The Yoga Sports Science (TM) course I'm following is covering , amongst other things the correct neutral positions for standing, stitting and lying down and very good stuff it is too ! I always found bio-mechanics fascinating in the context of Yoga practice, teaching and in the wider field of sport. It brings to mind , one of my favourite safety concepts in Yoga which links to levers in physics. In one respect the body is like a wheelbarrow; in the case of the wheelbarrow, it is a 2nd class lever, the effort is applied by lifting the handles, the load is contained in the hopper and and the pivot is provided by the axle of the wheel. The longer the handles, the more force that is applied through the 'barrow. So , in theory, like the old adage, you could lift the world if your 'barrow handles were long enough!
So how does this apply to the human body? If you imagine someone coming up from a standing forward bend , their hips are like the 'barrow axle , the back muscles provide the effort and the torso is the load. If the arms are extended in front they act like long handles and greatly increase the load on the back muscles. The lower back is vulnerable anyway and this invites trouble ! I would advise sweeping the arms sideways (in line with the chest , or behind it) when coming up; also, bending the legs a little at the knees to share the effort of lifting with the thighs...it's so much easier. "Non- harming" (Ahimsa) is an underlying Yoga principle, be kind to yourself.. you deserve it .
No comments:
Post a Comment