Mythbusting Yoga
One of the most pervasive myths in yoga is that rounding the spine as you bend forward is unsafe.
This raises a couple of questions (at least!):
• Why do we believe that curving / rounding the spine, like when you put on your socks (or as I'm doing above), is somehow dangerous?
• Is it helpful to talk about “protecting” our spines (or any other joints)? How does this language affect our nervous system and how might it affect our movement choices and confidence in our bodies?
How do we know a movement is safe?
Over decades of teaching, I've found that people intuitively prefer to avoid movements that make them uncomfortable. If something doesn't feel right, or is too intense, people will usually find an easier way, quite naturally, especially if they are actively encouraged to trust themselves and know that they are the expert when it comes to their bodies.
You are the expert
As a teacher, my role is to create a space for exploration, so that you can actively choose to work as hard (or as gently) as you feel is right. I'd like you to feel confident to respond to the signals your body is sending you and practice in the way that benefits you.
One thing I emphasise during my yoga teacher training course is that it's fairly easy to give people instructions about how to make a specific movement.
What sets great teachers apart is the ability to hold space for people to have their own experience and to actively encourage them to trust themselves, self-modify and follow their own intuition.
There are no rules in forward bends
Except that it should feel ok and you shouldn't feel pressured to move in any specific way. Look around you at the natural movement of children - see how they bend.
Check out how people with heavy workloads lift and carry, too, because this is their livelihood, so they are unlikely to put themselves at risk and will naturally adapt the way they approach these kind of movements.
If you're doing an unusual (for you) amount of bending / lifting, then you may feel a little stiff later that evening or the following day. That's completely normal and nothing to be concerned about.
If you'd like to explore how yoga helps us feel healthy and strong, join me!
10 Reasons why your back (or any other joint) doesn't need protection:
1. Your back holds up more than half your bodyweight when you're standing
2. Your back is powerful so you can lift and push
3. Your back is flexible so you can bend forwards, pull on your socks and play
4. Your back is coordinated, so you can dance, run, play sport and practice yoga
5. Your back protects the nerves to your legs, pelvis, gut and organs
6. These nerves are surrounded by thick, stretchy ligaments
7. Your vertebrae are amongst the strongest bones in the body
8. They are bound together by super strong ligaments
9. Your back lasts for many decades (I'm 60, so mine has been going for a while now)
10. All injuries, including those to your back, improve over time. Back pain is the same as a twisted ankle – it will get better
Phew! I didn't mean this to be so long - if you're still here, thank you for reading, I hope it's helpful.
If you'd like to learn more about how we can practice yoga intelligently, listen to our bodies and adapt intuitively to create our own, personal, bespoke practice, which makes us feel healthy and strong, please join me for a Yoga Class or a Workshop soon.
If you have questions, please do get in touch - I love hearing from you and learning more about what you find helpful and inspiring in your yoga, movement and life.
I look forward to seeing you soon.
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