Forward bending after camel

Hi Linda

That’s a good question. There are some important distinctions that I will make in the answer in order for specifics of my advice to be understood in the right context.

The difference is that movement from Half Moon backbend to PadaHastasana is the actual pose. All of that is hopefully done mindfully and also has certain physiological intentions. Moving from Ustrasana and going straight into a flop down forward kind of ‘finally it’s over and I’m exhausted’ pose is not mindful and it’s going to defeat the purpose of that Savasana on the back. It wastes time, time doing yoga, wastes the backbend conditions of the Camel, and more.

What I advise against is moving from Camel to rounded back forward pose. Many people sneak this pose in. It’s not useful. It takes unnecessary time away from your practice. Look, some people may have such intense sensations that they on rare occasion feel there is literally no other option for them. In one deeply emotional period of my life, I can remember one time where that was the only way I could manage to not pass out. However, as one progresses on one’s path one finds that breathing mindfully, doing things with intention, coming out of the pose and facing and dealing with the intensities that result from the asana is exactly what we’re there for. With that in mind, one resists the collapse of a forward bending pose straight after Camel because one knows that Savasana will take care of that release.

When I teach I sometimes advise particular students to go into a Child’s Pose after Ustrasana. There are people for whom this is the best thing. For example, women who are 4-5 plus months pregnant (size and comfort dependent). I see no point at all for heavily pregnant folk to spend their time negotiating with the floor and losing the benefits they get from that glorious relief-giving stretch in the lower spine. In those instances, they don’t lie on their backs for certain of the Savasanas at all. There’s always a highly thought out ‘method to the madness’!

Sometimes I instruct everybody to try it. Come up after Camel, lower yourself onto your heels (straight back – there is no forward bend yet!). Incline forward with straight back for your hands to take the weight of your body, hands directly under shoulders. Then go into Child’s Pose walking your hands forward until you are stretched out against the floor in that glorious elongation. No forward bend (compression) of the spine happens at all in this way, and therefore I feel that the student’s outcomes are satisfied and they feel great.

In short, to answer your question, it depends what you’re doing and why! 😉 What do you do? Looking forward to your response.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

You’re welcome Linda

Your experience is a common one. One has to be careful as both student and teacher not to take everything too literally (with respect to the dogma of trying to always create what is supposedly ideal). While it is important to do or not to do some things, equally it is important to listen to your body. You needed that relief and space in your lower back by doing the child’s pose – but only for a while.

As a teacher I have to allow people the non-ideal in their practices to a point and make the assessment as you have done, as to when it is no longer necessary. In other words, when does that action become an unnecessarily crutch or ritual? When is it time to step up to a new level? Will that stepping up need overt or covert encouragement? With good instruction (not coercive) and / or body awareness (as you have) it can happen on its own.

Thank you for asking your question.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂