Stretches & Flows – Back & Side Body / Side Waist — Overview — for Yoga Teachers, Yoga Therapists, Health & Wellness Coaches, Holistic Healthcare Providers
About this Asana Digest
- Select from the Quick Menu above to review stretches, asana variations, and flows that target the back and side waist.
- While these may naturally overlap with “core-” focused practices, here we prioritize stretching while there is a separate section on Core Strengthening Exercises.
About the Digests featuring Stretches
- The digests that feature stretches bring together many ideas for consideration into one view.
- Each digest has a different anatomical focus. The following links take you to the Overview for each digest: Back and Side Waist; Hips and Legs; Neck, Wrists & Ankles; Shoulders & Upper Torso.
- Within each digest there is a separate page for standing stretches and for seated stretches, with other categorizations as appropriate. When you are on any page in a digest, you may use the quick menu to navigate to the various categorizations.
About the Stretches & Flows
- These practices can be used to warm up the body or to prepare for particular target actions.
- They may serve as preparation for more physically strenuous asana.
- The flows may help to prepare for a static hold.
- And these practices may be used to prepare for or support Restorative Yoga and Meditation.
- Some of these practices may also serve as alternatives to asana during injury or other conditions.
Messy, Messy Naming
Chakravakasana, Cakravakasana, Sunbird, Sunbird Flow, Ruddy Goose
- First area to note: the potential confusion related to the spelling of “Cakravakasana“ (Ruddy Goose) and “Chakravakasana“ (Sunbird).
- These usually refer to two different poses but some sources will misspell the name, causing even more confusion.
- Chakravakasana is used by some sources to refer to Opposite Limb Extension, and by some to refer to a flow that begins standing on the knees.
- Cakravakasana (Ruddy Goose flow) is a flow from Table Pose to Extended Child’s Pose.
- Chakravakasana (Sunbird flow) is a flow from knees to Extended Child’s Pose, then to Balancing Table, Extended Child’s and back to knees.
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