People who often practice yoga will be exposed to such prompt language as “keep your body in a neutral position”, “keep your spine in a normal physiological curvature, don’t skew left and right.” “keep your pelvis in the middle of your body”…
Or you have heard such a saying, no middle, no training, The practice principle of putting the body in the middle can even run through the practice of the whole yoga pose.
For those who have just come into contact with yoga, they may have questions about why the neutral position is so emphasized in yoga pose practice? Is it so important for the body to remain neutral? Before explaining these problems, I’d like to take you to know what you often see on sports competitive TV.
Take weightlifting competition as an example, a high-level weightlifter can definitely see that he has almost perfect body balance and coordination; Let’s look at the famous sprinter bolt.
According to relevant research and analysis, the strong stability provided by his spine in the neutral position at the moment of starting brings him benign transmission of force, and shows muscle strength to the greatest extent under the coordination of the whole body.
Elite athletes master and play an almost perfect body neutral position in the process of sports, Body neutrality is very important for exercise.
We all know that yoga is the crystallization of wisdom, the practice of the body, and the way to communicate the body and mind.
In the practice process of postures leading to the unity of body and mind, the number of times does not represent the effect.
Intelligent practice is the best way.
It is better to focus only on the imitation of simple postures, especially for those who have just come into contact with yoga, Finding out what is the body neutral position and how to find and maintain the neutral position in the practice of yoga pose can make our body more stable and safer, give better play to the strength of muscle groups, and walk more smoothly, stably and efficiently on the road of yoga practice at a higher level.
Today, let’s talk about the “body neutral position”.
What is the neutral position of the body: in short, it is the state when our body is in the anatomical position, which is the starting position of human movement.
When the joints, muscles and other joints of the body are in the best arrangement state, it is the neutral position.
At this time, the angle of the joints is zero, the pressure on the lower limbs is in the most average state, and the wear is the least.
The importance of body neutrality in yoga practice: when we ensure that our body is in the neutral position, every joint inside the body is in the neutral position and arranged orderly, which can make our whole body more stable and flexible and give full play to the best body movement performance.
Especially when the spine is in the neutral position in yoga asana practice, it can better support the weight of the body, smoothly switch between different asanas, avoid damage caused by excessive extrusion of local tissues, effectively buffer external pressure, coordinate the coordinated work of various muscle groups, help the body store more energy and protect the nerves of the whole body.
The principle of body neutral position in yoga practice: 1.
Spine neutral position: it is probably a word we come into contact with most in asana practice.
It is also very important to maintain spine neutral.
When the spine is in the most natural bending shape, it is neutral position.
The spine of adults has four natural bends, namely cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacrum and coccyx, When they are in a three-dimensional neutral position, viewed from the front and back, the spine is in a straight line without any roll or torsion.
The body maintains a natural forward convex state in standing posture, sitting posture and back posture, that is, the neutral position.
In fact, the standard neutral position of the spine is not easy to achieve.
Basically, when our external body is on the same vertical line with the back of the head, back and hips, we can judge that the body is in the neutral position.
2.
Neutral position of pelvis: the pelvis of our body plays the role of connecting the upper body and lower limbs and conducting force.
Only on the premise of neutral pelvis can we extend and stretch the lumbar spine in yoga postures, give play to the power of core muscles to drive the operation of limbs, and avoid scoliosis of spine.
In the practice of asana, no matter what posture the body is in, even in handstand, the position of our pelvis must be straightened, without left-right deviation or front-back tilt, and there is no rotation.
When the anterior superior iliac spine and pubic bone in the front of the body pelvis are in the same plane and perpendicular to the ground, it is the neutral position.
3.
Shoulder neutral position: when the shoulders of our body are in the same straight line and the same height, it is neutral.
Otherwise, it may lead to lateral bending of the spine or deflection of the pelvis, and even flat feet on both feet.
4.
Neutral position of sole: in yoga standing posture, we should evenly distribute the center of gravity of the body on the soles of both feet.
Your body should be in a straight line perpendicular to the ground.
The soles of your feet are the foundation of your body.
The pressure is evenly distributed and should not be in the front or back of the soles of your feet, which may lead to forward and backward roll of the body, When gravity deviates outward, it may lead to the inner splay leg, and when it deviates inward, it may lead to the outer splay leg.
How to find the body feeling of neutral position for beginners: as the saying goes, learning in practice is one of the fastest ways to make progress.
No matter how much truth you say, it’s better to practice.
For beginners, there is a posture that can reflect the concept of neutral position – mountain standing, which is carried out according to the standard method in the process of practice, Remember your feeling of body neutrality and bring it into future practice, and you can make the most standard yoga pose.
Mountain standing: first of all, put your feet on the mat in a standing posture, touch the big toes of your feet, lift them up and open your toes, then gently fall back, put your body’s center of gravity evenly on your feet, grasp the ground like a tree root, inhale, start to feel your body extend vertically from your legs, lead your legs and knees, and pull in and out of your lumbar and abdominal muscles, Push your hips forward slightly, which can slightly collapse the back of your waist, but you can’t bend your spine too much; Inhale again, lift your ribs upward, slightly move your shoulders backward and downward, and continue to extend your spine vertically upward.
Keep your shoulders straight and equal height, naturally extend your hands downward, relax your head and neck, and keep your face relaxed.
After 6 deep breaths, stand with your chest out and head up, and feel your body in a state of complete balance…
