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To understand yoga backbends, let’s review the anatomy of the spine, which is made up of 33 stacked, jointed vertebrae bones with spongy discs between them and the spinal cord of nerves running down the middle. The joints allow your spine to move into flexion and extension. Flexion is a forward bending position with a rounded spine and extension is a backbend with an arched spine. In yoga, a backbend is any pose that includes spinal extension, which can occur when seated, standing, lying down, or inverted.
Yoga backbends improve mobility and strengthen the supporting muscles around the spine. For most people, the lower back, or Lumbar spine, has the most mobility so we tend to initiate our back-bending from there. However, there’s a lot of value in working on accessing more movement in the Thoracic, or upper, spine as well. The neck, or Cervical Spine, is kept neutral in most yoga backbends for beginners but may move into extension in more advanced postures.
Although yoga backbends can be beneficial in preventing back pain, people with chronic pain should seek a diagnosis, as some types of extension may not be compatible with pre-existing conditions of the spine.
Prone Backbends
Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Salamba (Supported) Bhujanga (Cobra)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Gentle and supported spinal extension.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come to lie on your stomach with your elbows under your shoulders and your upper arms perpendicular to the floor.
2. Bring your forearms parallel to each other and your palms flat.
3. Press into your forearms and palms to create space between your shoulders and your ears.
4. Anchor your pelvis and the tops of your feet to the floor and activate your legs.
Low Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Bhujanga (Cobra)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Strengthens your back muscles.
Step-by-Step:
1. Lie on your stomach with your forehead on the floor.
2. Bend your elbows straight back and bring your palms flat to the mat under your shoulders.
3. On an inhalation, press in your pelvis and the tops of your feet to lift your shoulders off the floor any amount.
4. Do not press into your palms. Let your back do the work. You can even lift the palms slightly away from the floor.
5. Release on your exhalation and repeat several times.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Bhujanga (Cobra)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Brings your spine into fuller extension.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Low Cobra Pose, press into your palms and begin to straighten your arms.
2. Keep moving your shoulders away from your ears.
3. Keep your neck (Cervical spine) in a neutral position.
4. Open your chest to the front of the room.
Upward Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Urdhva (Upward) Mukha (Facing) Svana (Dog)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Strengthens your arms and back.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Cobra Pose, activate your legs and glutes and press strongly into your palms to lift your pelvis and legs off your mat.
2. It’s ok to keep your elbows a little soft. It actually helps you pull your chest through your upper arms.
3. Keep your gaze forward and your neck neutral.
Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Salabha (Locust)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Strengthens your back, abs, legs, and glutes.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come to lie on your stomach with your arms along your sides.
2. Press into your pelvis to anchor it to the floor. Use a Yoga Pad for cushioning if this is uncomfortable on your hip points.
3. On an inhalation of breath, activate your legs, arms, and core to lift your legs, arms, and chest away from the floor any amount.
4. Hold this position for several breaths and then release to the floor.
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Dhanu (Bow)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Strengthens your core and back. Stretches your shoulders and thighs.
Step-by-Step:
1. Lie down on your stomach with your knees bent.
2. Reach your arms back to take hold of the outsides of your ankles.
3. Flex your feet and roll your shoulders back.
4. On an inhalation, pull your legs back to lift your chest away from the floor.
5. After several breaths, release to the floor.
Big Toe Bow Pose (Padangustha Dhanurasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Padangustha (Big Toe) Dhanu (Bow)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Intensifies the effects of Bow Pose.
Step-by-Step:
1. Begin in a Sphinx Pose, then bend your knees and face your soles toward the ceiling.
2. Reach back with your right hand to take hold of your right foot with your thumb pointing down, with your fingers on the outside of your toes.
3. Work your hand around until you have an overhand grip on your toes with your thumb pointing down, necessitating that you point your elbow toward the ceiling. This is called ‘flipping your grip’.
4. Do the same on your left side.
5. Kick back into your legs to lift your chest and thighs away from the floor.
King Pigeon Pose (Rajakapotasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Raja (King) Kapota (Pigeon)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Intense opening of the chest and throat.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Full Cobra Pose, bend your knees, puff your chest forward, and drop your head back.
2. Stay here with the arms in front for support or reach your arms behind you one at a time to grab your knees with your hands.
3. If holding your knees, use the connection to open your chest even more, possibly bringing your crown and the soles of your feet to meet.
Kneeling Backbends
Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Uttana (Intense) Shisho (Puppy)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Nice stretch for your back and shoulders.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come to a kneeling position on your hands and knees.
2. Keeping your hips stacked over your knees, walk your arms out to the front of your mat and lower your chest to your mat.
3. Bring your forehead or chin to the floor.
Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Marjary (Cat) Bitil (Cow)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Improves spinal mobility and body awareness, including uniting breath and movement.
Step-by-Step:
1. Begin on your hands and knees with a neutral spine.
2. Draw your navel gently toward your spine. Maintain this engagement throughout the sequence.
3. On an inhalation, drop your belly while lifting your tail and your gaze.
4. On your exhalation, curve your spine toward the ceiling, tuck your tail, and bring your gaze to your navel.
5. Repeat these movements on each inhale and exhale for several rounds of breath.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Ustra (Camel)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Stretch and strengthen the core and back. Open the chest, shoulders, and throat.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come to a kneeling position with your hips stacked over your knees and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Use a Yoga Pad under your knees if they are sensitive.
2. Bring your hands to your lower back with your fingers pointing downwards.
3. Keep your hips over your knees as you extend your spine and open your chest towards the ceiling.
4. You can keep your hands on your lower back or reach one hand at a time back to grab onto your heels. If your heels seem far away, try tucking your toes under.
5. Keep your neck in line with your spine or let your head drop back.
Camel Pose Variation (Ustrasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Ustra (Camel)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Go deeper and build core strength.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Camel Pose, release your right arm and reach it back toward the wall behind you.
2. After several breaths, switch to your left arm.
Crescent Lunge Pose (Anjaneyasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Anjani (Hindu Goddess)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Improves balance and core strength. Opens the quadriceps, abdomen, and chest.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot forward inside your right hand.
2. Lower your left knee to your mat and stack your right knee over your right ankle.
3. Lift your arms up towards the ceiling.
4. Begin to reach your arms toward the back of the room any amount.
5. Repeat this pose with the left foot forward.
Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Kapota (Pigeon)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Strengthen the abdominals and back muscles. Open the chest, abs, throat, and quads.
Step-by-Step:
1. Begin in a kneeling position as if preparing for Camel Pose.
2. With your hands on your hips, press the hips forward as you open your chest toward the ceiling and let your head drop back.
3. Bring your arms overhead.
4. Continue moving your hips forward, your chest upward, and your head back.
5. If you can do so with control, lower your hands to the mat behind you.
6. Lower the crown of your head to the floor.
7. Extend your arms behind you or bring them forward to hold your legs.
Seated Backbends
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose Prep (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Eka (One) Pada (Foot) Raja (King) Kapota (Pigeon)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Opens your hips.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Downward Facing Dog, step your left foot to the inside of your right hand.
2. Lower your left knee to the mat behind your left hand so your left shin aligns with the front edge of your mat.
3. If there’s a lot of space between your left buttock and the floor, slide a folded blanket under there for support.
4. Slide your shoulders down your back. Opening your chest to the front of the room brings your spine into extension.
5. After several breaths, step back to Downward Facing Dog and repeat the pose with your right foot forward.
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Eka (One) Pada (Foot) Raja (King) Kapota (Pigeon)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: The traction between your foot and hands allows for deep spinal extension.
Step-by-Step:
1. From One-Legged King Pigeon Pose Prep, bend your right knee and bring your right foot into the crook of your right arm.
2. Reach across your chest with your left hand and grab the top of your right foot to hold it in position.
3. Take hold of the outside of your right foot with your right hand, with your thumb pointing down (flip grip).
4. Release your left hand and turn your chest to face the front.
5. Lift your right elbow toward the ceiling.
6. Lift your left arm to mirror the right and catch the right foot.
7. Lift your chest and your gaze.
Supine Backbends
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Setu (Bridge) Bandha (Lock)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Improves strength in your glutes, abs, and thighs. Gently extends your spine.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come to lie on your back with your knees bent and stacked over your ankles, soles of your feet on the floor, and arms alongside your body.
2. Press into the soles of your feet and engage your glutes to lift your hips off the floor.
3. Tuck your shoulders under one at a time to lift your chest.
4. If you want to, interlace your hands behind your back.
5. Keep your neck in a neutral position throughout.
6. After several breaths, release back to the floor.
Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Urdhva (Upward) Dhanu (Bow)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Strengthens your arms, legs, back, and glutes. Opens the chest and extends the spine.
Step-by-Step:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent directly over your ankles, elbows bent, and palms of your hands behind your shoulders with the fingers facing back toward you.
2. Hug your elbows toward the midline.
3. Press into your palms and engage your glutes to straighten your arms and legs, lifting your pelvis toward the ceiling.
4. Try to keep your feet parallel.
5. Press your chest toward the front of the room.
6. After several breaths, bend your elbows to release down.
One-Legged Wheel Pose (Eka Pada Urdhva Dhanurasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Eka (One) Pada (Leg) Urdhva (Upward) Dhanu (Bow)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Works the core and improves balance.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Wheel Pose, ground down into your left foot to lift the right foot away from the floor.
2. Bend your right knee in towards your chest.
3. If possible, extend your right leg toward the ceiling, flexing or pointing the right foot to activate the leg.
4. After several breaths, lower your right leg to the mat and repeat the pose with the left leg lifted.
Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Matsya (Fish)
Yoga Level: Beginner
Benefits: Stretches the abdomen, chest, throat, and spine.
Step-by-Step:
1. Lie down on your back with your legs extended and your arms alongside your body.
2. Press into your forearms and bend your elbows to lift your chest away from the mat.
3. Arch your back and lower the crown of your head to the floor keeping the spine away from the mat.
4. Keep your legs and feet active.
5. After several breaths, press into your forearms to lift your head and release the pose.
Wild Thing Pose (Camatkarasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Camatkara (Wonder)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Opens the side body and abdominals.
Step-by-Step:
1. Begin in a Side Plank with the left arm on the floor.
2. Lift your right leg away from the lower left leg, bend your right leg, and drop the right toes to the mat behind your left knee.
3. Press into your left hand and foot as you open your chest toward the ceiling and drop your right arm overhead towards the floor.
Alien Pose (Hollowback Wheel)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Opens the shoulders, upper spine, and chest.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Wheel Pose, step your feet toward your hands about six inches and lift your heels to come onto the balls of your feet.
2. Bring your knees together to touch.
3. Press into your toes to push your chest through your arms.
4. Bend your knees to lower your butt.
5. Keep pressing into your feet to keep your chest moving forward.
Standing Backbends
Standing Backbend (Anuvittasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Anuvitta (Found)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Opens the front body. Strengthens the back.
Step-by-Step:
1. Begin standing in Mountain Pose at the front of your mat.
2. Inhale to raise your arms above your head and bring your palms together.
3. On an exhalation, push your pelvis gently forward to arch your spine back.
4. On an inhalation, return to standing upright.
King Dancer Pose Prep (Natarajasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Nataraja (King Dancer)
Yoga Level: Intermediate
Benefits: Improves balance and core strength. Stretches the quads.
Step-by-Step:
1. From Mountain Pose, shift your weight onto your right leg while keeping your hips square.
2. Bend your left knee to bring your left foot toward your left buttock.
3. Reach back with your left hand to hold the foot.
4. Inhale your right arm overhead.
5. Move your chest forward and your left leg upward, maintaining orientation.
6. Kick back into your left leg to open your chest.
7. Repeat standing on your left leg.
King Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Nataraja (King Dancer)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: The overhead connection allows you to deepen your backbend.
Step-by-Step:
1. From King Dancer Prep, reach your right arm across your body to hold your left foot.
2. Flip your grip with the left hand, pointing fingers down.
3. Release your right hand and turn your chest forward.
4. Point your left elbow toward the ceiling.
5. Reach your right arm overhead and bend your elbow to catch your foot.
6. Kick back into your left leg, opening your chest forward.
Inversion Backbends
Scorpion Pose (Vrschikasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Vrschika (Scorpion)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Strengthens your core, arms, and back.
Step-by-Step:
1. First, come into a Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana).
2. Bend one leg and lift your gaze.
3. Bend your second leg and continue moving your feet toward your crown.
Forearm Stand Pose Hollowback Variation (Pincha Mayurasana)
Sanskrit Meaning: Pincha (Feather) Mayura (Peacock)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Challenges your balance to improve core strength.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come into Forearm Stand with hands facing forward.
2. Release your left foot toward the front of your mat or keep both legs vertical.
3. Drop your head and push your chest forward.
Handstand Scorpion Pose (Vrschikasana B)
Sanskrit Meaning: Vrschika (Scorpion)
Yoga Level: Advanced
Benefits: Full body balance and flexibility challenge.
Step-by-Step:
1. Come into a handstand.
2. Bend your left knee as you drop your right leg overhead, keeping it straight.
3. Rotate your chest to face the floor as you lift your head.
4. Bend the right leg toward the crown of your head.
5. Bend your left leg to join the right until your feet can meet your head.
Take it Back
If you’re a yoga beginner, don’t let the advanced backbends pictured here put you off. There are so many accessible ways to start your journey to a more mobile spine and stronger back and core muscles. One of yoga’s gifts is introducing us to new ways to move our bodies that counter the effects of too much sitting and inactivity. Even if you only ever practice Cobra, Bridge, and Camel, you will experience the transformative effects of spinal extension.
