Take a look at the poses above. Which one is Better than the others?

Was your answer- None?

Then you are right. Front body opening is imperative to back body bending. In class this month we've been highlighting postures that strengthen the back body (such as cobra, sphinx, chair) and those that open the front of the body (Hero's, sphinx, upward dog) in an effort to help you work with where you are to safely and efficiently develop shapes in the body that resemble heart opening or backbends.

Some classes have even moved you to try those more engaged back bends such as Full Wheel. And some have helped you to explore opening the front of the body and engaging back body, helping you to explore the mechanics involved in moving the spine in these ways.

Some bodies due to life experiences, practice, anatomical make up, certain days/times, lend themselves "easily" to back bends. Others for the same reasons may require more warm up, increased flexibility and understanding of active stretching in the body to become ready or move into shapes where the spine is moving into a backbend.

Along with a balanced vinyasa practice, we can enhance our ability in the spine by opening up the front of the body- while engaging the muscles in the front of the body. Pressing down through the front foot and front knee in a low lunge to activate the quad muscle and stretch the quad muscle while in a low lunge is one example of this.

By learning how to activate the right muscles when practicing these postures (the posterior chain) we can DECIDE to safely move our way toward a back bend that is right for OUR BODY at that time, anytime during practice!

And in this way we are also practice Satya, or Truth, on our mat.

All of the postures above are heart opening, back bending, mindful and safely practiced with the engagement you're learning this month in class. Each of these postures are "Advanced," and all of them enhance our practice and bring us into heart opening.