Backbends are vital to incorporate in your practice if you have a desk job or have low-back pain.

There are many different forms of backbends like standing, kneeling, and lying down. When performed properly with a good form, backbend help with a strong stretch through the front chain of the body. Backbends are really good for many of us who work on the computers with a hunched posture.

According to the Jenny Savage, a yoga instructor at EkhartYoga, backbends open the chest and upper body. Backbends stimulate the Heart chakra which allows us to be open in our lives to emotions, experiences and relationships. This means that backbends can release strong emotions like fear, frustration, anger, joy and happiness.

Besides just opening the Heart chakra and opening our emotions, backbends have many other benefits. Read on to find out the benefits and how to practice a backbend safely.

Benefits of Kneeling Backbends-

• improves posture
• increases spine mobility
• stretches muscles
• decreases stress and anxiety
• infuses energy
• improves oxygen intake
• makes you receptive to experiences
• helps to alleviate back and neck pain

How to Practice Kneeling Backbends-

• Kneel on a padded level surface. Place your hands on your waist.
• Engage your core so that it supports your back by pulling the belly in and up, make sure your tailbone presses down.
• Lift your chest and rib cage up.
• Inhale as you arch up and back, placing your hands your heels.
• Open your chest proud and keep pressing the tailbone down.
• Keep the neck long with an even arch over the whole spine.
• Hold the pose for three breath cycles.

Modifications – If this full expression of kneeling back bend doesn’t work for you, a few modifications can be helpful. Place yoga blocks next to your feet to have a better reach or place your hands on your back instead of reaching for your heels. For knee discomfort, placing a rolled blanket or pad is helpful. If you are in the office and want to get the benefits of this stretch, you can practice it standing up while keeping your hands on your lower back.

Always consult a doctor before practicing any new exercise regimen. Don’t practice back bends without professional supervision if you had neck or back injury. Some of the things to avoid while practicing this pose are – don’t overextend your neck, keep the extension even throughout the spine and don’t practice this pose if you experience any pain.

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Keep reading for some tips on how to keep your whole family healthy and stress-free while planning for a successful school year.

Get Organized- Remember that waiting till the last day to get things organized will only create stress. Plan ahead. Get the back-to-school supplies list and shop the items. Organize kid’s backpacks. Choose a backpack for your kids that will be comfortable and won’t cause back pain. Asking the school for help during summer is a good idea too. Schools are open to addressing any parental concerns, like the specific needs of a child over the summer. Reaching out to your child’s teacher and introducing yourself and your child over e-mail will help your child’s teacher be familiar with you and your child.

Backpacks- It’s a good idea to pack light. Organizing the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. It’s good to remind your child always to use both shoulder straps. Wearing a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles and creates postural asymmetry. Adjusting the straps so that the bottom sits at the child’s waist is best.

Visit the School- Taking kids to visit the new school or classroom before the first day of school can help reduce back to school stress for your kids. Plan to attend the new classroom orientation and meet with the kids’ teacher before the first day. If your kid is nervous, have a friendly conversation about the problem and then help them come up with solutions. It will help reduce the stress and give your kids tools to work out issues in future.

Teach Good Hygiene Habits– if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s to practice healthy hygiene. The most effective way to avoid spreading germs is proper handwashing. Teach your kids to wash hands thoroughly with soap fronts and backs of their hands and in-between fingers. Pack a small hand sanitizer in their backpacks.

Schedule a Doctor’s Visit– Schedule an annual check-up before heading back to school. Make sure your kid’s immunizations are up-to-date, too.

Get Back into the Routine– Starting back to school bedtime routine two weeks before school starts gives the kids a reasonable amount of time to transition into the new practice. It’s a good idea to cut back on screen time.

Plan Healthy Meals- Plan meals and school lunches ahead of time. Make a calendar of school lunches and home dinners. Get your kids involved in the process. Ask them to put their choice of healthy lunches and dinner options on the menu. Serve a healthy breakfast to kids each morning. Research shows that students who eat breakfast are more alert during class than those who don’t.

Stay Hydrated- Keeping your kids hydrated with water is essential for kid’s health and wellness. It helps prevent fatigue, improve mood, aid digestion, and maintenance, and enhance brain function. Try to limit sugary drinks.

Stay Active- Summer is the season for kids to stay active. I am sure you have been traveling with kids and doing all sorts of outdoor activities like hiking, biking, kayaking, and surfing. Keep that momentum going. Enroll the kids in a yoga class. Enroll them in some fall sport activity.

Calm Their Worries- Starting the new school year in a new classroom with new teacher and classmates can be nerve-racking for children. Inform the kids about their class schedule and other changes to go back to school. A regular yoga practice with kids can help reduce anxiety and promote feelings of calm.

Even setting aside fifteen to twenty minutes a day during summer break to plan for the school year ahead can go a long way. That bit of planning gives your child confidence that the new school year is a priority for you, and you will help them with any challenges in the future.

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Religious devotees, athletes, monks, and warriors all understand the wonders and power of breath. Zen monks and yoga warriors use it to achieve clarity of mind. Athletes use it to get a competitive advantage. Navy seals use it to achieve higher focus and stay calm.

Simply being more attentive about how you breathe can have benefits for well-being. There are many ways to practice mindful breathing. Finding the proper breathing technique and incorporating it into your daily life can help you reap the benefits of deep conscious breathing.

In this blog post, you will find some of the best and most helpful breathing techniques.

Belly Breathing- Belly breathing or deep diaphragmatic breathing is an easy way to release stress and relax. Diaphragmatic breathing is used to relieve breathing conditions like asthma, pneumonia, and other lung diseases.

• Sit or lie in a comfortable position.
• Put one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose and feel your belly expand.
• Gently push the air out through pursed lips.
• Repeat this exercise 5-10 times.
• Notice how you feel at the end of the exercise.

4-7-8 Breathing- This breathing technique is suitable for relaxation. It shifts your body into a state of deep relaxation.

• To start, put one hand on your belly and the other on your
• Take a deep, slow breath from your belly for a four-count.
• Pause, and silently count from 1 to 7.
• Breathe out for an eight count. Trying to expel all the air out.
• Repeat this exercise 5-10 times.

Alternate Nostril Breathing- It is also known as the Anulom Vilom pranayama(breathing exercise) in Sanskrit. This breathing exercise is known to clean nostrils and sinuses. Research has shown that it can help stimulate the left and right sides of the brain simultaneously.

• Come into a comfortable seated position.
• Place the thumb and ring finger on alternate nostrils.
• Place the index and big finger on your forehead.
• Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly, fill your lungs with air.
• Remove your thumb and, using your ring finger, close your left nostril and exhale.
• Repeat for 8-12 breath cycles or as long as desired.

Box Breathing- Box breathing can regulate the autonomic nervous system. This system regulates involuntary body functions such as temperature and blood pressure. It provides an almost immediate sense of calm and focus. Army officers use it intense situations.

• Come into a comfortable seated position.
• Sitting tall with a long spine, slowly inhale for a four count. Feel the air fill your lungs completely while expanding your abdomen.
• Hold the breath to a count of 4.
• Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 4. Getting all the oxygen out of your lungs and assign a count of 4.
• Hold the breath for a count of 4.

Modified Lion’s Breath- Lion’s breath is an energizing yoga breathing practice. It relieves tension in your chest and face. It’s also known in yoga as simhasana in Sanskrit.

While performing this breathing technique, imagine that you’re a lion. Let all your breath out with a big, open mouth.

• Come into a comfortable seated position.
• Breathe in through your nose. Fill your belly all the way up like a balloon.
• Open your mouth as wide as you can. Breathe out with a “HA” sound.
• Repeat for 8-15 breath cycles or as much as desired.

Take the time to experiment with different types of breathing techniques. Schedule breathing breaks in your daily calendar can help you stick with the breathing practice.

All these breathing practices can be progressively built up over time. That means you can start with a few breaths cycles each day and then add on the number of breath cycles weekly for longer mindful breathing practice.

The post Exploring the Wonder of Breath – Part 5 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

This is the third blog in our Exploring the Wonder of Breath series. In the first two blogs, we discussed deep breathing mechanics, and benefits of deep breathing. In this blog, we will take a deep dive into breathing as a tool for stress management. Who can’t use destressing techniques in today’s day and age?

Are you overworked, sleep-deprived, anxious, and stressed? You are not alone. I am right there with you. The only issue is, I have been investing a big chunk of my paycheck on fancy spa treatments for relaxing. Spa treatments have their place, but if you are looking for a more long-term solution, keeps reading this blog.

Fortunately, there are many ways to let go of stress and gain calmness without a hefty price tag. The best relaxation method is entirely free. All you need is your breath and some free time to practice deep breathing.

The deep breathing practice isn’t new to humans. According to ancient Indian scripture, deep breathing brings “prana” or energy to us. In ancient Chinese culture, it’s called “Qi” – energy that flows through our bodies. The concept of breath has been prominent in many other ancient civilizations, including Egyptian-ka, Hebrew-Nefesh, Greek-psuchē, and Latin anima. These cultures believed that by breathing with control and depth, we could find clarity of mind and focus energy for living a better-balanced life.

This ancient science behind deep breathing still holds. Research shows that deep breathing exercises keep the mind and body strong by lowering blood pressure, promoting relaxation, and relieving stress. If you think about breathing when you are stressed out, you take quick and shallow breaths. By living with intention, we can activate our parasympathetic nervous system and help our bodies relax. Breathing is affected by our autonomic nervous system. When we take shallow breaths, the breath stops at the top of the lungs and activates the sympathetic nervous system since the top part of the lungs is connected to nerves that communicate with the sympathetic nervous system. The lower lobes of our lungs have nerves that connect to the sympathetic nervous system. So, deep, controlled, and extended breaths will activate those nerves.

Here are a few deep breathing techniques for destressing and finding calm and tranquility.

Equal Breathing- This breathing technique can help with taking your mind off the daily to-do list. It’s beneficial to practice it before going to bed to quiet your busy brain. How to do it:

• Inhale for four counts and then exhale for four counts while sitting comfortably or lying down.
• Your eyes can remain open or closed.
• Inhale and e through your nose throughout the practice.

Abdominal Breathing – this breathing technique is super helpful before a stressful event. Yes, I am talking about before your big presentation or an exam. How to do it:

• Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose, allowing the breath to travel all the way down to the diaphragm and let your belly inflate.
• Exhale slowly, contracting the abdomen.

Try taking 6- 10 deep breaths for a minute every hour to reap the benefits.

Yoga- Yoga is built on the science of breathing. Yogic teachings of thousands of years focus on building Parana through breathwork. Later the yoga practice evolved to include asanas or physical postures coordinated with breathwork. The deep breathing practiced during yoga encourages us to live in the present. So, to destress and find calm laying down your yoga mat and going through a brief practice can help.

Learning these breathing techniques isn’t difficult, but practice is key to building momentum. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice deep breathing and say goodbye to stress.

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 Numerous research studies show that, yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life. A study published in International Journal of Yoga,  found that yoga produces a physiological event sequence in the body that reduces stress. Yoga poses inhibit the posterior or sympathetic area of the hypothalamus in the brain. This inhibition optimizes the body’s sympathetic responses to stressful stimuli and restores autonomic regulatory reflex mechanisms associated with stress.

One of the yoga pose categories provides this benefit significantly more than others.  That category is the forward bend poses. Traditional yoga texts say forward bends can cure disease. Scientists are discovering how these poses help in reduces stress.

One of the explanations comes from our childhood.  Children like to hug their knees to their chest to self-cradle. Forwarding bending yoga poses operate in the same way. Forward folds also help by bringing calmness because they encourage us to pull our senses inward. This allows us to connect and stay with our inner essence. Forward bends are also known to protect your heart and abdominal region. According to Savanna Stevens,  forward bends give space between the spinal discs when we drop our head down. Our autonomic nervous system is lead by our spine. These elements combined make this category of poses a perfect one for moving from fight and flight to rest and digest mode.

There are many variations of forward bends. We will focus on three in this blog. The seated forward bend, standing forward bend, and child’s pose.

Seated Forward Fold- Paschimottanasana, the seated forward fold, is one of the twelve postures of hatha yoga. It’s easy to practice seated forward bends.

• Sit with your legs extended in front of you. Knees can be bent or straight.
• Inhale, reaching your arms up overhead, lengthening your spine.
• Exhaling, bend forward from the hip joints. Imagine your torso coming to rest on your
• Rest your fingertips on your shins, ankles, or feet.
• Repeat 3-4 reps and then hold for up to a minute.

Standing Forward Fold- Standing forward fold lengthens the hamstrings and calves and opens up back muscles. Here is how to practice this pose.

• Come into a mountain pose with raised hands.
• Sweep your arms down, bending at your hips lengthening your torso.
• Bring your fingertips in line with the toes. You can drop your hands down or rest your hands on a block.
• Let your head hang heavy under you.
• Inhale and rise, pressing your tail bone down and heels into the mat.

Childs Pose- Balasana is a standard yoga pose. It is a resting pose used during yoga practice.  Here is how to practice it.

• Begin on your hands and knees. Spread your knees shoulder-width apart and glue your toes together.
• With an exhale send your hips to your heels, bow forward, draping your torso between your thighs. Drop your forehead down on the mat or a yoga block.
• Hold for a minute or three breath cycles.

Next time you are stressed out, lay down your yoga mat and practice a few forward bends.

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