Backbends: Moving the Thoracic Spine Safely
*This post is for people with a healthy spine. If you have severe disc degeneration/herniations, stenosis, spinal fusions, or anything else that affects safe mobility in your spine, please consult your doctor before attempting any of the following poses.* Despite the above disclaimer, backward bending is a wonderful thing to do for health and mobility. Gravity naturally pulls us into a forward bend, causing rounded shoulders and a forward head. Many hours working at a computer or looking at our phones only encourages that rounded position. Long term, this alignment will cause pain, discomfort, and dysfunction in the neck and back (upper and lower), as well as potentially cause headaches. The problem with being in a constantly forward position is all of the posterior muscles of the neck and upper back are in a constant state of elongation, without getting the relief of coming back to neutral; even though the muscles may feel tight, they actually need to be engaged/contracted,...