The Cranium To Pelvis Connection: Two Brains And Yin Bhujangasana

"We typically think that aptitude is invested in the cranium alone, but the pelvic skull also houses a kind of intelligence." ~Tias Little, 'Yoga of the Subtle Body: A Guide to the Physical and Energetic Anatomy of Yoga', The Artistry of The Pelvis , pg. 45. ~ Recently, I've been practicing a variation of Bhujangasana I developed. It's a Yin/Alignment Yoga approach versus the standard backbend approach. This pose is most commonly referred to as Cobra Pose, and is most commonly practiced in a Yang fashion, requiring powerful arm strength. Then; essentially, prepping for Upward Facing Dog or Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. My Yin style; however, builds the more subtle, more technical relationship between the cranium and the pelvis. Because there are still deliberate actions, like strongly pushing the four-corners of the palms into the earth while squeezing the elbows together, the practitioner can release the neck via the tip of the nose toward the sinking of the 'Third Eye'/ Ajna Chakra... gradually lengthening the neck more and more, freeing the cranium from the congested shoulder region...
You also hone in on The Jalandhara Bandha/Throat Lock, tucking the chin in toward the chest, as the top of the cranium draws ever further from the tailbone. This embodied snake energy then seeks to create a counter-balance with the pelvis. So, actively, Alignment Yin Bhujangasana pushes both hip bones, both legs, and the tops of both feet down... down... down... using muscle to connect bone to earth. Here, the pelvis stabilizes - the shoulder blades slide in - the collar bones open wide - and a line appears from the back of the skull to the tip of the tailbone.
The decision to draw a low long spinal line, rather than a big curved back-bend, is the Yin aspect. A 2-3 minute hold here will be intense, but your cranial brain and your pelvic brain will both thank you in the end.

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