A complete morning of Mysore practice, movement exploration and intelligent backbending with Krista Shirley.
Most people try to bend farther. Very few learn how to move better.
Backbending is often treated as a question of flexibility: How far can you go? How deeply can you bend? Can you reach the floor?
But healthy backbending is not simply about creating a larger shape. It is about learning how to organize your body, control your weight and move through space without abandoning the foundation beneath you.
When practitioners do not understand where their center of gravity lives, moving backward can feel terrifying. The feet lose their connection to the ground, the breath disappears and the arms are thrown backward in the hope that flexibility will somehow catch the body.
There is a more intelligent way to learn.
In this masterclass, we will explore backbending from the pelvis outward—learning how stability, breath, strength and movement organization allow the spine to extend without relying on momentum or force.
The morning begins with Mysore practice, followed by a focused two-hour masterclass. The sessions are designed to be experienced together.
Begin with a traditional Mysore practice and receive individualized instruction based on your body, experience and current practice. The patterns and questions that emerge on the mat will help inform the masterclass that follows.
Explore how the pelvis, legs, breath, spine and shoulders work together to create backbends that feel organized and supported instead of rushed, compressed or frightening.
Although we call these postures backbends, the movement does not begin by throwing the upper body backward.
The pelvis is the body’s center of gravity. Whether you are standing on your feet or working from your knees, the pelvis must shift forward as the upper structure moves backward. This relationship allows you to control your weight rather than simply surrendering to gravity.
We will examine how the feet, legs and pelvis create the foundation for extension—and how losing that foundation can lead to splayed feet, collapsed legs and excessive compression in the lower back.
The same principles apply when coming out of a backbend. Standing up is not a matter of throwing the body forward. It requires reorganizing the pelvis over the feet while maintaining the support of the legs and the continuity of the breath.
We will take apart the physical and psychological components of backbending so you can better understand what your own body needs.
Why moving backward and upside down can feel disorienting—and how organization creates a greater sense of control.
How the pelvis directs your center of gravity and allows the upper body to move backward without losing the ground beneath you.
Why engaged, well-organized legs are essential for supporting the spine in both entering and exiting a backbend.
How breathing changes when the body feels threatened and how the breath can support steadiness, extension and control.
Understanding extension through the upper and middle back rather than forcing all movement into the lumbar spine.
Exploring the relationship between overhead movement, the shoulder girdle, the rib cage and the spine.
How the front of the hips and thighs contribute to extension—and what happens when the lower back compensates for limited movement.
Learning to recognize the difference between muscular limitation, joint structure, compression and movement habits.
This workshop is not simply a lesson in dropping back. We will look at several kinds of backbends and examine what each one reveals about stability, mobility, strength and movement organization.
We will explore principles found in postures from the Primary and Intermediate Series, including kneeling, standing and weight-bearing backbends.
The intention is not for every student to perform every pose. Instead, we will use different postures, variations and progressions to understand the movement patterns they share—and how those patterns may need to change for different bodies.
This is not simply a lecture, and it is not a two-hour attempt to push your body into its deepest possible backbend. We will learn through discussion, observation and thoughtful movement.
Slow, focused movement will help you feel where extension is occurring, where stability is being lost and where your body may be compensating.
The wall provides feedback and orientation, allowing you to explore the relationship between the pelvis, legs, spine and arms without simply falling backward.
Clear demonstrations and guided observation will help clarify the direction, timing and organization of movement before you explore the principles in your own body.
We will work from foundational movement patterns toward more complex expressions, allowing each student to explore an appropriate level of challenge.
The goal is not to reproduce someone else’s shape. It is to understand how your body can create extension while maintaining support, breath and control.
Backbending does not have to feel like throwing yourself into the unknown and hoping your flexibility catches you.
When you understand where your center of gravity lives, how your legs support your pelvis and how your breath influences your nervous system, moving backward begins to feel less chaotic.
Whether you are exploring Ustrasana, refining Urdhva Dhanurasana, learning Laghu Vajrasana, approaching Kapotasana or simply trying to understand why backbends feel the way they do, this masterclass will give you a more intelligent framework for working with them.
You do not need to be naturally flexible, and you do not need an advanced practice. You need curiosity, a willingness to learn and an interest in understanding your body more clearly.
Rather than chasing bigger backbends, we will learn how to build better ones.
Join Krista Shirley on Sunday, September 20, 2026, for Mysore practice followed by an interactive exploration of stability, breath and intelligent backbending. Attend in person at The Yoga Shala or join live through Zoom.
The Yoga Shala is a body movement studio with a specialized approach, customizing each client's class experience, based on their goals and needs. Our goal is to foster a lighthearted, non-dogmatic, warm and encouraging environment.
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