Best Yoga Poses to Soothe Back Pain

These yoga poses for back pain provide traction for your spinal muscles as you root through the hips and let a gentle pull or gravity make space between the spinal bones. You’ll walk taller and enjoy a body that’s no longer stopping you, but rather serving you to live, move and play to the fullest.

Multiple studies have shown the power of the ancient practice, which emphasizes stretching, strength, and flexibility, to relieve back soreness. In fact, several studies have found that yoga can even trump usual care for back pain when it comes to improving back function.

Pigeon

This is the best yoga for back pain. From all-fours, bring your right knee behind your right wrist with your lower leg at a diagonal toward your left hip. Square off your hips toward the ground. Bend forward. Widen the elbows and place one hand on top of the other as a pillow for your forehead. Hold 2-3 minutes and then switch to the left side for 2-3 minutes.

Bound Ankle Pose

This pose requires that you bind your ankles—and by doing so you’ll unbind your hips. Bring the soles of your feet together, pulling the heels close to your groin, bending the knees, and butterfly flare the legs open. If you notice your knees are set too high to relax, simply place a blanket right under the sit bones to prop the hips up. You can also take the feet out further from the pelvic cavity to create a diamond shape with the legs. Keeping your spine straight, lead with the chest, pull your shoulders back, and fold toward your feet. This pose will open and relax the inner thighs and groin.

Spinal Twist

You have many options when it comes to twisting postures. One of the basic and effective ones is Marichyasana C. Keep your left leg straight and bend your right leg so your foot is flat. Place your right hand on the floor behind you for support, like a tripod, and twist so you can hook your left elbow over the right thigh. If this is too much, you can also grab hold of your right knee and twist to look over your right shoulder. Other options are to bend the left leg under you or bend both legs and let them fall to the side then twist in whichever way your knees are facing.

Wall Plank

Stand in front of a wall at arm’s length. Reach forward from your shoulders and plant your palms on the wall, fingers wide, middle fingers pointing straight at the ceiling. Firm your fingers into the wall and draw your navel back as you lengthen the tailbone towards the floor. Lift your ribs from the pelvis. You want to work with a natural lower back curve but an active belly. As you lift the navel and lower ribs into the body, reach long through the tailbone and legs into the floor while reaching the spine, arms and head towards the wall. Repeat for 10-20 breaths, then fold into Fists Forward Fold once again. Move to the next pose after a few breaths.

Cow Face Pose

Begin by threading the left leg under your right leg. Work toward stacking the knees, while keeping both sit bones on the ground. Tuck the toes in to protect the knees. Sit in the pose for several minutes. When the muscles start to loosen and you no longer feel a stretch, fold forward with a straight spine. If this stretch is too intense, you can situate both sit bones on a blanket and place a block or blanket between the knees.

Downward Dog

There’s a reason Down Dog is one of the most iconic postures in yoga. It can rejuvenate your entire body. Start in tabletop and raise your hips so your body is in an upside down V position. Relax your head and neck and draw your inner thighs toward the back of the room. Spreading your shoulder blades apart will stretch your upper back even more, and reaching your hips up and back will help to open your lower back.

Child’s Pose

Roll over and take Child’s Pose for one minute or more. Try knees wide, big toes closer, but end with knees together for a neutral spinal stretch. If your head doesn’t touch the floor, place a yoga block or fists under your forehead so you can relax completely. Breathe slowly into your back body, expanding more nourishing energy and space on the inhale, and on the exhales, let ever more tension dissolve.

Infra-Sec

Yoga Poses to Increase Flexibility

Yoga is a wonderful tool to increase joint flexibility. Factors like sedentary lifestyles, our jobs as well as our age can have strong effects on the flexibility and without it, poor postural habits and incorrect movements begin to appear in our daily tasks (like going from sitting to standing and lifting). These habits, due to perceived, real or anticipated aches and stiffness can result in joint immobility.

Staying in the poses for a few minutes is the way to get a good stretch. Many times you can feel several different phases of opening while you stay in a pose for longer. Don't expect overnight changes, however. For the best results, do your stretches daily. The following yoga poses usually are meant to give you some options to fit your current degree of flexibility.

Downward dog

Come into a straight arm plank with wrists under shoulders and feet hip width apart. Press into your palms while you shift your hips up and back. Draw shoulder blades together, release tension in your neck and press chest toward thighs. Point tailbone up toward heaven as you press heels toward the ground.

Cow Face Pose

Increase flexibility in your outer hips, chest, shoulders and arms all at one time with cow face pose. Take a seat on the floor with your right knee stacked on your left knee. Your heels ought to be pulled in toward your hips. Sit on a folded towel or perhaps a block if you're having difficulty. Raise your left arm straight up, then bring your left fingertips to your upper back. Keep your elbow as close to your head as possible. Reach your right arm around your back, linking right and left fingertips together or keep a strap. Avoid dipping your chin down and arching your back. Hold on each side for 10 to 15 breaths.

Plank Pose

The number one way to build arm strength is as simple as executing plank pose on a day-to-day basis. This pose is one of the simplest yoga poses and can be modified to be more difficult as your muscles get stronger. While you progress in your yoga practice you might decide to hold one leg up started or one arm and eventually the opposite leg and arm simultaneously. This pose will also help you focus on your balancing skills.

Uttanasana

A standing forward bend is a straightforward way to stretch your hamstrings. Try to keep your hips over your ankles; most people tend to let their hips creep too much back. Microbend your knees to avoid hyperextension. A nice variation is to grasp opposite elbows and let your torso hang.

Triangle

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width. Turn left toes out and right toes inward. Bring both arms as much as shoulder height. Slowly shift torso forward and put left hand above or below knee. Extend right arm directly above head. Spin ribs up toward the sky.

Reverse warrior

Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width. Turn left toes out and right toes in. Deeply bend left knee, ensuring it tracks directly over the ankle. Extend arms out to shoulder height. Reach up and back placing right hand above or below knee and increasing left arm overhead.