- Category
- Standing
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 3–5 breaths
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lift the chest into the arch, exhale to steady the legs.
Standing Backbend
Anuvittasana — "standing backward bend posture"
A gentle standing arch: hands support the lower back or reach overhead as the chest lifts and opens. The everyday antidote to hunching forward.
Step by step
- 1Stand in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart and legs engaged.
- 2Place your palms on your lower back, fingers pointing down, elbows drawing toward each other.
- 3Inhale and lift your chest up toward the ceiling, lengthening the front of your body.
- 4Press your hips gently forward and keep your legs strong.
- 5Arch evenly through your upper back rather than folding into the lower back.
- 6Let your head follow the curve, keeping the back of your neck long — or reach your arms overhead if steady.
- 7Inhale, lead with your chest, and rise slowly back to standing.
Benefits
- ✓ Stretches the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors
- ✓ Improves spinal extension and posture
- ✓ Opens the front body after long periods of sitting
- ✓ Prepares the spine for deeper backbends
Make it yours
- · Keep both hands on the lower back for support throughout.
- · Practice with your hips lightly touching a wall behind you as a depth guide.
- · Reach the arms up but keep the arch shallow, focusing on lifting the chest.
Take care
- Keep the bend small, with hands supporting the lower back, if you have spinal issues.
- Keep the head lifted and the arch gentle if you get dizzy tipping the head back.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
- Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one
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