The importance of a Stable Pelvis for Posture

Michael Sutton works at Pure Yoga Singapore

I am a true advocate of yoga for the tremendous benefits that it bestows upon us.  When we practice safely and with awareness we will wholeheartedly receive these positive benefits.  Unfortunately, when we practice without good basic understanding of posture, then any posture regardless of how powerful it is can truly have a detrimental effect upon our bodies.  Most people who never practice yoga will experience lower back pain at some point in there lives.  There are many various factors that can cause this condition but today we will focus on just one.

Anterior Tilt - This is a common issue amongst men and women but generally women which can be worsened due to wearing high heel shoes.  It is caused due the the fact that the thigh muscles and the psoas muscles, which is used when we lift the knee to our chests or when walking up stairs.  These two, but not all, are the main reasons for this condition.  Ironically, someone who carries themselves in this manner without ever practicing yoga will live relatively pain free for many years until the age of thirty plus.  At which point they may start visiting their local general practitioner to improve their condition due to increased pain levels.  However, if the same person decided to practice yoga, instead of it taking years before they experience any pain, their situation will quickly escalate and they will experience back pain within just a few months of regular yoga asana practice unless their anterior tilt is correct first.

here's why.........

When someone has an anterior tilting pelvis they are placing a lot of unnecessary pressure on the lower back (lumbar spine) as well as the vertebral disc which active as shock absorbers and prevent bone on bone impacts.   If someone is simply living a normal day to day sedentary life style then the body can cope to some extend with the load.  However, when we add the addition of extension to the spine like an arching posture in a yoga class for example, the additional load on the spine becomes too excessive and the body quickly breaks down. Watch the short video clip below for a clear visual understanding.

Figure A

Figure A is an example anterior tilt with a back bend which is subsequently applying vast amounts of pressure to her lower back particularly the L5 joint and S1 joint.  Note the red line that shows the angle of the pelvis with regards the the rest of the body.










All pictures and reference material is for non-judgemental, demonstration, educational and for evaluational purposes only.