07/06/2026
Backbends are often spoken about as heart openers, and while they can create a beautiful sense of openness through the front of the body, what I've come to appreciate is that the freedom in a backbend doesn't come from forcing the heart forward.
It comes from strength.
More specifically, it comes from the glutes.
When the glutes engage, they help support and stabilise the pelvis, creating the foundation that allows the spine to extend safely and sustainably. Without that support, we often end up dumping into the lower back, searching for depth instead of creating space.
There is something I love about that lesson.
The shape may look like surrender, but it is built on strength.
The heart may open, but only because the body beneath it is willing to support it.
Maybe that's true off the mat too.
The greatest openness doesn't come from forcing ourselves to be vulnerable. It comes from creating enough strength, trust and stability within ourselves that opening becomes possible.
A strong foundation. An open heart.
That's the practice.