Yoga for Spinal Health - Part 2 of 3: Open Twists and Backbends

Name: Yoga for Spinal Health - Part 2 of 3: Open Twists and Backbends
Start: 2025-10-25T13:30:00-05:00
Location: Awakened Yoga Studio, Sugar Land, TX

Schedule

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025 at 01:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Awakened Yoga Studio, Sugar Land, TX | Sugar Land, TX

Join us for a three-part yoga workshop series designed for anyone interested in deepening their understanding of spinal health. Through a blend of targeted movement, mindful alignment, anatomy-informed discussion, and guided self-inquiry, each session explores a different family of postures to create space, build strength, and increase mobility along the spine. Whether you're looking to move with more awareness, improve posture, or better understand how your body supports you, this series offers an accessible and thoughtful approach to spinal well-being.
We begin each session in Virasana (Hero’s Pose), using it as a diagnostic seat to observe spinal alignment, habitual tension, and breath awareness. From this grounded starting point, we break down targeted family of poses to better understand their relationship to spinal mechanics. Note that we encourage you to take all 3 workshops, however, it is not required.
Session 1: Saturday, September 27 1:30-3:30pm
We explore a range of foundational standing poses, focusing on how pelvic mobility and lower body strength create the base for spinal support.
Session 2: Saturday, October 25 1:30-3:30pm
Shifts to open twists and backbends, where we examine how to safely introduce spinal rotation and extension without compromising the lumbar region.
Session 3: Saturday, November 15, 1:30-3:30pm
Addresses closed twists and forward folds, with an emphasis on decompression, nervous system regulation, and integrating subtle support in deep, inward-facing shapes.
Session 2: Open Twists & Backbends
Starting in Virasana, we tune in to the spine as it rests in a neutral, seated position, observing breath and the tone of the upper back. In this session, we explore how the spine can both twist and extend while remaining supported and spacious. Open twists allow us to move away from the midline without compression, creating length and freedom in the thoracic spine. These are paired with heart-opening backbends that emphasize lift, buoyancy, and expansion across the chest and collarbones. Through a combination of supported shapes and active engagement, we’ll practice moving into backbends from the strength of the legs and core, rather than collapsing into the lower back. This creates a safe and integrated experience of spinal extension. Attention will be given to shoulder mobility, breath awareness, and the role of the glutes and pelvis in protecting the lumbar spine. The result is a session that feels energizing, opening, and deeply empowering.

Throughout the series, participants will work through poses with the support of props and variations, using embodied experience to explore how alignment, anatomy, and intention come together in practice. The emphasis is not to master difficult poses or achieve “perfect” shapes, but on developing a personalized, sustainable approach to supporting spinal health over time.
Whether you're new to yoga, a longtime practitioner, or simply curious about how your body moves, this series offers accessible, anatomy-informed tools and insights to support your understanding of spinal health—in your practice and in daily life. Each session is designed to stand alone, so you're welcome to attend a single workshop or take all three for a more complete experience.
Early Bird Price: Purchase by 10/18/25 with discount code SPINE2 (case sensitive)
$45/non-members
$40/members
Regular price:
$50/non-members
$45/members
More about Joe Lee, Guest Instructor:
Joe Lee began practicing Yoga in early 2017 after an extended snowboard trip overseas left him with minor injuries. Looking for a way to recover, he turned to Yoga and noticed immediate improvements in his strength, flexibility, and overall well-being. What started as a tool for physical recovery soon became a daily practice that continues to support both his body and mind.
By the end of 2017, Joe completed his 200-hour Yoga Alliance–certified Yoga Teacher Training under Rebecca Butler at The Sanctuary Yoga Room in Fort Worth, TX. He originally enrolled in the program with no intention of teaching, seeking only to deepen his own practice and understanding of Yoga. Over time, however, the experience revealed a new passion—sharing Yoga with others and helping students discover its benefits.
Joe continued his education by studying with Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee at Yoga Shanti in New York, completing his 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training in 2020. He is also a certified Level 2 Urban Zen Integrative Therapist, a program that combines Yoga Therapy, Reiki, Essential Oils, and Contemplative Care into a restorative practice for both clinical and community settings. In addition, Joe is a Level 2 attuned Reiki practitioner.
He sees Yoga as a lifelong practice and education. To date, he has completed an additional 200+ hours of advanced yoga teacher trainings and workshops to continue refining his skills and expanding his knowledge.
Over the years, Joe has taught across studios in Texas, Colorado, Taiwan, and beyond—leading Vinyasa, Restorative, Aerial, Urban Zen, and Chair Yoga classes. He has also designed and facilitated workshops on meditation, men’s wellness, and self-care, as well as charitable yoga events for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Joe views Yoga as both a study of movement science and a physical and mental healing practice. His teaching emphasizes functional alignment, breath awareness, and purposeful movement patterns. Drawing on both anatomy-informed sequencing and the restorative aspects of Yoga, he creates an environment where students can build strength, improve mobility, and cultivate a deeper connection between body and mind.
Must cancel a minimum of 24 hours in advance to receive refund or credit.