The 7 most helpful tips for back bends and drop backs

I don't yet drop back on my own, and it the past couple of months, mostly due to the fact that my new year resolution is to do it this year, I  have stayed tuned to all recommendations I can gather.  Here are the seven most helpful reads / videos / resources / blogposts I have found.

1- Slowly does it.  The "Mysore Napper blog" discovered a gem in a new teacher who has been guiding her.  Here is a video of the blogger herself  with the words of the teacher, whom she calls "S", ringing in her ear.  The words, you may wonder?:  "slowly slowly slowly".   I found very efficient the idea that as we go down the wall, slowly, the muscles have an opportunity to remember what needs to happen.  Muscle memory is what Napper calls it. I am very much in favor of this trend to "stay there" rather than just go up and down for the sake of going up and down.  I now do only two drop backs in my own practice with the wall after U.D., but oh they are s  l  o w.

2- Hanging in there, and Repetition.  Peaceloveyoga blog had a post on "Building a backbend foundation" where she linked to a video from the Bheemashakti institute (Mysore, India). Most helpful for me was to watch the story of Isabella, and her "before and after" video. I have to say however that their suggestion of doing 100 kapalabhati as a warm up (from other videos -not shown here- in the preparatory practices), did not go well with me.  I did however get the "hanging in there" suggestion.

Here is Isabella, all happy.  Now I wonder how my teacher would react if I asked him to clap hands for me when I do eventually do it, I know I would appreciate it.

3. Lengthening through the fingernails, and counting feet away from the wall. Boodiba is way too advanced for me, however, from this particular post  from her fascinating Indian backbending adventure in early 2010, I learned a  few things.  One was the surprising "measurement of how many feet from the wall she stands at", she seems to do three, I have seen others do four.

In my case I start from the floor in Urdva Dhanurasana and climb up first, That gives me the measurement.  Yesterday I looked as I stood back up and noticed that I am about 5 away!!! Jeee,  goodness, how revelatory is that!  now you truly know all my secrets....  Another great tip I got from her which is greatly demonstrated on the video in the linked post is the stretching through the fingernails as I "hang in there".  She actually told me this in a later post comment, thank you B.  By the way This has proven a lot more challenging than it sounds.

4 - The pointy bits in the hips coming together. Susananda's recent post recounting her obsession with backbends and spring had a very kin observation in it, where she brought up Mahele's instruction. In her own words: One tip that may have helped in dropbacks today was from the Gregor Maehle book: the idea of bringing the anterior superior iliac spines (pointy bits on the front of the hips) towards each other to encouragenutation of the sacrum. The post was enriched by an interesting chat in the comments (23 so far!).  Visualizing the pointy bits in the front of the hips has been added to my morning routine, not sure yet how it helps because a) it is the most recent addition and b) I admit I am not so good at this whole thing, and barely breathing takes a lot of work.

5- Being fully present and breathing in the upper chest. Eddie suggested that in Urdhva Dhanurasana I do not straighten the arms so much but rather work on sending air to the upper chest.  As per the drop backs in the wall, the best suggestion he had given me came a long time ago and in a different context, he said: To change anything in the body the mind must be very still.  So before back bends I make sure now that all the chitta vrittis (mind fluctuations) are cleared and that my focus is really, fully in class.


6.- Using the couch as a midpoint on the way to the floor.  I have watched Grimmly's post on his progress on dropbacks from August 08 to the present and particularly liked the one where he lands on the sofa.  I have tried it, but without the wall I tend to lose control, maybe I am not ready for it (believe me I made a video but I am not showing, hee hee).  I am however, keeping this in mind and when ready I will be using the bed or sofa as a mid-stepping-stone on the way to the floor.


7.- Keeping the feet straight forward and close together.  The first Maehle's book has a lot of suggestions for both U.D. and the drop backs, here is one I am re-reading:

• He says:  There is a tendency... to turn the feet and splay the knees open to the sides... this is a compensation for stiffness in the quadriceps and or psoas muscles. Instead by opening the inseams of the legs more space is gained without having to stretch the hip flexors.

This point was highly observed in Thailand and, at the risk of sounding pretentious, I have a feeling it is the reason why it is taking so long for me to drop back, I always not only keep the feet straight but also try to keep them close together, about 1.5 feet apart max, which was the Thailand instruction.  Watching this video from Kinno it amazes me how close her feet are, I mean, c'mon!, God bless her.

Remembering all of this during practice is a challenge in itself, that is why the full focus comes handy.

As usual, other points, comments /  suggestions, are very welcome.