Kundalini Yoga

Wild thing, Camatkarasana, is one of my favorite poses. It is a strong and empowering heart opening backbend. When done from the inside, it is an invitation to heal your heart and open it up for new opportunities of love. This pose may seem vulnerable from the outside. But when approached from a grounded and centered place, your heart just naturally opens and shines.

Often people feel their back hurts or don't bend enough in a backbend so they stay away from them. Instead of thinking of the pose as a deep backbend, try to focus on your feet, legs, and core and from there the backbend will naturally unfold.

Here are some tips to help you on this journey inward.

- Try coming into Wild thing from Side plank

- Bring your top hand behind your head to support your head and keep it in alignment with your spine. This will help you not to come into the backbend too quickly (A common mistake in backbending is that people bring their heads back and disengage their core)

- Feel your feet and shin bones. If you can't feel them engaged really strongly, bend your knees. This will help create muscle energy, engaging your legs and core.

- Lengthen your tailbone toward your feet. This will help you to more deeply engage your core and lengthen your spine.

- Follow your breath in and out, breathing as gently and slowly as possible.

- If you feel that you want to extend the top arm up, do it!

Try to remember that it is not what the pose looks like, it is the journey inward and how it feels that matters!

Enjoy.

Much Love,

Lindsay

Photo Kim Conant