How To Deepen Your Yoga Practice with Binds
I teach yoga workshops that challenge students to deepen their yoga asana practice by taking binds.
Here we learned how to build bound postures like bound side angle and revolved bird of paradise safely. Usually, students who like a challenge, like doing some funky maneuvers and like having fun are the ones who love to build up to binds.
What is a bind?
Usually, it’s a posture where hands can be clasped, arms or knees wrapped around to “lock in” a twist like a twisted malasana with a bind or extended-limbed posture like utthita hasta padunganstana.
And, from here, they get even more complex and fun!
Check out Yoga Journal and YogaNana for detailed guides on these two bound postures. In some yoga classes, you’ll hear the instructor say something like, “if it’s in your practice, maybe take the bind.” With these tips and methods, you’ll know what that looks like!
Utthita Hasta Padunganstana
Utthita Hasta Padunganstana
Why would someone want to turn themselves into a pretzel and maybe topple over in the process?
I think it’s amazing how bendy we can be with just a few tweaks in alignment. Binds are a very effective way to deepen your yoga practice in a safe way with the right alignment.
I like adding binds to my regular practice sometimes to push my limits and play within the postures.
Frequently, binds are much easier than they look, but they can be really tricky because they challenge the natural limits of the range of motion in the shoulders, hips, and knees.
NOTE! If you have shoulder injuries, a history of shoulder surgery, hip, knee, ankle, hand, foot or back issues, be SUPER CAUTIOUS attempting any binds. Don’t ever force a posture and make sure you’re always able to breathe comfortably within a twist.
I took a lot of my direction for my “Take the Bind” class from a couple of different sources: Step-by-Step Breakdown: Learn to Bind a Twist by Kat Heagberg and Binding Yoga Poses from Yoga Journal.
Adjustments that help us find a bind to deepen your yoga practice
The shoulders
Building a bound posture starts with understanding the shoulder, which is a really big area of the body!
It’s not just the place where the arm meets the torso, it extends down into the scapula, up into the trapezius, down the arms and into the collarbones. Think of all the muscles that go into moving the arm in all directions and all the bones that shift and adjust as a result. There is so much to learn about anatomy within the context of yoga.
The key adjustment which stabilizes the shoulder is to keep the shoulder blade from “winging off” the back. We do this by using internal rotation and the assistance of sub-scapular muscles. We also relax the top of the shoulder joint itself.
This opens up the collarbones and stabilizes the shoulder from all directions.
Bound Side Angle Pose/Baddha Utthita Parsvakonasana
Bound Side Angle Pose/Baddha Utthita Parsvakonasana
A strap
Using a strap within bound twists is key for most of us when first learning to bind. This keeps that shoulder blade drawn as our flexibility, strength, and muscle memory develop.
Bird of Paradise is probably my favorite bound posture. I usually am inspired to try it when in bound side angle. Here’s a great article from Yoga Journal on how to master Svarga Dvijasana: 5 Steps to Master Bird of Paradise.
I usually fall out of Bird of Paradise every time I get it, but it’s really fun to try. My leg usually sticks out about 45º, but hey… progress not perfection, right?
Bird of Paradise/Svarga Dvidasanas
Bird of Paradise/Svarga Dvidasanas
I hope this blog bit has inspired you to check out some bound postures, practice them safely, and have fun.
Yoga is a big umbrella with so many variations and just as many schools of thought. I encourage you to investigate, be a yoga tourist and deepen your yoga practice by taking the bind!
Reach out to me at flourishingartyoga@gmail.com for an in-person or online consultation on taking the bind! I would love to help you deepen your practice!
