Heart Opener: a breath-led backbend warm-up

Intermediate 5 poses

Two backbends with different mechanics — Camel Pose from the knees and Upward-Facing Dog from the floor — with active counterposes: a stretch and a forward fold

A flow for opening the chest, with two backbends built differently: Camel is done from your knees, Upward-Facing Dog from the floor on straight arms. Each is followed by a pose that unloads the lumbar spine. Intermediate level. If a disc in your lower back is herniated or the area is acutely painful, arch only slightly or skip the backbends, and come onto your knees only with a folded blanket under them.

If you're pregnant and past the first trimester, leave this round out.

  1. Camel Pose Camel Pose 1
  2. Downward-Facing Dog Downward-Facing Dog 2
  3. Upward-Facing Dog Upward-Facing Dog 3
  4. Seated Forward Fold Seated Forward Fold 4
  5. Chair Pose Chair Pose 5

Why this order

Camel opens the round: on an inhale your hips move forward and your chest opens up and back. Downward-Facing Dog afterward lengthens the spine the opposite way. Then you roll through Plank and rise on an inhale into Upward-Facing Dog, the second backbend.

Seated Forward Fold folds your back forward and balances both backbends, and Chair returns you to your feet. Arm support comes back every round, so with sore wrists it's better to pick another flow. If you want more, try the sequence where backbends deepen step by step.

Cautions

  • Spinal disc herniation (Camel Pose)
  • Hypertension (Camel Pose)
  • Migraines (Camel Pose)
  • Wrist and shoulder injuries (Downward-Facing Dog)
  • High blood pressure — don't stay in the pose long (Downward-Facing Dog)
  • Glaucoma (Downward-Facing Dog)
  • Lumbar disc herniation (Upward-Facing Dog, Seated Forward Fold)
  • Wrist injuries (Upward-Facing Dog)
  • Pregnancy (Upward-Facing Dog)
  • Flare-up of back pain — bend your knees (Seated Forward Fold)
  • Knee injuries (Chair Pose)
  • Flare-up of lower back problems (Chair Pose)

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.