Living Yoga

In vinyasa and ashtanga style yoga classes you’re going to be doing a lot of jumping forward and backward between sun salutations. In the case of ashtanga, it’s pretty much throughout the whole class. This is a more advanced move and takes a lot of practice. I get a lot of questions about jump backs in particular (they’re harder than jump forwards for most people), and I have a few tips that can help.

Precautions for jump backs – if you have any wrist or back injuries, don’t do the jump backs. Step back into the vinyasa flow instead.

Okay, my big, special, secret tip for jump backs is: Inhale butt up, exhale jump back.

Step 1: Whether you’re jumping back from an arm balance like crow or from the front of the mat, by inhaling and lifting your butt up a little, you automatically bring your weight more forward into your arms which is going to support your body while you’re in the “air” before landing in the jump back. Bring your weight forward and it will be easier.

Step 2: Jump back quickly on the exhalation. You may not get all the way back at first. That’s okay, it takes practice and you’re building your core and arm strength by practicing. Once Step 1 feels natural for you, Step 2 is a piece of cake because the two go hand in hand.

That’s it in a nutshell: inhale butt up, exhale jump back. Once I got jump backs down I felt that much stronger in my yoga practice, it was exhilarating to be seamlessly flying back from arm balances that I couldn’t do before. So keep practicing and fly!

Inhale butt up, exhale jump back.