Standing Back Arch

Join your hands for prayer at your chest. Tilt your head upwards and, as you inhale, start to tip backward from the lower back up, keeping the hips steady and in line with your feet.

What is Standing Back Arch?

A very mild standing backbend and a truly universal pose.

Start in Tadasana. Your hands are placed at your chest in prayer, your head is tilted upwards and back, pulling your upper body back to capacity. The goal is not to simply bend backwards, but to do so without borrowing from your hips: they should stay in a neutral position, in line with your feet. This makes the pose more challenging but also more beneficial for your upper back muscles.

Take a deep breath, notice how much more oxygen can enter your lungs, as you tip back and open your chest.

When to use Standing Back Arch?

This pose is useful both at the start of your practice, as you warm up your back muscles and prepare them for more advanced backbends, or in-between poses, as a way to counteract the effects of such forward bending poses as Uttanasana.

This mild backbend is especially good in the mornings as it helps you stimulate the nervous system and get rid of the stiffness that has accumulated in your body overnight. However, it is also useful during your evening practice, since it helps you effortlessly relieve the tension that has built up in your spine throughout the day, especially if you work at a desk.