Spinal Movements
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Spinal Movements refers to the four fundamental directions in which the healthy spine moves: Extension (lengthening and arching backward), Flexion (folding forward), Rotation (turning around the central axis), and Lateral Bend (bending directly to the side).
Spinal Movements refers to the four fundamental directions in which the healthy spine moves: Extension (lengthening and arching backward), Flexion (folding forward), Rotation (turning around the central axis), and Lateral Bend (bending directly to the side). Together they map the full, natural range of the spine.
Nearly every asana expresses one or more of these movements. Cultivating all four keeps the spine mobile, resilient, and evenly articulated, preventing the stiffness that comes from favoring a single direction. To move consciously in each is to keep the central axis of the body alive.
Extension appears in backbends (Cobra, Camel); Flexion in forward folds (Uttānāsana, Seated Forward Bend). Rotation appears in twists (Seated Spinal Twist); Lateral Bend in side openings (Extended Side Angle, Gate Pose). A balanced practice invites the spine to move in all four directions.
Guide students to move "one vertebra at a time," initiating from core support to protect the lower back. Balance the four directions within a session rather than over-favoring backbends or forward folds alone.