The movement of the SIJ is a very controversial topic in the yogic anatomy world. The movements of the Sacro Iliac Joint are nutation and counter-nutation. The movement is so small that there is actually very little that one can do about it, though once we start entering in deeper backbends some awareness of this area is required. The baseline is that we want to keep it as neutral as possible to avoid over stretching the ligaments that hold this joint together. As we know, the sacrum is part of the spine, though it is also connected to the pelvis at the SIJ. This means that whatever we do in the spine will affect the sacrum and whatever we do in the pelvis will affect the sacrum too. If we practice a deep backbend, as the arch of the spine starts to increase, the sacrum will start to tilt in the direction of the arch, which means that if the pelvis just stays in its place, a counternutation will happen at the SIJ. If we keep going deeper without adjusting the pelvis, the pressure will increase in the SIJ. To counteract this situation what I usually do is to think on what I can do with the pelvis and not with the sacrum. So, in order to reduce the counter-nutation and look for the maximum neutrality in this joint, I focus on creating more hip extension. There are two ways of reducing the conter-nutation: one will be to do a posterior tilt with the pelvis which will possibly over engage my buttocks and actually change the position of my sacrum in an opposite direction of the arch (not a good feeling from my experience), or I can think on lifting the head of the femur bone forward which will release the pelvis to naturally stay in a neutral position in relation to the sacrum. I find this second option the safest and most efficient as it creates more hip extension without adding tension to my spine or SIJ. Understanding the body requires us to go beyond the theory. The theory gives us the framework, but it’s through direct experience, Pratyaksha, that one gains knowledge about one’s own body. . . 📸👉🏽 by @b.p.wcislo #yogaanatomy #yogabiomechanics #yogapractice #yogastudent #yogaasana #selfobservation #selfknowledge #selfpractice #svadhyaya #pratyaksha https://www.instagram.com/p/BztXFWQn2GR/?igshid=i3lqv43kk7al
