We are going to get all sorts of bendy today! Much like Half Moon, Camel doesn’t look too terrible. Until you are down on the mat. Our spines are meant to bend and twist in many different ways, and in fact the mark of a healthy spine is the ability to do so. Back bending postures also have so many benefits. Today, let’s talk about how to help your body out during the Camel back bend.
Just a reminder… As always when I am discussing yoga, please keep in mind that yoga is individual, non-judgemental, and non-competitive. Your poses will look different than everyone else’s. And there will be poses you rock at and some that you don’t. In the absence of true injuries or limitations, try it all, modify what you need to, and then go easy on yourself.
In our sedentary, technology based world, our physical bodies do not receive the same mechanical inputs that they did even fifty years ago. These changes have resulted in huge increases in spine stiffness and decreases in flexibility. Enter the back bend. These are super important as a way to combat the forward hunching postures most of us engage in for long periods of time every day. And because of that, back bends, especially yoga back bends, are often uncomfortable.
Back bends allow us to strengthen our posterior muscles and spinal columns in ways that many other exercises don’t. A healthy spine is critical for… well, honestly, just about everything. A healthy spine allows our body to move in all its wonderful different ways without pain. A healthy spine allows our brain and our body to communicate the way that they should. In short, a healthy spine allows us to optimally enjoy our lives.
A back bend allows us to strengthen our spinal muscles so that posture is improved during sitting activities. This means less hunching over, less shoulder and neck tension, and less stress on the lower back. It also means a trimmer looking core. Back bends allow us to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the legs as well. This is critical for spine health as many of the muscles in our lower bodies and torsos meet at our hips. Lack of strength or flexibility in any of these can cause lower back or hip pain. Practicing back bends properly can thusly help alleviate lower body pain issues, too.
Back bends also combat the closing in or off of the front side of our bodies. As we hunch forwards over laptops or sit with poor posture during hours of binge-watching our fave shows, we actually close in the front side of our bodies. We crunch inwards and it creates all sorts of issues. Our lungs are not able to perform as optimally. If our lung cavities are compressed, we are not able to take full, deep breaths. We breathe shallowly and therefore very quickly to ensure our bodies are getting the oxygen they need. Over time, these postures affect the musculature on the front side of our bodies. The muscles become shortened which pulls on the shoulders and neck exacerbating tension and pain in these areas. Without back bends to stretch the front side of the body open again, these problems can compound.
Camel pose is a standard back bend. The spine arches backwards while the chest, abdomen, and thighs are lengthened and stretched. In the traditional pose, the fingers of the hands should rest on the heels while the arms stay in line over the heels. The head drops softly backwards and the neck should be relaxed as the chest stretches open.
While it sounds fine for me to say all of that, and it looks good when someone else is attempting it, Camel is a challenging pose to enter for most of us. When I am instructing students, especially beginners, I typically recommend that they run through the back bend several times. Each time focusing on using their breath to help complete a deeper stretch. And, the first time through the pose, no matter what your level, I always recommend that students use the modified posture.
The modified posture is actually quite simple to achieve and, unless there are underlying back or spine problems, typically fairly comfortable for most students. I like to use this pose often because it also increases confidence. There is something slightly scary about allowing your head to fall backwards unsupported that this modification helps with. Many students also report feeling as though their spine, especially in their lower back is too compressed. This is a mini back bend that offers all of the benefits of the standard Camel pose without the compression stress.
To enter, start on your knees with your butt resting on your heels. On an inhale, rise up on your shins. Exhale and place the heels of your palms on your rear hipbones. The placement of your hands is what is important here. Don’t place your hands on your hips like you would stand. Don’t place your hands up high on your spine or down low on your tushie. If you take a minute, you will find a spot in the back where you are able to feel your hipbones through your glutes. THIS is where your hands go, with your fingers pointing down. As you take the next inhale, allow the air to fill your lungs fully, pressing your elbows behind you. Lift your chest and allow your head to drop softly back. Remain here through several breaths.
The modified pose described above is a great place to start, but sometimes there are different factors causing struggles. Here are some other common issues with Camel pose and how you can modify the posture to alleviate them.
Your arms are too short or your level of spine flexibility falls in the middle of the modified and full pose. As I mentioned with Half Moon, we all have to work with the anatomy that we have and short arms cause a lot of issues in yoga. If you have decent flexibility but don’t consider yourself Gumby or you have been working with the modified posture, you might be able to reach towards your heels but not touch them. This is a common complaint with Camel pose and it is easily rectified. You can curl your toes under so your heels are boosted up if you only need another few inches. You can also place a towel or block on backs of calves to further your reach.
By just looking at the pose, most people assume that Camel places the biggest amount of stress on the back. And while that is a generally correct assumption, Camel pose is also a fairly intense stretch for the quadriceps and hip flexors on the front side of the thighs. If you lack flexibility in this area, you will feel a lot of stretching tension along the quads. This can make Camel pose uncomfortable beyond the hip modified position. However, if you have decent flexibility in your back, you can try Camel with a lunge posture. This takes some of the tension off the lower body, however you will have to switch legs and complete the back bend with both feet forward.
Lastly, it is important to take extra care of the neck and shoulder area. If you experience neck or shoulder pain/tension/compression, you will want to be careful in Camel pose. Make sure that you are controlling the backwards falling motion of you head to enter the pose. If it is still uncomfortable, you can place a towel around shoulders to further support head in posture. Thanks to my hair length, I couldn’t get a great pic of this modification, but you will notice that my head isn’t as low as some of the other pictures. There is a towel there, you’ll just have to trust me.
I hope some of these modification ideas have emboldened you to try Camel pose. Let me know in the comments what pose you’d like me to talk about next!
Until next time, be well friends!
