Sway Back

I have been wondering about sway backs lately as I have a bottom that sticks out so much in WW posture (well always but I used to tuck it) and it has caused me quite a bit of confusion. It will be interesting what Christine says in my consult this Tues.

I found this thread below on sway backs and it was interesting to me how it talked about the position of the organs with a sway back. I have at times pushed my shoulders back too far and I can definitely see how the correction Christine describes helps sort that one out. I was thinking how can I have prolapse when I seem to have such a strong lumber curve but I can see how I could be confused as I am definitely type 1 below.

To newbies I have found my legs and hips getting much more flexible as I sit on the floor. I wonder if the this sway back as something to do with my tailbone pain. Another question for Christine. I also wonder why so many PP Mums seem to have that issue on here - could we have sway backs more than women use to due to modern ways and slumped posture?

I have not put the whole post below as it is from 2009 and there are a few notes on kegals and squats which Christine may word differently these days so I didn't want to cause any confusion.

I am quite excited that in time with my WW work that I may not have a bottom that sticks out so far. My aim is not to take away my curves but to have my lumber region as it should be.

Thread.....

"Hi Sadie,

Well, you realize I cannot see you and have no way of knowing what your structural issues are. Your description, however, brings up a most important matter that will be good to outline here. My hope is to have a more expanded version accepted by one of the major yoga journals.

I have been able to determine from working with women one-on-one that there are two major types of hyperlordosis (swayback). Type I is caused by short iliacus muscles - those that line the inside of the ilia (hipbones) and are continuous with the psoas muscles (iliopsoas). Contraction, or chronic shortening, of the iliacus draws the pelvis toward the thighs, resulting in an unattractive and pathological kind of swayback. More severe contraction is often seen in spastic paralysis.

The other type of hyperlordosis results from chronically pulling the shoulders back, as in military posture. Here I am trying to create the most swayed back possible, which requires that I pull my shoulders all the way back. By simply releasing my shoulders and pulling them down (not back!) making my upper back flat and broad, lifting my chest and pulling up through the back of my neck and head, my swayback completely disappears. This is the true neutral spine. It is impossible to hyperextend the lumbar spine while keeping the upper body in this posture.

You say you have a hyperlordotic spine and your narration seems to portray type I hyperlordosis. I began to figure this condition out after realizing that some women with significant incontinence also have this sort of swayback. What first caught my attention was that their second position plies were oddly similar - their bottoms held way out behind their plie. If their iliacus were more extended, they could get their pelvis over their plie."