It was backbend week this week so we started by opening the chest with blocks in the upper back concentrating on the line from one tip of the shoulder blade to the other. Sometimes these instructions get a life of their own. I don’t always go in with these “short cut terms”, sometimes they just evolve. This line became the Mason-Dixon line, separating the upper back from the lower back. We used this line to “coil” open the chest when doing urdhva mukha svanasana, salabasana, urdhva danurasana. In a workshop a couple of weekends ago I learned that using the thigh/buttocks juncture, specifically pulling the hamstring muscle up to that place and draping the buttock flesh down eliminated low back pain in backbends. That thigh/buttock juncture was affectionately dubbed by one of my classes as the “cheek crease”.
Swastikasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
supine over the blocks
Arms sliding over head with a block, then learning the rotation of the arms and lifting the Mason-Dixon line towards the ceiling
Three groups: gomukasana, pull ups on the ropes, push ups on the wall
Standing ardha bhekasana
urdhva mukha svanasana
salabhasana
urdhva danurasana – from the floor, bolster or chair depending on the level
Sirsasana (only in the intermediate class – take feet apart, draw hamstrings to the “cheek crease”
Salamba Sarvangasana – drop back to setubandha – or vipariti karani
twist
savasana
Pam Lindberg Yoga 