By: Sonia M.
I started practicing yoga in 2013 and fell in love with it instantly. I loved how much my body felt during and after a practice, and I learned to slow down my mind for a few hours a week. At first my progress into poses was very quick and easy. But after about a year and a half of practicing, I noticed my poses were starting to plateau. When I tried to push myself a little further or had assistance, I would get some pain in my lower back.
As a result, I started holding back and limiting myself. I would try breathing into the strength and hold poses for a little longer, like my instructor would recommend. And although this may have helped a little in deepening my stretch, it didn’t address my lower back concerns.
I learned Pelvic Tilt and Chin-to-Throat about a year ago and started training these exercises thanks to Upright Kinetics. Despite having years of yoga under my belt, it took a while to fully gain control and understanding of these simple yet essential exercises. Once I did, it started adding them to my yoga practice. What a difference! It completely fixed my discomfort complaints and helped me get an even deeper stretch.
The most notable difference was in my Warrior Pose. I would always feel a little compression in my lower back, especially when I would look up and lean back. What was happening was my pelvis was tilting anteriorly leaving little space for my lower spine bones to fold in on each other. Now, when I engage Pelvic Tilt I tilt my pelvis posteriorly which opens up a lot of space in my lower back for me to fold. Who knew such a simple movement would make a world of a difference?! Since implementing Pelvic Tilt into my yoga practice, I have gone from looking up at the ceiling to looking at the back wall.
I believe that these simple exercises are foundational to all sport and fitness activities. Although they might not seem like much and take a minute to master, they are what will give me longevity in staying fit and active for decades to come.