So Your Forward Bends Suck

Usually when people ask me about forward bends, I tell them to be patient. I tell them to practice their forward bends and to implement the tips they get from their teacher. Not everyone has a teacher that they trust. Therefore, today I'm going to give you a round-about somewhat kind of plan. Do you want to get past the modifications for your forward bends sooner than later? Do you want to effortlessly flop forward into a magnificent toe-touching extravaganza? Then do hip openers. I've written about hip openers before, and I suggest you check it out because that old stuff will come up.

I'm going to suggest a short sweet routine of only 6 poses (in 8 pics) you can do every day. This is not an all inclusive list/sequence - if you know of some hip openers you really like - throw them in. If you're in a hurry you can do these poses in a tiny window of time each morning or evening... maybe during your break at work. Longer holds are better, but doing something is always better than doing nothing. Also - try sitting on the floor more often. Chairs are bad for you.

Wide Legged Forward Bend. Take your legs as wide as is comfortable. Mine is pretty wide - maybe too wide.
Keep your toes flexed and pointing up. Spine LONG, groins open, and tailbone tucked downward. If you're comfortable upright - try folding forward. Keep all those things I just listed and breathe. If your toes start to point more forward than up - you've gone too far. Come out of it a bit until you can keep them up.

Janu Sirsasana. From your wide legged seated stance, bend one knee and bring that heel to the same side thigh/groin crease. Flex your toes - no lazy feet! Turn to face your straight leg. Hold the outside edge of the foot with the opposite hand. Spine long, legs active, fold forward - toward your shin. If you can't reach the foot - hold the leg, grab a strap, or simply place your hands on each side of your straight leg. Carefully return to center and repeat on the other side. PS: my other hand is next to my hip, on fingertips - elbow elevated and shoulder back to keep my side body long.

Cobbler. Soles of your feet together - as close to your groins as is comfortable. Don't worry about it if your knees are far away from the floor. Let the front of your groins open and the tailbone tuck. Flex your feet and keep the soles together. I know some styles teach feet open like a book - I don't. Let gravity push your knees down - don't assist it.  Spine long. If you're comfy upright - try folding forward. 

Cowface Pose - only the lower body part. Sit here with knees approximately stacked best you can. Spine long... don't allow your back to round too much. Be careful with your knees when moving into or out of this pose. Hold for a while then repeat on the other side.

Garland variation. Feet about shoulder distance apart and pointing forward as much as possible. If you can't get your heels to the ground and be comfortable then roll up a mat or stack some blankets under your heels. Press your thighs into your triceps (back of your upper arm) and your triceps into the thighs/knee area. Really pressing your palms together strongly will help. Keep your spine long and breathe.

Pigeon - I love pigeon pose. Obviously. Notice my front knee is inside that same side hand. This type of setup is ideal if you have sensitive knees. Bring your front toes closer to your opposite hip the more your body resists this pose. Eventually your front shin will be parallel to the front of your mat, but start small. Back toes tucked under to assist in pushing that side's hip forward while pulling the bent knee's hip back. This is drawing them towards square.

Keep your front foot flexed. This more forward your foot is - the more important this becomes to protect the knee. Stay up on your fingertips to avoid getting SOGGY in the pose. Spine long, tailbone tucked, shoulders back to support the heart pressing forward.

Fold forward to work a different aspect of the hips. This may make you want to punch someone in the face. You've been warned. Spine long, keep drawing the hips toward square, palms up or down based on preference. Palms down is quieting, Palms up makes the pose (and any bad feelings about it) an offering. Carefully press back to downward facing dog for a few moments before repeating on the other side.

Finish with a 5-10 minute Savasana.
If you try this sequence - let me know if you like it. Let me know if you have questions. I'm always around. Namaste.


In general, this sequence is for anyone, but please don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!


If you're reading this post there's a good chance you want to read these too:
Standing Forward Bends for Unflexible Bodies
Seated Forward Bends for People That Don't Bend That Way
Touch Your Toes - Eventually

Seated Forward Bends for People That Don't Bend That Way

Yesterday I posted on Standing Forward Bends... and today I'll be covering the seated versions of those same things. It's basically the same pose, but because you're seated the modifications are a little bit different. Just like the other post - the first step is to keep your feet hip distance apart.

Hip Distance = See Previous Post for too much talk on this.

If the very act of sitting upright is not possible (or is painful) then grab a strap. This is totally effective.
Notice my arms, legs, and feet are very active. No lazy stretches will improve your hamstrings/low back.
Keep your shoulders back and belly firm too.

Once you are comfortable at a 90degree angle - shorten your strap a lot and keep up the same active work.
Note: Shoulders are still back but arms are straight since you don't have to counter as much torso pull.

This also works with bent knees if your lower back is sensitive. However, make sure that you really press away from your heels with your BUTT. If you don't - then the bent knees negates any helpful stretching you might have gotten.
If you don't press back through your butt - you might as well just lay down... its just as useless.
All the pieces are still active.

You can totally do this at a wall to help you root through your feet. Stretches your hamstrings, and is perfectly fine if that's where your comfort level is. If you feel a stretch - it's good. Press through your hands, butt, and feet. Keep your legs strong and toes flexed. Lengthen your back without using your back muscles.

Great modification if your low back is sensitive and you don't have a strap.
Legs active, shoulders back, low belly tucked.
Ignore that block - it just happens to be there. See my note above about the active butt.

Have questions about these modifications? Did I not address your issue at all? Did this post only confuse you? Send me your questions and I'll always do my best to answer them.

Tomorrow: Hip Openers to help you on your journey towards comfortable happy forward bends.

In general, this sequence is for anyone, but please don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!

If you're reading this post there's a good chance you want to read these too:
Standing Forward Bends for Unflexible Bodies
So Your Forward Bends Suck
Touch Your Toes - Eventually

Standing Forward Bends for Unflexible Bodies

Forward Bends are Hard. I've posted about them before. Mostly how they take patience and you're not a total lame-O if you can't touch your toes. You're not alone. In fact, so many people have problems with forward bends that there are about a bajillion modifications available to make them do-able for each and every one of you.

Today I'm going to go over some tips and modifications for Standing Forward Bends. Feel free to practice these in your spare time, and/or add them into your usual yoga class. Your teacher won't mind - and if they do I think they're kind of a meanie and you should find someone else.

For troubled benders, hip distance apart is a MUST. It allows the pelvic floor more space which believe it or not feels so much better. Hip Distance = Hip BONE Distance. This is about 2 loose fists apart. Don't cram them together, that's not nice.
Mine is actually 2 fists and maybe an inch. Don't be a nazi about it. It's not EXACT.
Bonus: Hip distance apart allows more room if you have some belly which is way more comfortable.

Hands just above knees is fine. Bend your knees a bit, but keep your spine long, core powered, and legs active. You can see that my muscles are working. Most importantly - if your knees are bent - stick your butt out! If you don't - then bending the knees removes all stretch from the hamstrings. Poke out your butt to activate the hams and you'll see progress.

Blocks! Super useful... pic shown is for backs that are ok with straight legs,
but hamstrings that won't let you reach the ground. Long straight spine, tuck your lower belly in.

Block for the hamstrings, fingertips are better than flat hands 'cause they support better shoulder alignment. Bent knees for iffy backs - poke out your butt... long straight spine, tucked belly.

When you're almost to the floor... hands on shins is good.
Just don't press into your shins a lot or you'll hyperextend a knee and it will take an eternity to heal.

Just like before, but with a lower block. The ground is so close you can taste it. Eww.

Yay - Reaching the floor! but nothing fancy. Can't fold your torso down yet?
That's ok... just keep it long and practice this... you'll get there.

If you can reach the floor, but your lower back is sore, or maybe you're not quite warmed up enough for your best forward bend... Bend your knees AND touch the floor. I do this often. It's luxurious.
Don't forget about your butt. When in doubt, stick it out.

In case I forgot to mention it... Spread your Toes!! Tomorrow we'll cover Seated Forward Bends. Yay!
Have questions about these modifications? Did I not address your issue at all? Did this post only confuse you? Send me your questions and I'll always do my best to answer them.

In general, this sequence is for anyone, but please don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!

If you're reading this post there's a good chance you want to read these too:
Seated Forward Bends for People That Don't Bend That Way
So Your Forward Bends Suck
Touch Your Toes - Eventually

Forward Bends for Flexible People

Today's post is for intermediate/advanced students that are comfortable in their back, shoulders, and hamstrings. This post is not for the timid. I'm not going all contortionist on you - I can't do most of the craziest forward bends, but I know some modifications if basic forward bends are getting boring for you.

This sequence is NOT for just anyone. Don't try this sequence without speaking to your Dr. first if you have any medical/physical problems and/or do not already have a comfortable capable intermediate level yoga practice. Seek Peace At Your Own Risk!

Warm Up First.

Yep, that's a forward bend.

Elbows out to the side, side body long, shoulders back.
Clasped hands or holding a wrist around the feet are further options.

One 4 inch cork block.

Two 4 inch thick cork blocks. Don't hurt yourself.

I wouldn't suggest doing the last couple very often. In fact, maybe just don't do them at all. I generally don't. It's just a little something I know I can do. If you're more comfortable in your forward bends than I am - maybe do them once a week.

Have questions about these modifications? Did this post only confuse you? Send me your questions and I'll always do my best to answer them.

Touch Your Toes - Eventually

As a yoga teacher I've gotten a lot of good juicy body-oriented questions. They come from students, from friends, even from random people that have seen my classes from another room. I figure that means I look like I know what I'm talking about. Yay me.

One question that comes up often, in many variations, is:

"How long will it be until I can touch my toes?"

Let me set some things straight about toe-touching. One guy I spoke to said he thought it was "pathetic" that he couldn't touch his toes. Most people that don't specifically work on it - can't touch their toes. You're not pathetic! Ask all your friends and family if they can stand with straight legs and bend over at the hips and touch their toes - you'll likely find that few can. Especially in our current society where people sit in chairs, sit in cars, sit at desks and generally do everything they can to tighten all the muscles that affect toe-touching.

I've heard a story about a student asking his Guru this popular question.  What did his Guru tell him?
Stack up a bunch of telephone books or bibles or something. Books with VERY thin pages. Stack them to a height you can bend over and reach today. Keep practicing your forward bends every day. Each day tear off the top page of the stack. How many pages away are you? That's how long will it take.

Luckily, I like to remind my students that it will probably not take anywhere near that long. If you're new to yoga and you listen to the tips and you do the work on a regular basis then you will see results. You will see results quickly.

• Tip 1: If you don't want to stack books - you can place a couple blocks down to lift the floor to a more appropriate level.


• Tip 2: Feet together is limiting, so if you're struggling with your forward bends (or even if you're not) then keeping your feet hip distance apart can be mucho mucho helpful.

Now you might ask: If it doesn't actually take that long - then what's with the story?
The point of the story is all about patience. One page a day - that's the kind of patience forward bends require. It's the kind of patience they teach. You may be able to remove a whole book from your stack today, but don't think less of yourself if that one page is all that happens right now. You'll get there in time, and all you can do is breathe and learn to enjoy the practice.

If you're reading this post there's a good chance you want to read these too:
Standing Forward Bends for Unflexible Bodies
Seated Forward Bends for People That Don't Bend That Way
So Your Forward Bends Suck