Sahasrara

Real Yoga

Simple 4: Back Bending

Review the routine first.

When possible, practice Hatha Yoga in the morning on an empty stomach and after a bowel movement.

Use a blanket, thin mat or practice on some carpet. Use a yoga mat if you want.

Disclaimer: There are inherent risks in doing any form of stretching. Consult your doctor prior to practicing Hatha Yoga.

While you may not have 100% flexibility in your back, when you do, it's a great feeling and you can't help but show–off a little by going into Plow Pose with the greatest of ease.

Lakshmi with elephants.
Backbending is fun. It's a challenge. When successful, you too will feel like there elephants celebrating your success.

Music

To be good at backbending, you need some encouragement. It takes time to build the flexibility. But embrace the challenge and let this music gently build some excitement within you.

Music by Peter Barbaix

Pose 1: Bitilasana and Marjariasana

Bitilasana is known both as Cow Pose or Dog Tilt

Marjariasana is known as Cat Tilt

Start with dog tilt, then move into cat tilt. Do this 5 to 10 times.

  1. Arms and hands under your shoulders.
  2. Knees under your hips.
  3. Press firmly down through the hands.
  4. Work only within your limitations.
  5. How far you stretch is unimportant.
  6. What's important is that you are giving your medicine in the form of stretching.
Bitilasana and Marjariasana. Dog tilt and cat tilt.
Move back and forth between these two poses several times. Control the movements as you move slowly between these two poses.

Pose 2: Halasana

Plow Pose

  1. With time and practice, you can more easily go into this pose as you will be more flexible.
  2. At first, this pose might be a challenge so rest your feet on a chair if you are unable to bend fully.
  3. What great about Plow Pose is you also get a stretch in the legs.
  4. Move slowly and always within your limitations.
Halasana. Plow Pose.
Nothing better than having the ability to immediately and at will go into this pose.

Pose 3: Sarvangasana

The Shoulder Stand

  1. From the Plow Pose, lift your legs straight up and into the Shoulder Stand.
  2. Raise yourself up on to your shoulders with the help of your arms. Tuck your chin into your chest while doing shallow but regular breathing.
  3. Concentrate on the 5th chakra in the throat the thyroid and the parathyroid gland. Visualize light covering the throat area.
  4. Ideally, you want to attain a completely vertical posture with hips over your chin and feet pointing heavenward. But at first, that might not be possible and that's okay. Even a 1% improvement is 100% of 1%.
  5. Push the center of your back right in over your chin so that you can throw your hips in true vertical. This way the legs will rest comfortably as on a fulcrum.
  6. Keep very still. Do not sway about. Keep concentrating on the throat chakra. Hold this pose for as long as you are comfortable and love doing it.
  7. When you feel you know the pose well, then for half the time you are here, pull the toes in a downwards position towards the forehead, so that you can do a gentle stretch to the Achilles tendon and the hamstrings.
  8. This pose is doing a number of things. Primarily it bringing blood to the thyroid glands, secondarily it is, by sheer weight of the body, compressing each of your vertebrae, thus allowing blood to course through those areas and cleanse any toxins from your spine.
  9. Very slowly, to finish this exercise, let the feet be drawn towards the floor behind your head, so that you now stretch the spine allowing the toxins to be released for the spine.
  10. The time you do this posture is entirely up to you. You must love doing this posture and you must be comfortable. As time goes by, you can sustain this posture for long periods in total stillness and LIGHT!
Salamba Sarvangasana. Supported Shoulder Stand.
Getting to the ideal position takes time. Be gentle, be patient. Love the experience.

As you get stronger and more flexible, you can try versions of the same pose.

Salamba Sarvangasana. Supported Shoulder Stand.
Supported Shoulder Stand. Arms flat on the floor and behind you.
Niralamba Sarvangasana. Unsupported Shoulder Stand.
Unsupported Shoulder Stand. Arms going upwards, hands along your thighs. This is a great alternative and one I love doing.

Pose 4: Sethu Bandhasana

Bridge Pose

  1. From the shoulder Stand, we will transition to the bridge pose.
  2. While still in the shoulder stand position slowly, keep your hands on the kidney area of the back, lower the legs towards the floor and lift the pelvic region as high as possible while still remaining comfortable.
  3. Hold as long as you still love to do this pose.
  4. You may find it difficult to go directly from the shoulder stand to the bridge pose, but you should practice doing this.
  5. The control needed to go from the shoulder stand to the bridge pose requires intense focus which stops the mind.
  6. When you go into the bridge pose, bring your legs as far forward as you can hold them. Then as the lumbar region becomes more supple, the legs will fall more easily. This will help to strengthen the stomach and lower back muscles which soon will be strong enough to lower the legs all the way.
  7. Visualize light where the tension is greatest.
  8. Remember to keep the knees pointing inwards. Don't let them go outwards.
Setu Bandhasana. Half Bridge Pose.
Put your hands under the back in the kidney region as you come down from the shoulder stand. You can keep your hands under your back for support and/or to raise your hips higher in the air.

Pose 5: Supta Matsyendrasana

Spinal Twist or Supine Twist

  1. A restorative pose that helps release the stresses of the lower back.
  2. In the early 1900's, chiropractors called this the Million Dollar Roll as it released a lot of tension and pain which in turn made the chiropractos rich.
  3. As you exhale drop the knee or knees to the side.
  4. Allow your body to relax. No force is needed. Give your body permission to unwind.
  5. Focus your mind on the lower back where the stretch is happening.
  6. Try to keep your shoulders on the floor.
  7. Let gravity do its work.
  8. Do on both sides.
Supta Matsyendrasana. Spinal Twist.
There are many variations of a spinal twist. This is a simple one and a great place to start.
Supta Matsyendrasana. Spinal Twist.
You can try this variation if you want.

Pose 6: Shavasana

Corpse Pose or Relaxation Pose

  1. Always finish your Hatha Yoga with relaxation pose.
  2. Completion is achieved by lying prone on the floor, with hips centered on the floor.
  3. Shimmy the legs away from you while keeping the hips stationary. Again, shuffle back and shoulders up and away from hips. When this has been achieved, throw your arms above your head.
  4. Once you have finished shimmying, throw your arms above and over your head.
  5. This is the completion of the relaxation position.
  6. You will like the tremendous stretch it gives to the rib cage.
  7. It will also gently pulls the spine out to a full resting posture.
  8. The relaxation pose should be done at the end of your routine or after each pose. The choice is yours.
  9. In the relaxation pose, or any meditative posture, the light focus should be between the eyebrows and the middle of the forehead
  10. Do not be surprised if you fall asleep in this pose.
Shavasana. Corpse Pose.
Start in this position, then when ready, throw your arms over your head as seen below.
Shavasana. Corpse Pose.
Focus the light between the eyebrows and the middle of the forehead. Although the back is slightly arched in this picture, you want your back relaxed on the floor.

Routines


264 Hatha Yoga Poses (Asana)asana poses
Simple #1: Awakening The Bodyfoot massage myofascial release Bitilasana Marjariasana cow pose dog tilt cat tilt Baddha Konasana Bound Ankle Pose Butterfly Pose Cobblers Pose cobbler's pose Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Simple #2: Move Into StillnessAnjaneyasana low lunge pose crescent lunge Parighasana gate pose Mrigasana deer pose Ardha Bhujangasana half cobra pose Balasana child's pose childs pose Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Simple #3: Focus The MindVrksasana tree pose Virabhadrasana warrior pose Adho Mukha Svanasana downward dog half cobra pose Ardha Bhujangasana Ardha Bhujangasana knee to chest pose Shavasana relaxation pose corpse pose
Simple #4: Back BendingBitilasana Marjariasana cat tilt cow pose dog tilt Halasana plow pose Sarvangasana shoulder stand Sethu Bandhasana bridge pose Supta Matsyendrasana supine twist back twist Shavasana relaxation pose corpse pose
Simple #5: LegsSupta Baddha Konasana Reclining Bound Angle Pose Reclined Butterfly Pose Paschimottanasana Seated Forward Fold Upavistha Konasana Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend Dhanurasana bow pose Marjaryasana D Cat Pulling His Tail Pose Shavasana Corpse Pose Relaxation Pose
Simple #6: SeatedUtthita Tadasana five start pointed pose Anuvittasana standing backbend Urdhva Hastasana extended mountain pose Katichakrasana standing spinal twist Parshvottanasana pyramid pose Vineeta Rajahamsasana humble flamingo pose Utthita Ardha Dhanurasana standing half pose Uttanasana standing forward bend Shavasana Corpse Pose Relaxation Pose
Simple #7: Standing Posessukhasana Bound Ankle Pose Butterfly Pose cobbler's pose cobbler pose Virasana Hero Pose Malasana garland pose Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana Revolved Head To Knee Pose Sukhasana easy pose Shavasana Corpse Pose Relaxation Pose
Simple #8: Gentle But GoodAnjaneyasana crescent moon pose low lunge pose Upavistha Konasana Wide–Angled Seated Forward Bend Salamba Bhujangasana sphinx pose Parivrtta Sukhasana Easy Twist Pose Sasangasana Rabbit Pose Shavasana Corpse Pose Relaxation Pose
Long Routine: Challenging But DoableBitilasana Marjariasana Cow Dog Cat Tilt Uttana Shishosana Extended Puppy Baddha Konasana Bound Ankle Butterfly Pose Cobblers Pose Cobbler's Pose Matsyasana Fish Janu Sirsasana Paschimottanasana Seated Forward Bhujangasana Cobra Adho Mukha Svanasana Downward Dog Supta Matsyendrasana Spinal Twist Supine Twist Ardha Matsyendrasana Half Lord of the Fishes Ustrasana Camel Apanasana Knees to Chest Setu Bandhasana Half Bridge Balasana Child's pose Childs pose Padmasana Lotus Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Lesson 1 (Novice)Sarvangasana shoulder stand Sethu Bandhasana Bridge Karnapidasana Knee Ear Swing Padmasana Lotus Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Lesson 2 (Intermediate)Pawanmuktasana Wind Expelling Paschimottanasana Seated Forward Fold Kurmasana Tortoise Setu Bandhasana Half Bridge Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Lesson 3 (Intermediate)Yogic Vibration Ardha Matsyendrasana Half Lord of the Fishes Marichyasana Sage Marichi's Pose Mayoorasana Peacock Kakasana Crow Sirsasana Headstand Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Lesson 4 (Advanced)Bhujangasana Cobra Bhujangasana Advanced Cobra Ardha Salabhasana Half Locust Poorna Salabhasana Full Locust Arms At Back Locust Final Locust Pose Shavasana Corpse Relaxation
Lesson 5 (Advanced)Poorna Dhanurasana Full Bow Eka Pada Dhanurasana Single Leg Bow Laghu Vajrasana Little Thunderbolt Supta Vajrasana Reclined Thunderbolt Supta Vajrasana Diamond Eka Pada Rajakapotasana King Pigeon Pincha Mayurasana Feathered Peacock Vrishikisana Scorpion Shavasana Corpse Relaxation

License

Articles by Swami Harinanda and Yogi Karmananda are © 2026 and are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Most images do not qualify for use under this license. The 9 Planes of Reality image is, however our own image and thus qualifies.

Some images are used under a Creative Commons License and can also be used as long as you follow their license agreement.

Music has been used with permission and may be used if you qualify and abide by the licensing requirements.

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