Backbends: Let Go of Your Inhibitions and Fear

Letting go and opening up isn't always easy. This holds especially true if you've had some emotional or physical trauma in your life. When people hurt us, we tend to close in on ourselves. It's a way of protecting us from anymore harm. We may be protected from the outside, but what about the inside? Those strong emotions that are created when we're hurt, be it from emotional/physical abuse, a bad breakup or the death of a loved one, can eat us alive if we don't let them go. The stress festers in our bodies, eventually leading to disease. We're letting the hurt that initially shut us down, keep us closed off from a truly happy life.

Letting go of these strong emotions is scary, as is allowing yourself to open up in order to release them. If you look at a person who is happy, you'll notice that their bodies are alive and open, verses a sad person who is slumped as if their shoulders are trying to wrap around to protect them.

We have energy centers in our bodies called chakras. Each chakra is a representation of emotional/physical issues that reside in that part of our body. Physical issues that arise in our bodies can be related to the state of our chakras. When the energy in that area is blocked, we're physically affected. Yoga helps to work with these chakra centers to open them up. An open chakra allows our body to be balanced, a blocked chakra can cause physical and emotional issues. Chakra's are in depth and I encourage you to learn more about them here.


When we're depressed our chest tends to cave in. This affects the throat, heart and solar plexus chakras. Each of these chakras represent something that we're lacking in our lives, which is why we're literally collapsing in on ourselves. The throat chakra represents expression. If we're  unable to express to others how we really feel, or when we do if no one listens, this chakra will shut down. We'll lose our voice and not feel the need to speak up anymore. The heart chakra represents love. If we're physically or emotionally abused we learn to distrust love. If we're hurt by a bad relationship or lose someone we love, we may feel that love is out of reach for us. This will cause us to give up and close ourselves off to prevent anymore pain. The solar plexus charka represents power. If you're abused you feel vulnerable and weak. You'll shut yourself off and your body will cave in as a way of trying to protect itself.

There are many aspects of healing, but one way to help heal the chakras is to open them up. You can physically do this with backbends. If you've ever been in a class and we're told to do a backbend, but noticed that you really didn't want to do it, or when you came into it felt emotionally uncomfortable, perhaps one of your chakra's is closed off. Backbends literally open you up and can leave you feeling vulnerable. However, when done in a safe and healing environment, backbends allow you to open up and realize that it's ok. No one is going to yell at you, hurt you or leave you. It helps to have a mantra to say while you're doing a backbend as well. A mantra is a positive saying that you repeat over and over. Such as I'm safe and loved. This will help to boost your confidence.

Any strong emotion that you feel as you're in a backbend, you want to feel fully. If you want to cry, scream or hit something, do it. That negative energy you feel needs to get out of your body. If  you fight or ignore it, it will stay stored in the body and continue to haunt you.  If you're working with a psychologist, you should discuss with them anything that comes up. It will help you process those strong emotions.

Before going into a backbend, warm up with some sun salutations. When you're ready to go into your backbends, ease into a  backbend and only hold it for a little bit. Eventually work your way into deeper backbends and try to hold them for longer. Physically they will be challenging as the front side of your body will be tight and the backbends will work on opening you up. Go slow and if something hurts, modify the pose so it isn't so intense. Use as many props as needed to feel comfortable.

Below are a few of my favorite backbends. Remember to breathe and say your mantra as you do these poses.

Fish Pose: You can do this one as shown or put a pillow or bolster underneath you so you can relax into the backbend. If it hurts your neck, roll up a towel and put in underneath. The goal is to be as comfortable as you can.














Upward Plank: This pose requires some openness in the shoulders and core strength. If your shoulders are tight, give it a try, as it will help to open them up. If it hurts to let your head fall back, tuck your chin to your chest. Your chest is going to want to cave in. Lift it up towards the sky. Feel how strong and open you are.

Bridge Pose: You can do this as shown, or you can put a yoga block under your sacrum for support. This will allow you to relax in the pose. Try to roll open your shoulders and expand your chest.

Bridge Pose: The picture of this pose is for an advanced student. You can modify by placing your hands on your lower back for support. If it hurts your neck to drop the head back, bring your chin to your chest.







The only way that you'll find peace with the trauma you've had in your life, is to let it go. You have to open up, show yourself that the world isn't all bad and that you'll be ok when you let yourself release that tight grip on your chest. Be patient, healing takes time. With a little bit of opening each day, you'll eventually be able to fully expand and let go. Opening yourself up to a full life. Don't let trauma shut you down, open up and live.