Happy Spine, Happy Life by Alison King Tigges

“A well-rounded yoga practice includes: all movements of the spine and an inversion”-Judith Lasater

Seems too simple, right?  But what if it were that simple?!  What if the key to a really effective yoga practice was as easy as moving the spine in all directions and getting upside down?  I want to discuss why a healthy and happy spine is essential, and more importantly, how to get there.

Let’s take a quick ride on the anatomy train.  The spine is located on the back body and is made up of 33 bones, called vertebrae.  The spinal column connects the sacrum to the skull.  It covers a lot of ground!  There are five sections that make up the curvature of the spine:

1.     Coccyx (tail bone)

2.     Sacrum (back bone of pelvis)

3.     Lumbar (low back)

4.     Thoracic (mid/upper back)

5.     Cervical (neck)

As mentioned, the spine is made up of individual vertebrae that can move independently of one another.  Equally important to the bones of the spine are what is connected to those bones--muscles that connect to the hips, back, shoulders, and neck.  And, of course, covering all of this is lots and lots of connective tissue (fascia). 

The nature of the human spine is what sets us apart from other animals—it allows us to be upright on two feet.  The spinal cord is located in the spine, and it contains lots of nerves that send constant signals from the body to the brain.  So essentially, our nervous system lives in the spine! 

Needless to say, spinal health is king.  It is extremely important for our overall health!

Unfortunately, due to the inactivity of modern life, we don’t do our spine a lot of favors.  You might look around and see lots of poor posture, bad backs, tight necks…the list goes on.  Back pain is one of the most common ailments I see as a yoga teacher.  It is imperative our spine has a lot of mobility (but not too much!) coupled with a lot of strength and stability. 

Thankfully, yoga to the rescue!  It is one of the few physical disciplines that will work on BOTH strength and flexibility when it comes to the spine.  Score!  Let’s discuss both.

Mobility in the Spine

There are 4 main movements of the spine-

1.      Flexion (rounding the back)

2.     Extension (opening the front body and engaging the back)

3.     Lateral Flexion (side bending the torso)

4.     Rotation (twisting or allowing the vertebrae to move independently of one another-think wringing out a wet towel)

For much of the population, being hunched over the keyboard or steering wheel is the habitual pattern we are stuck in.  Spinal flexion (with no core engagement) alllll day, every day.  Let me scream it from the rooftops--we need to move our spine in all directions!  The good news is yoga poses allow for this.  A good yoga teacher (hey, I know some at OTY!) makes sure to include these in every practice.  And even if a particular class is going in one direction (think a backbend for a peak pose), we will surely address another movement the following week!  Good spinal movement allows for the spine to feel better, move more freely and support better posture. It’s the fountain of youth.

Try a few of these poses to move the spine in all directions:

Cat/Cow

Malasana

Bhujangasana

Parsvakonasana

Lying Twist

Strength Surrounding the Spine

Along with good movement, we need to have strong support for our spine.  How do we do this? We strengthen our hip/glute muscles that support the base of the spine, AND we strengthen the back muscles and deep core muscles that support the front and back of spine!

Strong postural cues by a skilled yoga teacher are helpful.  As teachers, we are there to help remind you how to find this strength in each pose!  And inherent in every yoga pose ever?  A strong core!  And I am not just talking about doing a bunch of crunches.  I am talking about learning ways to activate their transverse abdominus (deepest layer of core in the torso) as well as utilize the arches of the feet, inner thighs, pelvic floor and diaphragm (all part of the deep core).  This is not an easy feat, but trust me, a stronger core is the key to a happy back.

Try a few of these poses to strengthen the spine:

Shalabasana

Supta Dandasana

Tadasana with block between inner thighs

Plank pose

Well?! Have I convinced you that a healthy spine is important and that a well-balanced yoga practice is a great way to get you there?  The good news is you don’t have to fully understand or grasp all of this right away.  A well-trained yoga teacher will be well-versed in anatomy and understand the spine in all its glory.  Just keep showing up and let the spine shine.