So what is core strength and why should we worry about it? One reason is this: all of our movements are powered by our torso. The core is our power-center. The abs and back work together to support the spine when we sit, stand, bend over, pick things up, exercise and more. The arms plug into the upper back strength through the shoulder girdle, The legs plug into the lower torso through the psoas and abdominal muscles. So the stronger we are in the core, the easier your daily activities will be. Moving from the core means we are less likely to dump into joints and wear out articular surfacing.
Moving from the core means using the inner body to support the outer body. This mean developing awareness of core muscles, including the pelvic floor, iliopsoas and abdominals. When we talk about mula banda (tone and lift of pelvic floor) and uddiyana banda (pulling low belly in and up) we are activating functional core strength. These muscles must be strengthened and used to stabilize the core of the body so that we are supported from within when we are do asanas (and other activities).
To cultivate a consistent inner support system, it is not necessary to start working on crunches, but rather to slow the action down and focus on the moment when it starts to get difficult. When the challenge rises, engage the orchestra of core support; hug in to the center energetically and muscularly. Allow that inner brightness to hold you through the challenge.
One method that has helped me is to go through the following exercise: From Downward-Facing Dog, rock your shoulders forward so that they stack over your wrists (as in Plank position). Then bring your right knee in toward your tucked chin and hold for five breaths. While you are in the pose, try to keep your shoulders over your wrists and very actively press down with your hands to create a lifting or scooping feeling in your lower belly. At the end of the five breaths, continue to press down with your hands and to relate this action to a lift in the belly. At the same time, as consciously as possible (we all have a tendency to check out when the going gets rough, when in fact that is just when our focused attention is most necessary), place your foot as far forward between your hands as you can. If it doesn’t get all the way up, take another step or two until it does. Then step it back to Downward-Facing Dog and repeat on the left side.
Daily practice with focus on the inner support system of abdominal muscles and bandhas will build neuro-networking that keep the core alive and present in all our activities. We will feel an inner lightness, a grace, than balances the push of gravity. We may experience our footsteps getting lighter, our movements more fluid and graceful. We may even feel an inner strength emotional that changes the way we relate with others and our daily life.