This document provides information about the proper form and alignment for forward bends in yoga. It discusses the seed pose or starting position for forward bends, with the feet placed firmly on the ground and joints stacked over each other. Key aspects of alignment include having the second toe facing forward, the knee aligned over the ankle, and the hands or fingertips touching the floor with the spine flexed. The document also notes that forward bends should flex the spine and not hyperextend the back or hips. It provides the functional range of motion for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine during forward bends.

1. Forward Bend

2. Seed Pose
A posture that shares
common principles of
alignment,
architecture and awareness
with subsequent relative
variations. Seed poses are
found in
a basic sun salute.

3. Uttansana
Intense Forward Bend
• Seed pose for all Forward Bends
• Components
• Foundation – four corners of the feet
• Dynamic alignment – awareness of joints
and their respective placement for the
practitioner’s level
• Anatomic neutral posture achieved with
dynamic alignment
• Spinal Flexion

4. Foundation
• FOUNDATION
• FOUNDATION
• FOUNDATION

5. Joint Placement
• Second Toe (or ray) forward facing.
• Ankle
• Knee cap (patella) aligned with second toe
• Hip Neutral over ankles
• Spinal Flexion
• Shoulders in flexion with hands or finger tips
touching floor, middle finger in line with second
toe.
• Cervical spine in flexion or neutral depending on
amount of spinal flexion in lumbar region.

6. Awareness
• Bandhas
• Spinal Flexion vs. Hip Flexion
The role of the hamstrings

7. Vertebrae

8. Spinal Flexion
Forward Bend Backward Bend

9. Functional Range of Motion
• Cervical Spine Flexion - 45 degrees
• Thoracic Spine Flexion – limited
• Lumbar Spine Flexion – Greatest up to 60
degrees
• What does “Functional” mean?

10. Disc Injury

11. Total Load on Lumbar Disc

12. Intervertebral Disc Anatomy
• Spongy center
• Nucleus pulposus
• Surrounded by a
tougher outer fibrous
ring
• Anulus fibrosus

13. Intervertebral Disc
• Soft fibro fibro-cartilaginous cushions
• Between two vertebra
• Allows some motion
• Serve as shock absorbers
• Total – 23 discs
• ¼ th of the spinal column's length
• Avascular
• Nutrients diffuse through end plates

14. Intervertebral Disc Functions
• Movement of fluid within the nucleus
• Allows vertebrae to rock back and forth
• Flexibility
• Act to pad and maintain the space between
• the twenty twenty-four movable vertebrae
• Act as shock absorbers
• Allow extension and flexion

15. Standing Forward Bends
• Seed Pose - Uttanasana- Forward Bend
• Padangusthasana- Foot big toe posture
• Padahastasana- foot to hand posture
• Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana- Standing
head to knee pose

16. Seated Forward Bends
• Seed Pose - Dandasana
• Balasana- Child pose
• Pashimottanasana- West intense stretch
• Janu Sirsasana- Head to knee posture
• Upavishta Konasana- seat angle pose

17. Supine
Forward Bend
• Seed Pose - Savsana
• Supta Padangusthasana- Reclining hold
the big toe posture

18. Spinal Flexion vs. Hip Flexion
Hip Flexion Spinal Flexion