As we enter February, the glitter of Christmas has faded and our New Years' Resolutions begin to wane. We long for Spring, but it still feels a long way away. February is the month of taking stock, pausing for breath and shedding the sheath of Winter and embracing change. Valentines day brings our awareness to the need for self-compassion. We need to shake off the Winter blues by opening our hearts to the light.

The art of opening your heart
Back bending is the counterpose to our daily lives, which mostly consists of us sitting slumped over our desks, commuting or walking with shoulders hunched in poor posture in an attempt to protect our hearts from the world. Its time to readjust, realign and reawaken the kundalini energy that is stored at the bottom of our spine. 

Physically, backbends are welcome respite.  They stretch the abdominals, the hips, thighs, shoulders and chest. They increase energy and strength in the back with muscles around the chest and heart released and expanded, increasing circulation to both heart and lungs. Energetically, they open Anahata (heart) and Manipura (solar plexus) chakras, which govern our capacity to give and receive love and our self-esteem. Subsequently, backbends greatly relieve depression and anxiety, helping us break down our guards and face the world with greater openness.

My next six-week series will focus on two prone backbends, two seated backbends, a standing and supine backbend.
 

"In backbends, one touches the body physically, mentally, intellectually, consciously and spiritually everywhere" B.K.S. Iyengar.