Yoga Poses for Back Pain
Do these poses daily to relieve back and neck pain.
They say sitting is the new smoking. In other words, sitting can have negative effects on your health that equate to the negative side effects of smoking cigarettes. In today’s working world, it’s common to be sitting in front of a computer for at least 8 hours a day. This can cause a lot of strain on your back and neck, which causes pain and discomfort.
So, how exactly can we relieve and ultimately reverse the aches and pains from our sedentary lifestyles? Try doing some yoga! The poses below will help relieve tension, circulate the blood, create space in the body, and most importantly – help our backs feel young again.
By Allie Flavio
Apanasana
Begin lying on your back with legs and arms extended long. Exhale – bring both knees into the chest and clasp your hands around them. Keep the back flat on the mat and draw the tailbone and sacrum toward the ground to lengthen the spine. Release the shoulder blades down and broaden across the collarbone. If comfortable, rock gently from side to side to massage the spine.
Supine Spinal Twist
Begin from the pose above and with the right knee into the chest. Exhale – roll onto your left hip as the right knee softens toward the ground. Extend your right arm out along the floor, shoulder-width height. Keep the left hand resting gently on the right knee. Let the right knee become heavy, slowly releasing further towards the floor. Stay for 10 – 30 breaths. Inhale – gently engage the low belly and bring both knees back to center. Repeat the above steps on the left side.
Forward Fold
Begin in Mountain pose and bring hands to the hips. Exhale – bend the knees and release the entire body towards the ground. Keep a bend in the knees – as deep or mild as you choose. Let the chest, head, and neck completely relax and melt down. Engage the quadriceps to let the hamstrings release. Keep the weight in the balls of your feet and hips stacked over ankles. Inhale – gently feel the torso lift and lengthen. Exhale – release deeper in the posture.
Child’s Pose
Begin in a neutral tabletop position – bring knees together, sit back onto the heels, then gently release the torso to the ground. The arms can drape behind the body with palms up or extend long towards the front of the mat with palms down. Forehead softly rests on the ground and back of the neck is long. Gently close the eyes and let gravity do the work.
Rabbit Pose
From the child’s pose, bring hands to the backs of the heels and pull the forehead in towards the knees with the top of your head resting on the floor. Inhale – lift the hips towards the ceiling, roll onto the crown of the head, and press forehead as close to the knees as possible. Hold for 5 – 10 deep breaths. Exhale – lower the hips to the heels and slide forehead forward, resume child’s pose.
Pigeon Pose
Begin in a neutral tabletop position – bring right knee to right wrist and right ankle towards the left wrist. Extend the left leg back with the kneecap and top of the foot resting on the floor. Inhale – press fingertips into the ground and lift/ lengthen through the front side of the body. Exhale – release the torso to the ground, a block, or forearms. Focus on keeping the hips squared to the front of the mat. Hold the pose for up to a minute while breathing deeply into the body.
All images courtesy of YogiApproved.com.
