Yoga Poses To Relieve Lower Back Pain

For those of you who have ever experienced lower back pain, you know the feeling. Lower back pain accompanied by achiness, sharp pain or sciatica can be debilitating.

It’s always important to figure out what’s causing pain so you can address it and prevent it from happening again. But in most situations, doing some gentle yoga can help relieve tightness and give your lower back some relief. If the pain worsens while doing any of these stretches, listen to your body and back off on the stretch. If the pain continues, I advise you to see a doctor.

Here are a few yoga poses you can do every day to keep your spine healthy and lower back stretched out:

Child’s Pose

• Begin on your hands and knees.
• Spread your knees wide apart while keeping your big toes touching. Rest your buttocks on your heels.
• Those with very tight hips can keep their knees and thighs together and rest your arms along side your body or extended out in front of you.
• Sit up straight and lengthen your spine up through the crown of your head.
• On an exhalation, bow forward, draping your torso between your thighs. Your heart and chest should rest between or on top of your thighs. Allow your forehead to come to the floor. Stretch your arms out in front of you. Take 5-10 breaths

       Click here for Child’s Pose.

 

2) Cat/Cow Pose

• Start on your hands and knees, aligning your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
• Keep the neck long, as the natural extension of the spine. Curl your toes under.
• Tilt your pelvis back so that your tail sticks up.
• Let this movement ripple from your tailbone up your spine so that your neck is the last thing to move.
• Your belly drops down, but keep your abdominal muscles hugging your spine by drawing your navel in.
• Take your gaze up gently up toward the ceiling without cranking your neck.
• Release the tops of your feet to the floor.
• Tip your pelvis forward, tucking your tailbone. Again, let this action move up your spine slowly.
• Your spine will naturally round. Draw your navel toward your spine. Drop your head. Take your gaze to your navel.
• Repeat the cat-cow stretch on each inhale and exhale, matching the movement to your own breath.
• Continue for 5-10 breaths, moving the whole spine. After your final exhale, come back to a neutral spine.

Click here for a video of Cat/Cow video.

 

3) Reclined Pigeon Pose

• To begin, come onto your back with your knees bent and your thighs parallel and hip-distance apart.
• Next, cross your left ankle over your right thigh, making sure that your anklebone clears your thigh. Actively flex your front foot by pulling your toes back.
• Maintaining this alignment, pull your right knee in toward your chest, thread your left arm through the triangle between your legs and clasp your hands around the back of your right leg/thigh.
• Keep shoulders and neck relaxed as you open the hips
• 8-10 breaths on each side

Click here for reclined Pigeon Pose video.

 

4) Reclined Supine Twist

• To begin, lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Allow your arms to rest at your sides. You can rest your head on a pillow or blanket for extra neck support. 
• Draw both knees to your chest and clasp your hands around them.
• Extend your left leg along the floor, keeping your right knee drawn to your chest. Extend your right arm out along the floor at shoulder-height with your palm facing down.
• Shift your hips slightly to the right. Then, place your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Exhaling, drop your right knee over the left side of your body. Keep your left hand resting gently on your right knee.
• Turn your head to the right. Soften your gaze toward your right fingertips. Keep your shoulder blades pressing toward the floor and away from your ears. Allow the force of gravity to drop your knee even closer to the floor. If your right toes can touch the floor, allow your foot to rest.
• Hold the pose for 10-15 breaths. On an inhalation, slowly come back to center, bringing both knees to your chest.

Click here for Supine Twist video.