There are some things in my practice that are absolute musts. Cobra, down dog, lunge, bridge, and Spinal Balance. This pose does so many things at once that I teach it every day in my classes: it strengthens your deep core, your back muscles, your gluteals and hamstrings, it is weight bearing and helps to build bone density (just make sure you don't overdo it and create too much stress on the knee and wrist joints).

But day in and day out, things can get monotonous, and to help myself (and my students) stay present in the practice, I have developed (or borrowed) variations on this theme to spice things up. These variations do  not need to be done all at once in a row the way I present them in the video, but their sequencing is done from easiest to more challenging. Choose the one that feels like it is challenging you just right - hard enough to feel like work, yet you can stay in control of breath and body throughout.

The Spinal Balance engages the core by intentionally throwing you off balance. Our nervous system is designed to keep watch for anything that could potentially cause us harm, and falling over is one of those things. By creating the experience that allows us a certain degree of control, we are able to maintain the proper mindset - calm witness state. More and more lately I hear how important it is to nourish your nervous system with meaningful stimulation, and balancing poses are first on my list for that.

Join me!