Yoga Anatomy

Yoga and the Spine 39

spatial versus spinal perspectives

in forward- and Backward-Bending poses

Spinal extension is not necessarily the same thing as bending backward, and spinal flexion
is not necessarily the same thing as bending forward. To avoid confusion, it is important to
keep these distinctions clear. Flexion and extension refer to the relationship of the spinal
curves to each other, while forward bending and backward bending are terms that refer to
movements of the body in space. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable. By way of
illustration, consider the following contrasting examples of how two different body types
might appear in some standard yoga movements.

1.A stiff, sedentary office worker, whose stooped posture doesn’t change as his hips

move forward and his arms reach overhead in an attempt to do a standing back bend:

His spine remains in flexion while his body moves backward in space (figure 2.31a).

2. A flexible dancer, who hyperextends her spinal curves in the overhead reach and keeps
   her spine extended as she flexes forward at the hip joints to move into uttanasana
   (standing forward bend): Her spine remains in extension while her body bends forward
   in space (figure 2.31b).

The valuable skill in observing movements this way is the ability to distinguish movement
of the spinal curves in relation to each other from the movements of the torso in space.

E5267/Kaminoff/fig 2.31a/417603/JG/R2

E5267/Kaminoff/fig 2.31b/421806/JG/R2

Figure 2.31 (a) Flexion moving backward in space, and (b) extension moving forward in space.

a b