An Experiment with Back Bending

A cause of pain in back bending can be too much forward tilt in your pelvis. (Anterior Tilt). This action limits the hips from extending and lifts the back waist causing too much compression in the lower back and jams the tailbone. Perhaps you've felt it?

It is usually accompanied by gripping the buttocks, externally rotating the femur bones, and a sharp bend in the lower back. Excessive anterior tilt is due to tight hip flexors and weak or imbalanced hip extensors (gluteus maximus and hamstrings). If you have tight hip flexors (anyone ever felt this before??) it is great to stretch them before back bending. Lunging, warrior poses, supta virasana with a neutral pelvis.

To lift the hips off of the floor we need to use the glutes. However they get over used and act as external hip rotators. We need to balance this action by engaging the hamstrings and inner thighs (adductors) to create a neutral rotation by acting as internal hip rotators. The glutes need to be firm, (don't confuse squeezing them together with drawing them down towards the hamstrings) and balanced by strong hamstrings, to create a slight backward (posterior) tilt in the pelvis to bring it into neutral.
So, when going into a back bend (could be going up or going down) hug the hamstrings to the femur bones and use the inner hamstrings to inner rotate the legs to cancel out the glutes function of external rotation. Keep even weight on the inner and outer foot and this will be feedback to using your muscles in a balanced way.

Follow?

Ask questions... to yourself and your teachers.

This sequence is for people exploring deeper back bending. Regardless of how deep your back bend is, you will benefit from understanding what is going on in your body. Remember these are suggestions only. The posture practice changes. The postures change as you practice more. Every body is uniquely different. You have to be the judge of how deep you go into things. Don't take things too literally or over-exaggerate. What feels right to you without indulging in your body's preferences?

Have fun!