Backbends in yoga offer a multitude of benefits. They not only stretch, stimulate, and fortify the spine but also create an opening in the heart region. By engaging with the Anahata Chakra, these poses foster compassion, love, and kindness emotionally, while also addressing physical discomfort and stiffness. These poses effectively reduce stress and induce a state of relaxation in the mind. Moreover, they extend and nourish core muscles, enhance the abdominal area, and rectify posture issues. 

Once you have gained practice with beginner-friendly backbends, your back strength and flexibility would have improved and will allow you to practice intermediate poses. Remember to practice backbends slowly and with complete awareness. Don’t skip warm-ups and prep poses as they will make your back, especially the back and core ready for challenging poses. Practice safely with presence of mind and awareness throughout.

5 Backbends for Intermediate Practitioners

Reclined Thunderbolt Pose

In this asana, the body is reclined in the Thunderbolt Pose with an arch in the back. It involves deep stretching, flexibility and strength. Known as Supta Vajrasana, the back, hips, legs, chest, neck and abdominal muscles get a deep stretch. 

How to practice Reclined Thunderbolt Pose

• Sit in Vajrasana, the Thunderbolt pose. 
• Bend your torso backward from the waist slowly with the support of your arms. Keep going backward until you can place your head on the ground. 
• You can rest your palms together on your head. 
• Make sure there is a slight arch in the back. 
• Close your eyes, take deep breaths and stay here as long as comfortable or for a couple of minutes. 

Fish Pose

The Fish pose, known as Matysasana, is a chest opener that activates the Anahata Chakra or the heart center. It expands the throat region, thus working as an effective counter-pose to postures such as Sarvangasana or Shoulder stand. 

How to practice Fish Pose

• Lie down on your back with your feet together and hands relaxed alongside the body.
• Place the hands below the hips with your palms facing down. Ensure the elbows are closer towards each other. 
• Breathe in and slowly raise the head and chest up. Keeping the chest elevated, drop the head backward, bringing the top of the head towards the floor. The head should be lightly touching the floor. 
• Now press the elbows firmly into the ground. The weight should be on the elbow and not on the head. 
• Keep taking deep breaths. List the chest up from between the shoulder blades. Keep the thighs and legs engaged, while pressing them towards the floor. 
• Hold the posture for as long as comfortable while continuing to take slow, deep breaths in and out. 

Upward Facing Dog Pose

‍The upward facing dog pose, known as Urdhva Mukha Asana is a challenging backbend that lengthens, stretches and strengthens the spine, torso and arms. It helps align the spine and invigorates the body. It stretches the entire front of the body, including the chest and the intercostal muscles between the ribs. It is helpful for those with asthma.

How to do Upward Facing Dog Pose

• Start by lying down on your stomach. Place the hands next to the ribs with your elbows tucked into your sides. 
• The feet should be pressed into the floor with the top of the feet facing on the mat. 
• Keep the thighs, knees and abdomen engaged. The tailbone should be pointing towards the heels. 
• Inhale, press into the hands and feet, straighten the arms and lift your chest and legs off the floor.
• Push the shoulder back and open up the chest. 
• Look straight or upwards towards the ceiling. 
• Stay here for 4-5 deep breaths or as long as you are comfortable. 

Unsupported Cobra Pose

Known as Niralamba Bhujangasana, this version of the Cobra Pose is beneficial in toning the reproductive organs in women, strengthening the abdominal muscles and massaging the internal organs in the region. Blood circulation in the region improves effectively, while the spinal nerves and muscles get strengthened and nourished. 

How to do Unsupported Cobra Pose

• Come into the prone position on your stomach. 
• First, interlock the thumbs or interlace the fingers at the back of the body. 
• Exhale and while inhaling, lift up the head and shoulders off the ground by engaging the back and core muscles. 
• Lift the chin, shoulder, chest and abdomen off the ground. Gradually stretch the shoulders back with the help of the arms and then lift them up with the help of the spinal cord. 
• Maintain awareness on the back as each vertebra is gradually lifted up, with the pressure slowly passing from the vertebra of the neck to those in the waist. 
• Breathe normally in the pose and hold for a few breaths. 

Twisted Cobra Pose

A dynamic version of the cobra pose, one can practice this after gaining practice of Bhujangasana. This posture is beneficial in relieving backaches, improving blood circulation to the back and waist, as well as massaging the abdominal organs. This version of cobra pose is stronger on the intestines than the other cobra poses as it squeezes the abdomen. It is helpful for constipation which is why it is one of the asanas in the cleansing technique Shankhaprakshalana. 

How to do Twisted Cobra Pose

• Bring both hands near the chest and place the palms on the ground with the fingers together and thumb pointed towards the body. 
• Elbows should be raised towards the ceiling. Place your forehead on the ground. Separate the legs slightly. 
• Inhaling, raise the forehead, bend the neck backwards and then slowly raise the shoulders, chest and abdomen from the ground until the arms are straight in the elbows. 
• From here inhale and whilst exhaling twist the head and upper part of the body to look over the left shoulder towards the toes. The arms will be straight or a little bent as one twists. The legs stay apart. 
• Inhale back to the front and exhale twisting to look over the right shoulder. Inhale back to the front. This is one round. 
• Repeat the movement 5-6 times. 

For safe backbend practice, ensure you do a proper warm-up, including several rounds of Surya Namaskars. Focus on aligning your posture correctly to prevent injuries and build up to more advanced poses gradually. Keep the core engaged to safeguard your lower back and maintain awareness of your spine during backbends, allowing for a deeper, safer stretch. Incorporate counterposes like child’s pose and seated forward bends post-backbend to balance the body. Remember to do as much as you can and avoid rushing into poses, and gradually build confidence, strength, and flexibility. With consistent practice, accessing backbends will become more accessible and rewarding. Practice backbends LIVE with an experienced teacher to progress safely.