Bikram's Spine Strengthening Series
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Photos via Bikram Yoga Seattle.
Lately I've been doing Bikram's Spine Strengthening Series on my own, at home. I find it's a wonderful set of postures if you're looking to increase your back and core strength, which can positively affect everything you do in yoga.
The movements themselves are beautiful, too. I love the way each pose flows into the next.
The sequence goes like this:
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
Full Locust Pose (Poorna-Salabhasana)
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
Full Locust Pose (Poorna-Salabhasana)
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
With each posture in the series, you increase the backbend, coming into a fuller and fuller expression, working all the muscle groups along the spine throughout the process.
If you're doing the Spine Strengthening Series, remember too: where the eyes go, the body follows. Cast your gaze upward and your body will go there too.
PS A great post from a Bikram blogger on why she has a love/hate relationship with these poses. And a post from a medical doctor on how these back-strengthening postures can relieve pain.
