which in turn shortens the front of your spine. Wheel pose itself shortens the back of your spine – the two together amounts to immobility at best, and pain or injury at worst.

Instead, consider strengthening your transverse abdominus ahead of time. This is a deep muscle that will strengthen a myriad of postures and stabilize your spine while leaving room for mobility. Build a strong DEEP core ahead of time and your practice will flourish in ways you never imagined, especially in back bending and twisting postures.

To learn more about the proper setup for wheel pose, check out Backbends and The Glutes with a short follow-along video.

TOP RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Full Wheel Workshop (pay what you can)

2. “Full Body Bliss” (includes Full Wheel Workshop + 11 more master classes)

3. THE SPINAL RESET: 12 Class Immersion

MORE WAYS TO DEVELOP YOUR PRACTICE

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UPCOMING IMMERSION

Each month, you have the opportunity to enroll in 3 weekly classes! You get lifetime and unlimited access to each of the classes. Once you enroll, you also have the opportunity to view all classes live as they stream. Each month has a physical focus to help you gain targeted techniques and advance your body awareness.

Be a part of the community! After enrolling, you can connect with members through our exclusive Facebook group, where you can get tips directly from me, Matt Giordano. You are encouraged to share photos and videos of your practice for personalized support.

I look forward to sharing this practice with you and helping you develop in a big way!

~Matt

WHAT STUDENTS SAY ABOUT THE LIVE IMMERISONS

Matt‘s classes are phenomenal. If you ever have the ability to practice with him, make use of it!! He has a very unique talent of combining anatomy, yoga philosophy, and his own perspective into a super intense package of knowledge which is fun AND easy to understand. I enjoyed the April immersion a lot as it was a great way of deepening my own practice and broadening my horizon, especially as the lifetime access allows you to take classes as often as you want. Trust me, you will want to take them again! I can’t wait for next month’s classes and highly recommend everyone to take the next pass and join in on the journey.

~Nadja Kyra King - @nadja_kyra

Matt’s April pass was a journey. It was more than just the physical exploration of my practice but also helped me explore my spiritual practice. It was very nice to have a consistent practice during this time of uncertainty. If you are looking for a practice to ground yourself, I would highly recommend exploring the Live Immersion of the Month.

~Amanda Barnes Salowsky

Covid-19 brought Matt into my home and my yoga practice. This last month I have learned so much. It has deepened my practice and my understanding of anatomy & biomechanics and how we use both in every asana we practice. He has also helped in my teaching, i.e. asking my students to think about the foot as a tripod “big toe, pinkie toe, heel.” I never imagined I would learn so much from the immersion.

~Debbie, @the_joyofyoga

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