Cobra pose

[amoux (Hilary Starke)]

@HathaTeacher

Generally the older we grow, the more the coccyx vertebrae mineralize and grow together (and the harder the work needed in backbends). If you’re 30++ and still keep the legs together, it’s a good trick to keep the big toes together but not the heels, rotating the straight legs slightly inward (Iyengar’s setu bandha) to keep the buttocks apart, thereby making room for the coccyx to move down toward the mat, keeping the lower spine from over-bending.

Hi Hatha Teacher - many thanks for this. At 50+, I was amused to notice this morning (having read this last night), that the heels are indeed NOT together The big toes, however, are. So now the aim is to contract anus and buttocks - but also rotate the legs in to keep the buttocks apart? This will be interesting …

[HathaTeacher]

@amoux

…At 50+, I was amused to notice this morning (having read this last night), that the heels are indeed NOT together The big toes, however, are. So now the aim is to contract anus and buttocks - but also rotate the legs in to keep the buttocks apart? This will be interesting …

Hi Amoux,
Yoga as 1% theory and 99% percent practice…
I’d suggest you use those 2 as separate techniques (contraction or rotation), both are intended to protect the lower spine. Setu bandha is an activation (not tense) & moderate inward rotation, especially on the front (knees & thighs) and is quite ‘reusable’ (in some backbends, inversions, leg balances).

[HathaTeacher]

@CarsonZi

1. …above is essentially “Inner and Outer Spiral”. Just curious about how familiar you are with the Alignment principles from Anusara Yoga.
   Love!
   P.S.
2. I know that I have a pretty inflexible thoracic region and have been working on this area for a while now (which actually caused some overload symptoms not so long ago as I ended up getting some anahata openings that became excessive)
3. and am wondering if you have any spcific posture recommendations for gaining increased flexibility in the thoracic vertabrae? Thanks for any advice!

1. Yes, mostly the inner spiral. I haven’t attended workshops with J.F. himself but with two people who had their Teacher Training from him, so IMHO. it sounds like an add-on to alignment in Astanga (Iyengar, Jois). Energy (muscular/inward & organic/outward) and Grace in Anusara adds a tantra flavor to it.
2. Not very surprising because almost everybody has, from rock/jazz professionals or hospital staff through to white-collar workers, and me too. Especially taller people who weren’t given the oportunity to stand out while they grew up and were asked to stay in-line… That said, self-pacing is as useful as elsewhere. Even if you feel like moving faster, it’s a good idea to combine techniques to a work-around, instead of just pushing through the backbends at all costs (although some Anusara practitioners tend to do that). That’s one of the ideas behind Vinyasa, postures enhancing each other in a chain.
3. I wish I had THE Thoracic Silver Bullet apart fom repeated self-paced training and the hathayoga package of bend - opposite bend - side bend - twist, with breathing.
   To get the bend to the right spot (Anahata):

• the serpent variation you mentioned here: fingers interlaced, arms straight behind the back pull the shoulders and thoracic spine backward (looking forward)
• fish (Matsyasana), with elbows close to each other under the spine, expanding the chest in all directions but mostly upward, almost ‘eating’ air/prana/life in long, dedicated, ever-deeper inhalations
• low cobra (Bhujangasana), standing on your lowest rib, facing slightly upward, then lifting the palms and elbows a litle off the ground, then putting them back but still using the spinal muscles and having the hands pull the Anahata-region forward (rather than lifting).
• bow (Dhanurasana), using the legs to pull the core up and experimenting with your individual griping point on the ankles to get a similar sensation in the thoracic region as during the low cobra. Self pacing (‘quads’ are stronger than other muscles).
• spinal twists (similarly, twisting less in the neck and more in the thoracic vertebrae): Ardha Matsyendrasana (all leg variations), Bharavajrasana (I prefer a completely straight spine to half lotus), Marichyasana variation C. Inhalations extend the spine up, exhalations twist another 0.1 inch further.
• twists, lying on on your back, either static (legs once to each side), or dynamic (Nakrakriya) in the pace of the breath with exh. to the side, inh. legs to middle.
• ‘non-asanas’ for anahata
  beeja (Yam), organ of sense (touch), organ of action (hands/arms) embracing the Shakti and the world, free will able to oppose the dictates of fate.
  But even if there were hundreds of those, there’s no hurry/no straining, the Iyengar (or Sivananda) ‘anahata’ cobra seems to take a few lifetimes anyway

[CarsonZi]

Thanks for this HathaTeacher
Wish you had THE Thoracic Silver Bullet too …guess I’ll just have to continue as I am…slowly, hahaha
Love!