Article 1, Blue Moon Yoga Springwood: Author: Greg Brady

Are you aware that bending is one of the more dangerous daily activities you do?  The main reason is that most bending is associated with lifting, which in Australia, has been identified as one of the largest causes of back problems.

Many people think that lifting only involves external things like lifting boxes or children.  However our bodies are also weights, and if you do not have the necessary good posture, back strength, healthy weight and knowledge, then repeated bending/lifting over time, can result in accumulated damage to your back.

This damage can be exhibited as compromised or “slipped discs” as well as all the other back misaligned structural and muscular issues.  There are also many lifestyle issues that all relate to the poor practice of bending and lifting.  Each of those factors are stories in their own right, and are too many and long for this specific article, except to say that everything, both for body and mind are intimately interconnected.

Why do you bend?  Essentially you do it because it is the easy (short-term) way, whereas stretching is the harder (long-term) way.  Stretching involves effort and energy, and as our society is progressively becoming more sedentary, we are basically more (unwittingly/unknowingly) lazy: to our own detriment.  Much of the prior generations back knowledge and skill has been lost as unimportant.  When was, or were you ever told to “sit up straight” or “do not slouch”.

When was the last time you actually stretched? Possibly reaching up to something? Hopefully you always do it in your yoga class, and fortunately, there are some sporting activities that also require plenty of stretching to succeed. However for most people, stretching is not common.

What is the need to learn to Stretch?

The following are some of the benefits of stretching for your back relative to bending:

• Stretching minimises doing any further harm to your back.
• Stretching minimises doing future harm to your back.
• Stretching improves your movement choices and possibilities, if your back has been harmed.
• Stretching improves your movement choices and possibilities to keep a healthy back functioning better and longer.
• Stretching enables you to have a generally healthier body and mind.
• Stretching is one of the foundations for your total back care and health.

Stretching is about more than just “the back”.

It is important to have an idea of what parts of your body are involved in back stretching.

All the following are regarded as part of stretching “the back”.

• All your spine (which includes your neck).
• All your muscles in the whole trunk of your body. (Yes that does mean the front and internal muscles of your trunk as well.)
• All your pelvic muscles (includes your buttocks and internal muscles) and all those muscles above your knees that attach below your knees.
• All your muscles in your neck (front and back) and shoulders and all those muscles above your elbow that attach below your elbow.
• All the above are totally integrated and all need to be used to effectively, efficiently, and most importantly safely use your back.

You may at this stage have realised that muscular neck and shoulder problems and touching the floor with straight legs are all related back stretching issues, (all other matters being equal).

What is involved in a stretch?

An actual stretch involves lengthening your spine from your tailbone (Coccyx) to the base of your skull (C1 vertebrae). It is your backs muscular strength, stretch and overall stamina that enables you to increase the “space” between your vertebrae, thus help relieving your intervertebral discs from the usual compression from being upright during most of your waking hours.

You need to understand and know how to stand stretched first. This is actually about good posture. Healthy intervertebral discs can be up to 25% of the length of your spine. This is why it is possible to regain your former height which (apparently) maximises by 25 years of age, when you consistently practice yoga.

When first learning to stand stretched, it takes lots of effort, and often your muscles will become tied and achy. This effect does reduce/stops as you practice over time.

There are four main components to a standing stretch:

• “Think tall”. You will see yourself get visibly higher. If you are learning, when you stop the stretch, you will “breathe a sigh”.
• “Tailbone tuck”. This is moving your tailbone slightly forward. When your muscles gently firm from your pubic area to halfway up to your navel, you have moved it sufficiently.
• Have your neck vertical and chin horizontal. If you get it right your upper part of your chest feels expanded up and out.
• “Activate your kidney area” to support your lumber area. If you get it right your nasal passages open up and you can breathe easier (although I do not understand the connection between the two, it works!!!).

Notice that there is no need to deliberately firm any front abdominal (or stomach) muscles.

Eventually your posture improves and you do not need to actively continue doing these actions. Like all body activities, do them softly and regularly, but not too long. Otherwise your back will become fatigued and you wonder why it appears not to be working.

There are at least 3 life style components that are also vital. These are not discussed in this article.

The following are some other body indicators when moving from a vertical to side, front, back or twist trunk movements.

1. Bending in any movement will not result in “breathing a sigh”.  (The “sigh” is the most important and easiest way to know if you have stretched and stopped the stretch.

2. Do you sit and/or stand slouched? That is bending.

1. Bending in any movement (side, front, back or twist), will result in your skin feeling more like jelly than elastic.
2. Bending in any movement will result in more folds of your skin on the compressed side (or sides for twists).
3. Do you feel a “pinching” between your lower ribs and hip when doing a side movement?  That is the result of bending.
4. Do you feel a “pinching” in your lower back when doing a back arch?  That is the result of bending.
5. Do you feel that your abdomen is feeling “crowded” when doing a front movement?  That is the result of bending.
6. Even if you have weight issues where your body mass and shape compromises these movements, the relative “pinching” and “crowding” feeling will still be there.

Therefore stretching is the opposite of the points above, and it is necessary to work on them to minimise having back issues.

Learning to do, and actually stretching, requires cultivating and practicing a whole set of skills, that are the underlying physical foundations of all yoga practice and ultimately your daily living. It cannot be emphasised enough how important they are.  In close association with these skills there is also a set of life style habits that also need to be practiced (e.g.  Other aspects of safely lifting things, adequate sleep etc)

If you want to learn more, please come.  I’ve noticed that even though you can read words and have an intellectual understanding of the physical processes, most students need the guidance of a teacher. This is because body awareness can be very low and habitual movements makes it difficult to change when beginning.

Your thoughts are always appreciated.  If you want to share this, please acknowledge this source.

Updated 22/10/2016