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Note: Consult a doctor before beginning any exercise regime
Pose type: Back Bend, Stretch and Balance
Name: Anuvittasana or Standing Back Bend
A wonderful pose for beginners
This posture helps open and activate, your third eye (Ajana) chakra, throat(Vishuddha), and Heart (Anahata)Chakras.
Benefits
Opens the front of your body
Tones and increase flexibility in the hips and lower back
Awareness and balance
Regulates heart and blood pressure
Cautions
Avoid this pose if you suffer from recent or chronic injuries to the hip, back or neck. To avoid injury with this pose. Practice within your bodies limitations and do not move in to injury.
To Access this Pose:
1. Stand with a small space between your feet. Turn your arms outward so your palms face away from your torso and thumbs point backward.
2. Inhale and lift your arms up toward the sky pressing your palms together
Note: If you have tight shoulders, stop when your arms are about parallel to each other without hunching your shoulders forward.
3. Extend your elbows fully and reach up through your pinkies so your thumbs turn slightly down toward the crown of your head. Tilt your head back and gaze at your thumbs.
Note: Make sure not to compress the back of your neck.
4. Lift your ribcage away from your hips. Roll your shoulders down the spine and keep tailbone moving towards the floor.
Note: Never allow yourself to compress above the tailbone.
5. Hold for 3-5 breaths, moving deeper on your exhales. Release, with control and begin to draw the arms, up, slide the hips backwards, and all your spine to return to neutral position
All Level Tips
Beginner: Instead of extending the arms try placing your hands on your hips with the fingers pointing down to support yourself. Try to place your feet hip width apart.
Intermediate: The closer the feet are to one the more challenging. Play with the distance of your feet to see how close together you can get and still feel comfortable.
Advanced: Attempt a drop back into wheel pose. Or see how far back you can go, in this case you may want to bend your knees and have your feet apart.
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About the Author:
Kenya Marsh is the founder of SimplyFitandCurvyYoga and Author of several books including Yoga for Beginners: A Great Way to Start. As a wife, stay-at-home mom of two, and yoga teacher. Kenya knows how challenging and beneficial a steady yoga practice can be. She understands it can be hard to start a new yoga journey alone. She created this website, along with courses, books, and more materials to help provide support to busy yogis elevate their yoga practice.