Seal

A prone yin backbend that explores spinal extension through the front body, abdomen, chest and lower back.

“Rest on the belly. Let the front body open in its own time.”

Seal is a quiet backbend from the floor. The hands support the upper body while the pelvis and legs remain heavy. In yin practice, the shape is less about lifting high and more about observing how the spine, belly and breath respond to sustained extension.

The purpose is not to create the deepest backbend. The purpose is to find a version where sensation can be present without strain. The pose asks for patience, softness and honest listening.

1. 1Lie on your belly with your legs relaxed behind you.
2. 2Place your hands on the floor in front of or beside the shoulders.
3. 3Press lightly into the hands and allow the chest to rise.
4. 4Let the pelvis, thighs and feet remain heavy.
5. 5Soften the shoulders away from the ears.
6. 6Keep the arms bent or explore straighter arms if this feels spacious.
7. 7Allow the head to rest in a comfortable position.
8. 8Breathe naturally into the belly, ribs and chest.
9. 9To come out, slowly lower to the floor and rest.

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

• •Where does the backbend feel most concentrated?
• •Can the shoulders support without hardening?
• •Is the belly able to move with the breath?
• •Would a lower version feel more sustainable?

Let the breath show you the quality of the shape. If breathing feels narrow, held or forced, explore less height, wider hands or a softer placement of the shoulders.

Observe the student's relationship to effort. Notice whether they press up quickly, brace through the lower back, hold the breath or need more support under the chest or forearms.

Reflect after practising:

• •Where did you feel the clearest sensation?
• •What changed when the legs became heavier?
• •Did the breath invite you higher, lower or still?

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

• •Pushing strongly through the hands
• •Collapsing into the lower back
• •Gripping the buttocks
• •Lifting the shoulders towards the ears
• •Holding the breath

• •Keep the forearms on the floor in Sphinx
• •Walk the hands further forward
• •Take the hands wider than the shoulders
• •Place a bolster under the ribs
• •Rest the forehead on stacked hands

• ✓The backbend feels sustainable.
• ✓Breathing remains available.
• ✓The shoulders can soften.
• ✓The body can leave the pose without rushing.