Forward Bend

Seed Pose

A posture that shares common principles of

alignment, architecture and awareness

with subsequent relative variations. Seed poses are

found in a basic sun salute.

Uttansana Intense Forward Bend

• Seed pose for all Forward Bends• Components• Foundation – four corners of the feet• Dynamic alignment – awareness of joints

and their respective placement for the practitioner’s level

• Anatomic neutral posture achieved with dynamic alignment

• Spinal Flexion

Foundation

• FOUNDATION

• FOUNDATION

• FOUNDATION

Joint Placement

• Second Toe (or ray) forward facing.• Ankle• Knee cap (patella) aligned with second toe• Hip Neutral over ankles• Spinal Flexion• Shoulders in flexion with hands or finger tips

touching floor, middle finger in line with second toe.

• Cervical spine in flexion or neutral depending on amount of spinal flexion in lumbar region.

Awareness

• Bandhas

• Spinal Flexion vs. Hip Flexion

The role of the hamstrings

Vertebrae

Spinal Flexion

Forward Bend Backward Bend

Functional Range of Motion

• Cervical Spine Flexion - 45 degrees

• Thoracic Spine Flexion – limited

• Lumbar Spine Flexion – Greatest up to 60 degrees

• What does “Functional” mean?

Disc Injury

Total Load on Lumbar Disc

Intervertebral Disc Anatomy

• Spongy center • Nucleus pulposus • Surrounded by a

tougher outer fibrous ring

• Anulus fibrosus

Intervertebral Disc

• Soft fibro fibro-cartilaginous cushions• Between two vertebra• Allows some motion• Serve as shock absorbers• Total – 23 discs• ¼ th of the spinal column's length• Avascular• Nutrients diffuse through end plates

Intervertebral Disc Functions

• Movement of fluid within the nucleus• Allows vertebrae to rock back and forth• Flexibility• Act to pad and maintain the space between

• the twenty twenty-four movable vertebrae• Act as shock absorbers• Allow extension and flexion

Standing Forward Bends

• Seed Pose - Uttanasana- Forward Bend

• Padangusthasana- Foot big toe posture

• Padahastasana- foot to hand posture

• Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana- Standing head to knee pose

Seated Forward Bends

• Seed Pose - Dandasana

• Balasana- Child pose

• Pashimottanasana- West intense stretch

• Janu Sirsasana- Head to knee posture

• Upavishta Konasana- seat angle pose

SupineForward Bend

• Seed Pose - Savsana

• Supta Padangusthasana- Reclining hold the big toe posture

Spinal Flexion vs. Hip Flexion

Hip Flexion Spinal Flexion