The Best You, You Can Be, For You

What's the best you, you can be, for you? An unusual question. Like an onion...there's layers.

Each time you have an answer, wait 5, then come back to it.

...see, told you!

Yoga's a solitary practice. We turn inward.

So, asking yourself what's the best you you can be, for you...well, that's about as internally focussed as you can get.

See you being you, J

Yoga With Curvature Of The Spine

While our spines naturally curve from front to back (thoracic, or upper back) and from back to front (lumbar, or lower back), it doesn't (or shouldn't) curve from left to right.

If it does (left to right) then this is scoliosis, and it can be, well ...a pain in the back.



No need to rush out and get x-rays and stuff yet. You'll know about it well enough when you start working asymmetrical back bends in earnest. You know...

...like bound dancer's pose (Badha Natarajasana).



...or a bound low lunge (Badha Anjaneyasana), or some other asymmetrical backbend pretzel concoction.



You see how the guy and girl in the pics are working the backbend more down the bound side?

If you have scoliosis and you work these types of poses, chances are you are going to feel pain. And not the good sort.

I'd like to be all yoga messianic and tell you the answer to this conundrum, but unfortunately, I'm not there yet. Good news tho'...

...you can still do symmetrical back bends (that's bending front to back) to the point of doing drop-backs and other funky moves.

The point of this post though, is to alert you to pain on one side of your back when you start down the asymmetrical path. 

If you do get pain once you start working these poses in earnest, then it's off to get xrays to confirm the condition. Then it's laying off them 'till it's all straightened out (yep, another pun).

See you in class doing asymmetrical backbends (unless they hurt),

J