The path of least resistance

I attended a yoga training last weekend which, as always, has enriched my practice and my teaching. I love to go on training courses - it reminds me that I am always a student, and there is always more to learn. So I wanted to share with you all a few things that have stuck in my mind. 

 During the workshop on back bends we looked at a familiar pose - Crescent Lunge. Whilst it is easy to lean into a back bend in this pose, we are continually reminded to 'save back bends for back bends'. It is so easy for the body to bend in the lumbar spine, thrusting the hips forward and tilting the bum back. Rather than do this, we began by bending our back knee, lengthening the tailbone, drawing the lower ribs towards the hip bones. From here we started to straighten the back leg, lifting the back thigh towards the ceiling and pressing the ball of the back foot into the ground.



I have never come in to a lunge this way - maybe others already have?! I could really feel it stretching across my psoas and illiacus - across my hip and down my thigh. It's a really great way to make sure that your body doesn't take the path of least resistance.

The workshop really reminded me how the body prefers to take this path, choosing the easiest way to bend and move. Often when we are doing yoga we give in to this, bending in to the weak areas such as the lower back. Next time why not give this a go and see how different it feels!