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I once attended a day's seminar taught by Paul and Suzee Grilley. The day's topic: spinal alignment. Yup, we just couldn't spend too much time on the spine. If you've ever suffered from back pain, you'll certainly understand why. Because there were so many questions regarding spinal alignment today, I'd like to take some time out to share some of Paul and Suzee's teachings about how your spine works (and doesn't work) while practicing yoga.
Let's begin with the basic of everyone's spine, or "backbones." The many, many bones that comprise the spinal column protect the spinal cord, the central nervous system's most valuable component. The upper portion, around the neck (or cervix) are the cervical vertebrae. There is a natural curve in this portion of your spine--the neck. Below that are the twelve vertebrae that support your internal organs such as the lungs, heart, liver, spleen, etc. From the time before you were born, this part of your spinal column has been curved (and to a much greater degree!). Below the thoracic vertebrae are the five large and heavy lumbar vertebrae. These vertebrae are large because they carry a greater load transmitted from the top of the head down to the lower spine. Another reason why the lumbar vertebrae are larger is that they must be big and strong to support the muscles and bones during movement. The lumbar area of the spine is the physical center of the body. This forms the hub for basic activities, including balance and locomotion. The demands on the lumbar area are great. Because of the demands, strong abdominal muscles form a tight band around the lumbar curvature, joining with smaller muscles in the lower back. Finally, the spine ends with vertebrae that are fused, or joined together with no mobility, the sacrum and the coccyx (tailbone).
The general rule for twisting the spine (as when you reach into the back seat of your car to grab something), is this: the lower the vertebrae, the less mobility. We can move our necks almost 180 degrees from the extreme left to the extreme right. We can rotate our shoulders a bit less. We can't twist our lumbar region much at all. And the sacrum? Forget it! The sacrum and coccyx are fused, that is to say, a single and inflexible unit. We all, to some degree or another, have natural curves in our spinal column, forming a gentle S-curve. When the spinal curvature becomes too pronounced, in one direction or another, we can feel the strain (and it's not a gentle feeling!). Yoga can be beneficial in strengthening the abdominal and back muscles, to pull the vertebrae gently into alignment and eventually alleviate back strain.
Which asanas can gently ease back strain and strengthen the muscles around the lumbar region? Child's pose allows the lumbar curve to slowly release. Trikonasana (triangle pose) strengthens the obliques that encircle the lumbar spine. Dadasana (staff pose) with the legs outstretched and the toes pointing toward the sky, gives a natural stretch to the lumbar region. Up Dog or Bhujangasana (cobra) move the lumbar spine in a gentle bend. When you do asanas specific to the lumbar spine, be sure to include asanas in both extension and flexion (in other words, balance the Up Dog with Staff). Or, slowly and mindly, move your lumbar spine through Cat and Cow poses.
Now, to Paul and Suzee Grilley's words of advice regarding lumbar spinal alignment:
"Yoga Journal Magazine has photos of young women in deep back bends. This is the opposite movement to a tucked pelvis. The poses look beautiful and one can’t help but admire the ease and range of motion of the models. But I doubt if anyone would think it healthy for someone to constantly arch their lower spines this way. If anyone attempted to do so they would degenerate the discs in their back and cause a lot of damage.
"Constantly arching the spine is unhealthy. Constantly tucking the spine is unhealthy. So should we live our lives in a timid neutrality of spine position; neither tucking nor tilting the pelvis? The answer to this is an emphatic “NO!” The neutral spine position is how office workers live their lives and statistics show that 80% of them will suffer serious back problems.
"To have a healthy spine we must systematically move it through its full range of motion. This means sometimes we tuck the pelvis to flatten the spine, sometimes we tilt the pelvis to arch the spine, and sometimes we keep the spine neutral. This is the Taoist view of life, a constant alternation from one opposite to another. The contraction and expansion of the heart are opposites but by alternating they are the Tao of circulation. The expansion and contraction of the lungs are opposites but by alternating they are the Tao of breathing. Tucking and tilting the pelvis have opposite effects on the curve of the spine but by alternating they are the Tao of posture.
Don’t fight against the intended effects of your yoga poses.
"When practicing backbends such as the Cobra or the Camel let the spine arch, don’t try to tuck the pelvis. When practicing forward bends let the spine round, don’t try to tilt the pelvis. These are normal ranges of motion for the lumbar spine and to fight against them is to nullify the effects of the poses. Of course there are instances of injury and overstrain where the spine should be protected. Over stretching an already injured spine could make it worse. But sooner or later the goal of all physical rehabilitation is to regain the natural range of motion. Yoga practice helps us retain our full range of motion so that we can alternate from a straight to an arched spine as needed."
What ever shape your back curves are in--respect them. Strengthen the muscles around your lumbar region with asanas that gently challenge your abdominals and back. Gaining and retaining the full range of appropriate motion throughout the spinal column will keep your back (and you) healthy for many, many years.
Until next week, namaste,
Nancy
