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Save your spine, part two: ways to perfect your posture

By Stephanie Trembath

he finished pose of some
[vee postures often leave
one wondering whether or

not the posture is feasible, or meant
for experienced contortionists.
Prior to Douglas College’s “Biggest
Loser” competition, which kicked
off with a healthy start as students
across campus vowed to give up
beer, I wrote an article outlining the
benefits of extending and stretching
the spine. This week’s practice will
involve deeper stretches that target
more muscle groups and holding
postures for extended periods of
time—so remember to breathe
slowly and listen to your body.

While part one of the series
featured three postures to relax
and stretch the spine, this week
we will focus on extending and
strengthening the erector spinae,
which are the bundle of muscles
and tendons that extend down the
spinal column through the lumbar,
thoracic, and cervical spine areas.
The erector spinae is the muscle
opposite of the abdominal muscles,
so for individuals who focus on
building better abs, this muscle
area is often overlooked. Having a
strong erector spinae will not only
improve your posture, but also
strengthen the core muscle area of
the abdominals.

The following postures involve
core stability and strength to hold
still.

Camel Pose: I discussed the first
step of this pose in part one, with
knees hip distance apart, toes
tucked or pressed into the floor,
and hands in fists at the base of the
tail bone. From this position make
sure your hips are gently pushed
forward. This ensures that your
buttocks stay tucked in and your
tailbone is tucked under directly
in line with your spine. Tilt your
head slightly up as you squeeze the
shoulder blades together on your
back.
a) As you inhale, slowly
raise yout chest to
the ceiling and fold
backwards. Here you want
to keep pressing your hips
gently forward as you raise
your chest to the ceiling
and drop your head back.
If you are comfortable here,
you have the option to take
each hand and rest it on
each heel; keep your arms
straight, hands still, and
pelvis pressed to the front
of the room.
b) In this final posture, you
do not want to feel any

@ Camel Pose

 

tightness in the chest or
neck; you want to feel
openness through the
front of your body as you
let your spine relax in a
deeper back bend. Hold
this pose for 30 to 60
seconds and make sure to
slowly move out of the
pose the same way you
went into to it.

c) Finally, come back to the
position on your knees and
move into Child’s Pose to
release.

Cobra Pose: this posture begins
with the entire body stretched out
fully on the floor, pressing your legs
together to form one long line with
thighs, knees, and feet pressed
firmly into the ground. The most
important part of this posture is to
ensure from your hips to your toes
stays pressed tight into the ground.

a) From here, place your
hands directly underneath
your shoulders and hug
your elbows tight into
your sides. Spread your
fingertips wide, and
squeeze your shoulder
blades back and down
onto either edge of your
spine.

b) Keeping your head in line
with your neck—so you
are looking straight ahead,
not up or down—slowly
begin to press the tops of
your feet, thighs, pelvis,
and palms of your hands
into the floor as you inhale.
As you press firmly down
through these pressure
points and inhale, begin to
lift your chest and ribcage
up to the front of the room.

c) In this position you are
using your erector spinae
muscle groups to hug your
centre and lift; hold this
pose for 30 to 60 seconds

 

@ Cobra Pose

and then slowly lower your
upper half back down to
the ground as you exhale.

d) A modification for this
posture is to try with just
fingertips touching the
ground.

Bow Pose: this final posture starts
on the ground, with your knees
bent and toes pointed to the top of
the room. With your chin tucked
into the ground, belly flat, hips-
knees-feet all in one long line,
reach along the outside of your
feet to grab onto your ankles. It

is important to get a really firm
grip on your feet to maximize the
benefits of this posture.

a) With your hands grasping
your ankles, facing straight
ahead, inhale to slowly, but
firmly, extend your legs
to the sky while keeping
your hands clasped tightly.
This pose pulls your upper
torso away from the floor,
so you want to stay firmly
grounded with your pelvis
and tailbone into the floor.

b) Hands tight, keep kicking
your legs up into the air as
you press down through
your pelvis; this posture is
a slight backbend so make
sure your erector spinae is

@ Bow Pose

td

    

not flexed, rather, soften
this area as you kick up and
press down through your
pubis.

c) Itis important to squeeze
your shoulder blades back
and down, and keep your
knees and feet in line with
your hips so your body is
hugged in one straight line.

d) Breathing in this posture
is difficult, but try to stay
in this pose for 30 to 60
seconds, taking small sips
of air through your nose.
When you release, push
back into Child’s Pose.

If you are trying to improve
your posture, but want to work
on exercises that will keep your
body toned and strong, these three
yoga poses are perfect to increase
the extension and flexibility of
the erector spinae. Make sure you
are not too full when trying these
postures, as they are backbends and
will cause stomach muscle cramps.
For a fresh and warm start to
your day, wake up with a few soft
stretches before trying out Camel
Pose, Cobra, and finally Bow Pose,
with proper relaxation and rest in
Child’s Pose afterwards to let your
body recover.

 

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