Marie Francoise Mariette

 Letting Go of Resistance

Backbending as letting go of resistance, as surrendering to one’s open self

Since I was a little girl, I always heard my mother tell me to sit straight, not to slouch, and to open my shoulders. Of course I never listened to her and gradually took it as a habit to do the exact opposite of what she was asking me to do… Years went by before I realized that my back was rounded, that I was always trying to find my breath, and that the area around my sternum was so tight that I felt it was completely locked, notwithstanding the very poor quality of my breathing.

As I grew up, things did not get any better… I spent a lot of time studying at my desk, writing essays, then I started working in front of my computer which made things even worse, then I had kids and continued slouching while breastfeeding and even holding the baby. After all these years, I reckon I was rounding my back and closing my chest not only to put myself into protection mode but also I unconsciously had not stepped out of my rebellious state of mind, I was still clinging to my memories and my past!!! And, at that time I was naturally stressed out all the time.

 Only when I started doing yoga in California some 15 years ago did I become aware of my inabilility to open my shoulders, my chest, my collar bones, my arms in order to go into backbends… I had to learn again how to elongate my spine, to open my rib cage and more importantly to breathe and let go… The first time I was able to do Ushtrasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana, Matsyasana it felt like my whole front body was going to crack open, I choked, my heart beat tremendously as if my energy had found its way again, not to mention my spine, lower back and neck which are still unable to backbend completely. 

Backbends still scare me but at the same time fascinate me, it is like a love/hate relationship, it is the release of my emotions, good or bad, it is the opening of my body and mind to the world. That is why in my personal practise I concentrate on them a lot.  

Here is a series of poses that I do to prepare for Urdhva Dhanurasana:

• Supta Virasana with bolster and blanket

• Matsyasana: 3 variations: with bolster, on chair, with 2 blocks

• Supta Baddhakonasana

• Adho Mukha with blocks

• Bharadvajasana

• Sun Salutations with an emphasis on backbends

• Tadasana with backbends

• Adho Mukha Vrkshasana

• Sphynx

• Bhujangasana

• Ustrasana

• Setu Bandha with blocks

• Urdvha Dhanurasana

• Supta Baddhakonasana

• Mariciasana I, II, III

• Janu Shirshasana

• Supta padangusthasana

• Savasana