Sol Mind Moves

Sol Mind Moves Leading folks towards strength in mind & body through joyful movement.

I love having a library of movement in my brain that I can count on.My brain’s movement library has been in development ...
04/18/2025

I love having a library of movement in my brain that I can count on.

My brain’s movement library has been in development for over 10 years now as a teacher. What a journey! 😮‍💨

And when I think of Natarajasana I, too, think about the lower body. I mean, how AM I gonna bring my leg up behind me when it’s not used being back there?! 😋

Yes, of course, the lower body has a lot to do with this pose but it’s also a major backbend. Backbends (known as spinal extension) are expressed at the thoracic (upper) spine, not the lumbar which already has a natural ‘backbend’ curve.

And so, when I couldn’t decide what to focus the class on, I simply led with the spine. Then my brain said, “Heyy! Our arms are reaching back.. and our shoulder blades are movin’ and groovin’.. and.. Oo! Let’s explore how the spine & arms move in Dancer Pose today..”

What a great practice for the brain 🧠 & body to explore.

Isn’t it amazing how movement can be threaded together in so many different ways?

☀️

(Ps. 🤐 I’ve secretly uploaded some classes from my original online library on to YouTube. 📺 Go check out some movement & subscribe so I have a reason to make more again!)

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One thing I did to regain trust in backbends after developing back pain early in my practice [see my last post] was lear...
04/18/2025

One thing I did to regain trust in backbends after developing back pain early in my practice [see my last post] was learn to articulate the different segments of my spine.

My cat/cow evolved into a slow, wave-like motion beginning from the tail to the crown and vise versa, moving segment-by-segment rather than always bending at one center point.

And! This movement breaks down even further. ☺️

I also spent time isolating the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine. (As shown in the video.) Pretending as though they’re separate little spines trying to do their own “cat/cow”. Well, because they are indeed different joints.

✨Notice how the block movement is so slow and minimal and you almost need a magnifying glass 🔎 to see those parts moving in isolation.

⬆️ That takes FOCUS. It looks boring but the amount of concentration required will inform you otherwise. 🧠

Knowing my spine in smaller segments like this allows me to better understand and MOVE my spine as ONE balanced system.

Now, come practice this stuff with me, it’s magic. 🤍

☀️



There was a time when I avoided deep backbending in asanas. And there was also a time when I practiced A LOT of backbend...
04/11/2025

There was a time when I avoided deep backbending in asanas.

And there was also a time when I practiced A LOT of backbending asanas. For example, when I so badly wanted to touch my head to my toes, especially in king pigeon pose/eka pada rajakapotasana! 🙈

That obsession occurred early in my personal yoga practice, before I became a teacher 10 years ago, and after yoga challenges based on “pretty” poses first started taking over Instagram. I’d been convinced that to be a part of “yoga,” I needed to perform those poses perfectly too. (Even though I didn’t begin yoga for the physical practice originally!)

Suddenly, I was doing excessive back-bending poses while having little awareness about how to efficiently engage my spine.

I soon developed pain and said goodbye to backbends! 👋🏽

Never again! ✌🏽

But obviously, never say never.

I demonized deep backbends for a while but I didn’t have to. Because no movement is inherently bad for you!

✨But if you don’t understand your body’s capacity and attempt to go harder, higher, heavier, deeper in a movement your body is not adequately adapted to, THERE lies the potential for injury.

I eventually learned. I learned the differences between flexibility, mobility, and strength.

And aside from my anatomy trainings,
I was learning by moving my own body.

By slowing down!

By learning my body’s OWN range of motion, not that of my teachers or peers.

By learning the differences between active vs passive stretching and the benefits they both posses.

These things are the things I now teach others about.

So that when they do want to enjoy a deep stretch or “power” paced asana class, they can feel that much more confident, in control, and at ease.

In this video, I’m allowing myself to explore what a “deep” yet controlled backbend feels like, now that I have learned, regressed, and progressed. 🤍

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