Yoga Glossary · Muscles
Erector spinae
The paired columns of muscle along the spine that hold you upright and create backbends.
The erector spinae are the thick columns of muscle running either side of the spine from pelvis to skull. They extend the spine (arching it), help side-bend it, and work isometrically all day to keep the torso upright against gravity. Smaller deep muscles between individual vertebrae fine-tune the movement segment by segment.
Every backbend in yoga is partly an erector spinae effort — Cobra, Locust, Bow and Camel all ask them to lift the chest against gravity. They also brake forward folds, lowering the torso with control, and they lengthen in deep folds and Child's Pose. A tired low back after a long backbend practice is usually these muscles reporting a hard workout.
In practice
- Lifting into Cobra or Locust is erector spinae work from the first inch.
- In forward folds they work eccentrically — paying out length under control, not simply switching off.
- They run the full length of the back; 'long spine' cues aim to use all of it, not just hinge at the low back.
Poses that engage it
- Mountain Pose
- Stand at Attention
- Arms Overhead (Upward Salute)
- Chair Pose
- Warrior I
- Reverse Warrior
- Triangle Pose
- Crescent Lunge
- Tree Pose
- Dancer's Pose
- Halfway Lift
- Wide-Leg Forward Fold
- Seated Forward Fold
- Cobra Pose
- Upward Facing Dog
- Locust Pose
- Bow Pose
- Camel Pose
- Bridge Pose
- Wheel Pose
- Half Pigeon
- Revolved Crescent Lunge
- Boat Pose
- Shoulder Stand
- Easy Pose
Poses that lengthen it
- Standing Forward Fold
- Ragdoll
- Gorilla Pose
- Wide-Leg Forward Fold
- Seated Forward Fold
- Happy Baby
- Supine Twist
- Crow Pose
- Child's Pose
- Corpse Pose
Related terms
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The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.