04/09/2026
Good morning from the Barkan Method world of Hot Yoga!
Here is something I want you to think about the next time you walk into the hot room.
In today’s world, we spend the vast majority of our time in a forward position.
We sit at our desks, we drive our cars, and now more than ever we are looking down at our phones and devices for hours at a time.
Over the years this takes a real toll on the spine, and most people never do anything to counteract it.
That is exactly why in Hot Yoga we exaggerate our backbends.
Poses like Half Moon, Standing Bow, Cobra, Bow and Camel take the spine in the opposite direction, and that is not an accident.
This philosophy comes directly from Bishnu Ghosh, the founder of this style of Hatha Yoga and my teacher’s teacher.
He believed deeply that the spine holds the key to our overall health and vitality, and that by moving it in every direction we preserve its youth and strength far into the future.
Now some other styles of yoga have raised an eyebrow at how deep we go in our backbends.
But there is wisdom here that goes back generations.
And notice that we never finish with a backbend. After Half Moon we go into Hands to Feet.
After Camel we move into Rabbit. We always balance the backbend with a forward fold, because the body craves that harmony.
So in your next class, give yourself full permission to explore your backbends.
Go a little further than you think you can. Go a little deeper than feels comfortable.
You are not just stretching in that moment, you are investing in your future.
As Bishnu Ghosh always said, a healthy spine is a healthy life.
