Things to Know About Backbend in Yoga And Its Benefits For The Spine

Backbend in yoga is a beautiful and unique posture, but to be able to master these movements is not easy.

Backbends help the spine increase strength and endurance, protect sensitive nerves, ligaments and tendons to keep the spine moving. Let's learn more backbend to understand more about this pose.

Overview of backbend

Backbend, also known as backrest, is a group of movements that are very familiar to yogis, whether they have just a beginner or practiced for a long time. These postures belong to the basic movements that you have seen many times such as cobra, bridge, bow, .. 

Backbends help to soften the spine and save the energy flows from the base of the spine upwards. It consists of 6 activities that are gathered into a chain, the spine is the main object that this movement will impact directly. Backbend practice is to seek to move the enlarged spine in its natural direction. Unlike how many people still mistakenly think that the spine mounds in a fixed position that is uncomfortable and exhausting, backbend practice brings a feeling of optimism, joy, and improves the yogi's mind.



Backbends are divided into 3 categories:

• Traction group: The body flexes and pulls the body completely back. Typical representatives of this group are wheel pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) or camel pose (Ustrasana)
• Lever group: Use the strength of your arms or legs to bend your back deeply back. The typical poses for this group are cobra (Bhujangasana) and bow pose (Danurasana).
• Contraction: This is a group of movements in which the back muscles contract against gravity. Representatives of this group pose the grasshopper (Salabhasana).

Backbend Benefits

Backbend works like a natural pain reliever. Practicing these movements on a regular basis can help us remove the hidden tension in our muscles and release energy throughout the body, bringing you a relaxed, cheerful mindset. In addition, the backbend also trains perseverance and patience because each move cannot be done in a split second, but requires long-term practice.

A very special thing that backbend brings to regular trainees is confidence. Backbends will help us breathe better, pump more blood to the heart, expand the lungs, give the chest full of vitality. Besides, it also helps activate the organs in the abdomen, relieves depression, fatigue and sciatica. Because of that, regular backbend practitioners will have a comfortable, confident, and at the same time cheerful spirit, not under pressure and ready to create.

Things to keep in mind when practicing backbend

Warm-up before practicing

This is essential when doing all yoga exercises, not just backbend. Normally, in everyday activities such as sitting at work, driving a car, texting ... we tend to bend our back and shoulders. In the meantime, back bends do the opposite, and so you'll need a gentle warm-up to make your body more resilient before doing it.

You can do a light warm-up with the sun greeting series. The first poses of this series will make it easier to do the cobra or dog face-up movement.

Practicing postures that support back bendsback

Themovements also stretch the front of the body, thereby expanding and relaxing the hip muscles and surrounding muscles such as the upper thigh (muscle quadruple), hip flexors and lumbar muscles may be helpful for backbend practice. To do this, you can practice moves such as lunge, Reclined Hero pose.

In addition, the chest and shoulders should also be warmed up and extended when performing a backrest. To do this, you can practice forward bends with wide legs, hands folded back (Prasarita Padottanasana C) or some reclining group reclining movements like grasshopper pose. to best prepare the body before conquering more difficult backbend poses like the wheel pose.


Conquering the backbend position is also conquering your limits, opening up new challenges that allow you to explore and learn. Perform backbend poses with Olaben to constantly grow and refresh yourself every day!