Published October 21, 2025 07:33AM
In Yoga Journal’s Archives series, we share a curated collection of articles originally published in past issues beginning in 1975. These stories offer a glimpse into how yoga was interpreted, written about, and practiced throughout the years. This article first appeared in the September 1985 issue of Yoga Journal. Find more of our Archives here.
Actually to stand well, one need not stand up straight. The vertebral column is not really a column at all, but a bony structure shaped into a series of long, even curves. These curves are created by the shape of the vertebrae themselves, as well as by the shape of the intervertebral discs and supporting ligaments. In erect posture, these curves are maintained in a neutral position, i.e., in the shape termed normal curve.
Because the column is curved, any movement that changes a curve creates stress on the column and on the soft tissues surrounding it. Of course, if one tried to live without changing the spinal curves, movement would be impossible. The usual postural problems are not the result of moving in and out of normal spinal curves; rather they result from habitual postures that destroy one or more of those curves. Such habitual stances put stress on the structure of the column, including the discs, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the vertebral column, and can lead to compression on nerves and a variety of surprising symptoms involving literally every organ system in the body.
Cerival, Thoracic, and Lumbar Regions of the Spine
Table of Contents
With the concept of normal curves in mind, let’s have a look at each curve separately.
The cervical curve (neck) has a concavity on the posterior (back) side and is the most mobile, and therefore the most unstable, portion of the column. In fact, a general rule of movement in the body can be stated as follows: the more stability, the less mobility, and vice-versa. The shoulder joint and the hip joint are perfect examples of this rule. The shoulder is quite mobile and therefore relatively unstable; the hip, in contrast, which is formed by a deep bony saucer called the acetablum and is reinforced by strong ligaments, is stable, but not as mobile as the shoulder joint.
The thoracic spine, or mid-back areacurves in the opposite direction from the cervical spine; it is more stable and helps protect the heart and lungs. The lumbar curve matches the cervical in direction but differs in that the vertebrae themselves are much more massive to serve a greater weight-bearing function. Movement in the lumbar spine is limited basically to flexion (forward bending) and extension (backward bending).
Risks of Forward Head Posture
When one of the curves is habitually held in a partially flattened position like the one created by moving the head forward of the body, strain occurs in the following locations. First, a great deal of pressure is placed on the intervertebral discs, which act as cushions between vertebrae and are located on the anterior (front) of the vertebrae. Second, the forward movement causes the facet joints at the back of the vertebrae to part slightly, which in turn causes the body to perceive itself as falling forward. When the body registers that the facet joints have parted (a normal part of a forward-bending movement), it attempts to control this forward movement by contracting the muscles on the posterior side of the body. As long as this contraction is just a natural and temporary part of a movement, the muscles do their job of stabilizing the neck and keeping the head from falling too far forward, and then they release. But if the head is chronically held forward with the cervical spine in flexion, the muscles work overtime and undergo stress as a result. This stress can be minimized merely by bringing the head back over and in line with the rest of the body.
Of course, each curve of the vertebral column does not operate in a vacuum. If a great deal of movement occurs in one area, movement will occur in other areas as well. For example, if, when sit- ting in a n erect position, one extends the cervical spine and tilts the head back as if to observe the ceiling, the thoracic and lumbar spines will also extend slightly. The same holds true for movements begun at the lower end of the body; if the lumbar spine is flexed in a sitting position, the thoracic and cervical spines will tend to flex as well. This concept is a n important one to remember when observing oneself or a yoga student in Tadasanathe erect standing posture.
Observing the Position of the Spine in Yoga
Few people stand with the normal curves of the column even, that is, neither too flat nor too curved. Yet, for optimal health, the curves of the vertebral column must be enhanced and maintained. This concept is also a helpful one to remember when practicing or teaching asana. For ex- ample, in a forward-bending asana, one can let the entire column flex so that the back appears quite rounded; i.e., the thoracic curve has been increased and the cervical and lumbar spines have been flattened or reversed. Strain would thus be occurring in the structures of the column and in those surrounding it. But if the forward bend is practiced in such a way that the curves are maintained as much as possible, reversal and/or flattening of these curves will be minimized, and so will strain. Again, the problem is not the act of moving into a position that significantly changes the curves. The problem occurs when the change is habitually practiced or held.
To ensure that the curves are maintained, one should carefully observe the erect standing posture (Tadasana). Many students overly flatten the lumbar curve in the mistaken belief that they have lordosis, a pathological excess of lumbar curvature. In my experience, just the opposite is true; too many students flatten the lumbar excessively, thereby accentuating the thoracic curve and flattening the cervical curve.
How can one determine the right amount of lumbar curve for oneself or one’s students without the help of an X-ray machine? A close approximation can be made in the following manner.
The curve is created in part by the relative position of the pelvis and the column. If the pelvis is placed in a neutral position in relationship to the column and the hip joints, it is more likely that the spine will be positioned evenly. If the pelvis is tipped, it will be very difficult for the lumbar spine—or the rest of the column, for that matter—to be in a normal resting position. Adjusting the lumbar spine by adjusting the pelvis, one avoids the problem of trying to adjust the column itself—a tricky maneuver at best.
To adjust the pelvis into a neutral position, one must first locate the front bony prominences of the pelvis. Known in anatomy as the anterior superior iliac crests, these twin “hip bones” can be felt through the flesh of the outer lower abdomen. Locate the crests not at the top of the pelvis but on the front. Find the most anterior ridge, and then draw an imagin- ary vertical line tangential to this most forward portion of the crests. Now draw another imaginary vertical line that passes through the most anterior part of the pubic bone. Imagine that these two lines form a stationary plane. If the crests are tipped back of their vertical plane and the pubic bone is tipped forward, then the lumbar curve is too small; if the crests are tipped forward of their line and the pubic bone is tipped back of it’s line, then the curve is too great. When both lines are held vertical and the crests and pubic bone touch them, the pelvis is in a neutral position. When the pelvis is in a neutral position, the curvature of the lumbar spine is likely to be neutral. With the lumbar curve neutral, the thoracic and cervical curves are more likely to be neutral as well.
Effects of Poor Spinal Alignment
Habitual standing with the cervical curve flattened or reversed has a number of physiological effects involving every organ system in the body. Here are a few examples:
- Flattening the cervical curve causes the skull to move backward on the first cervical vertebra, called the atlas, thereby compressing the anterior spinal artery. Since this artery carries two-thirds of the blood that reaches the spinal cord, the blood and oxygen supply to the cord may be reduced as a result.
- Flattening the cervical curve cause the thoracic curve to increase somewhat as well. This may interfere with the respiratory tract by diminishing the capacity of the lungs. In addition, increase of the thoracic curve tends to cause the abdominal muscles to lose tone and therefore no longer provide support for the lumbar spine by the maintenance of intra-abdominal pressure. This lack of tone in the abdominals can also affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Not that the abdominal muscles should be hard and tight; on the contrary, healthy abdominal muscles have a softness and a firmness that support the abdomen and the spine without interfering with their functioning or the functioning of the lungs and diaphragm.
- Flattening the cervical spine can also have adverse effects on other parts of the musculoskeletal system. When the cervical curve is flattened and the head is held in a forward position, the thoracic spinal curve is thereby in- creased, and the scapulae are protracted (i.e., moved away from the vertebral column and toward the sides of the body). This, in turn, interferes with the rhythm of the shoulder movement be- tween the humerus (upper arm bone) and the scapula and may cause impingement of soft tissues in and around the shoulder joint. Ultimately, tendonitis or bursitis may result.
- Finally, holding the head forward and flattening or reversing the cervical curve can affect the nervous system in a variety of ways, mainly by entrapping various nerves as they exit the spinal cord in the neck. One of these, the greater occipital nerve, exits between the skull and the first cervical vertebra. When the head is carried forward, pressure on this nerve can cause hypoxia, a decrease in the oxygen supply. Nerves require large amounts of oxygen because of their high metabolic rate. If a nerve is compressed, it becomes hypoxic and sends signals to the brain that are interpreted as pain. If the initial dis- comfort is ignored and the compression maintained, numbness will be experienced, as when a foot “falls asleep.” Hypoxia of the greater occipital nerve may cause headache and can even mimic a migraine. With entrapment of this nerve, pain is usually felt on the top of the head or around the sides of the head near the ears or in the sockets of the eyes.
As these few examples indicate, distortion of the vertebral column can have far-reaching effects that extend well beyond areas of local irritation and strain.
Erect posture can also have psycho- logical ramifications. It is well known that, rather than standing erect, with an easy, balanced stance, a depressed person slumps. The real question is, which comes first? Perhaps slumping itself leads to a depressed mental attitude. For example, the lack of oxygen caused by the forward bend of the head may change the functioning of the body and thus influence the mind, moods, and emotions.
But an erect posture may also influence the individual in a myriad of more subtle ways. When one stands well, the body relaxes; not only does one perceive this subjectively as relaxation, but others perceive it too, as a prevailing mood. Instead of releasing tension, this mood prevents tension from arising in the first place—the ultimate cure. When one stands well, one’s sense of confidence, strength, and well-being is enhanced. Each part of the body functions better because it is not unnecessarily stressed by gravity. The result is an increase in health and vitality.
Standing well also gives one a sense of belonging, a sense of being connected to the earth and to the here and now. The erect posture connects one to the earth because the energy of “standing up” is not just an upward-moving energy, but also a downward-moving energy. When one stands well, connected with heaven and earth, one develops a deep sense of confidence based on a profound feeling of “rightness” about one’s body, one’s breathing, and one’s life.
When the physiological body is aligned and aware, the mind is more likely to be calm, and meditation can be practiced more easily. In fact, all forms of meditation teach the practitioner to create and maintain a long, fluid spine that does not collapse or become rigid. Indeed, some believe that meditation is the act of sitting in awareness, with a spinal column that is erect and free.
In any case, one cannot separate physical health from the maintenance of a column that is long, curved, and unimpeded. Becoming aware of one’s posture at all times teaches one to become more and more a conduit through which awareness flows. One does not create awareness, one only become more attuned or more open to the awareness that is already there. By watching the spine and then moving and breathing and being with this awareness, one is constantly centering oneself without becoming self-centered.
The One Pose You Need for Spinal Alignment
For this reason, one should begin one’s asana practice with Tadasana, the Mountain Pose. When practicing this asana, one stands still and equalizes the front with the back, the sides with the center, the top with the bottom, the outer with the inner. This process helps one establish balance, both in the vertebral column and in the mind. Thus this posture becomes the basis for all others, not just because it teaches one about the spine and how it can be elongated in other postures, but also because it teaches one how to stabilize the mind in the erect posture. When this stabilization occurs, one is truly standing on one’s own feet, balanced in the present moment, and body and mind then reflect the inner silence. In such moments, posture has become asana, and asana has become meditation.
