The next technique is going to address our spine. Our spine has 24 vertebrae, five in the lumbar, 12 in the thoracic, and seven in the cervical. One way that we can bend our spine that we don’t do very often is called lateral flexion.

Those are fancy words for side bending. In order to create a really effective setup for this, I find it very useful to use the wall. You do not have to have a block, but it is useful for my demonstration.

The block can go between my thighs, and I can feel that my femur bones are not going to move. My bottom is right up against the wall, so are my shoulders, and so are my head. Double check that your heels are on the wall, your feet are parallel, hips width apart, your shoulders are on the wall, and so is your head.

Once you’re there, take a couple breaths. Just this can be a huge learning experience. Most of us, even youngsters, head is slightly forward.

So that action of bringing that head back is magic in your entire spine. Have a tiny bend in your knees, and focus on your breath. Arms by your side.

You’re going to move your head first to the left, and then start to slide your left hand down towards your left knee. What you want to avoid is swaying, so keeping your pelvis over your feet, slowly, gently continue until you feel a little resistance. Remember to pull your belly in as those muscles support your back.

Take your other hand and slide it up into your underarm, and reach your elbow to the ceiling. If you can do this in front of a mirror, even better, because you can see the difference left to right. Concentrate on your breathing as you inhale back to the center, and exhale to the other side.

Focus on your breath. Your hand can come down to your knee, maybe even lower. As you’re continuing left and right, feel your ribcage lifting away from your pelvis.

Your hand simply slides up along the side of your body into your underarm. The fingers are relaxed, and the elbow is reaching up. Eventually, we want our elbow to be an extension of our midline, so we know that’s the line that cuts us in half, left to right.

Even if your mirror doesn’t show your whole body, no big deal. Line up your feet, look in the mirror, and begin your standing side bend. If your elbow is stuck about right here, you know you’ve got a ways to go.

This is the full range of motion. The elbow is an extension of your midline, so the pubic bone, the belly button, and then eventually the elbow on that center line. Let your head go.

Really allow the weight of your skull to stretch the top side of the neck. Continue with your breath side to side. I can’t go a day without doing side bends, because I find them to just be really opening to the core, creating space for our vital organs, and if you visualize your vertebrae, in between each pair is a disc.

Those discs are like little shock absorbers, and we want them to be big and juicy. So as you’re stretching to the left, you’re opening up the right side of the discs, and then vice versa. You don’t have to have a wall, although it is a useful tool.

I would recommend doing a few standing side bends in your kitchen every morning, and then if you really wanna go for it, spend a minute or two on a wall, really feeling your top shoulder on the wall, your head staying on the wall, and enjoy that deep sensation of stretch you feel through your core. Don’t forget to let your head go, and don’t forget to breathe. One more tip, your pelvic floor muscles.

Those are your P-holding muscles. Sorry for being so graphic. They’re very important, and they’re fundamental to yoga and Pilates.

So when you squeeze those pelvic floor muscles, as you’re doing your side bends, you’re gonna feel much more connected to your center, and those muscles really help to stabilize and anchor your sacrum and lower back.