backbend
back·bend [ ˈbak-ˌbend]
[ˈbak-ˌbend]
1 : a movement (as in gymnastics) in which from a standing position with the knees straight the body is arched backward until the hands touch the floor over the head 2 : a posture or pose (as in yoga) that extends the front of the body and bends the spine backwards
… this action supports your lower back and generates a strong lift of the belly out of the pelvis to help release the spine into a deep backbend.— Barbara Benagh
Recent Examples on the Web
//Jenny walked toward the front of the room, watching her son perform cartwheels and backbends with a friend, dressed just as himself.
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Washington Post, "On Halloween, this 10-year-old trans boy is free to be anything he wants," 30 Oct. 2019
//When the coast was clear at the Anna Sui rehearsal, Hill even showed off her gymnastics skills and did a backbend on the runway.
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Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Watch Taylor Hill’s New York Fashion Week Experience, Which Included Pizza Delivery and a Backbend on the Runway," 19 Feb. 2019
//Where a classic Nike ad might show an athlete in midstride, alone with her determination, Outdoor Voices is all about group shots of women practicing backbends or dribbling balls midlaugh.
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Nora Caplan-bricker, Outside Online, "Ty Haney Is the Queen of Athleisure," 5 June 2018
//The ballerina, who still holds that backbend, and her partner gaze behind themselves — and yet they are propelled in the opposite direction, by her legs, which stretch, flourish and, walking on point, slowly lead the way.
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Alastair Macaulay, New York Times, "How Balanchine Turns a Fairy Story Into Tragedy," 20 Feb. 2018
//This sequence is designed for a regular practitioner, so expect faster transitions, inversions, standing poses and backbends.
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Chloe Kernaghan, Time, "This 10-Minute Cardio Yoga Workout Will Help Make You More Flexible," 10 July 2018
//For the cow pose, inhale and – leading with your sternum and chest – bring your shoulders and head up so your spine makes a gentle backbend.
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Beth Wood, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Yoga and meditation tips for caregivers," 25 Apr. 2018
//The studio’s Wake Up & Flow series, held at the early hour of 6:00 a.m., promises heart-opening backbends—and heart-pumping playlists.
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Noor Brara, Vogue, "Turn Up the Heat With Hot Yoga for a Total Spring Body Reboot," 13 Apr. 2018
//Most of the time, the dancers travel as a group, and the contractions and deep backbends recall Ailey’s mentor, pioneer choreographer Lester Horton, not a bad model.
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Allan Ulrich, San Francisco Chronicle, "Ailey dancers strike gold in annual UC visit," 11 Apr. 2018
First Known Use of backbend
1911, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries near backbend