Yoga for back pain
Explore these yogatherapy postures designed to alleviate lower back pain. By channeling your breath towards areas of tension, you can alleviate stress and experience profound relief. Embrace these postures only if they enhance your well-being, and coordinate your movements with mindful, deep breathing for optimal results.
1. Child's pose, Balasana
The child’s pose, with its ability to foster complete relaxation of the back and shoulders, provides a comforting escape from accumulated tension. It promotes relaxation and stress relief while facilitating deep, rejuvenating breaths, nurturing a sense of calm and well-being.
Start by kneeling on your yoga mat, with your toes touching the mat behind you. Ensure that your knees are spaced apart at hip-width.
Sit back on your heels and relax. Take a few deep breaths to center yourself and prepare for the posture.
Next, lean forward by bending at the waist, placing your chest on your thighs. Stretch your arms out in front of you, palms facing down, until they are fully extended.
Allow your forehead to touch the floor. If this isn’t comfortable for you, you can place a cushion or folded blanket under your forehead for support.
Remain in this position and breathe deeply. Feel the stretch in your back, shoulders, and hips. Try to completely relax in this posture.
To exit the posture, slowly engage your core and use your hands to lift yourself up, bringing your body back to the seated position on your heels.
2. Cat and cow, Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
The cat-cow sequence, alternating between arching and rounding the back, helps to loosen and strengthen the spine, providing relief from back tension while improving flexibility and mobility in this area.
1. Start by positioning yourself on all fours on your yoga mat, aligning your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Your fingers should be slightly spread apart and your toes pointed backwards.
2. Take a deep breath in and let your spine extend downwards, while lifting your tailbone and chest towards the ceiling. This brings you into the cow position. At the same time, let your belly drop towards the floor and your head rise slightly to gaze forward. Keep your shoulders relaxed.
3. Hold this position for a few moments, breathing deeply and feeling the stretch in your back.
4. On the exhale, round your spine towards the ceiling, releasing your head towards the ground. Imagine you’re trying to touch your belly button with your chin. You are now in the cat position. At the same time, slightly engage your abdomen to push your back towards the ceiling and feel a stretch in your back.
5. Continue alternating between cow and cat positions, synchronizing your movements with your breath. Inhale as you stretch into cow, and exhale as you round into cat.
3. Elongated twist, Supta Matsyendrasana
Elongated twisting, by gently stretching and massaging the spine, promotes better blood circulation in the back, which can relieve accumulated tension and promote health and flexibility in the back.
1. Lie down on your back on your yoga mat, arms extended out to the sides in a T shape.
2. Bend your right knee and bring it towards your chest.
3. Cross your right knee over to the left side of your body, directing it towards the floor on the left side of your body.
4. Extend your right arm out to the floor, keeping your shoulder on the ground and looking towards the right.
5. Keep your left leg extended on the floor, as straight as possible.
6. You can use your left hand to gently press on your right knee to deepen the twist stretch.
7. Stay in this position for a few breaths, breathing deeply and relaxing your body as much as possible.
8. To exit the posture, return to the center by bringing your right knee back towards your chest, then extend it back to the floor. Repeat on the other side.
9. Make sure to maintain steady breathing and avoid forcing the posture. If you feel any discomfort, back off slightly and adjust the position.
4. Crouching posture, Malasana
Malasana is an excellent posture for stretching hips, thighs and ankles, strengthening leg muscles and improving flexibility. It can also help stimulate digestion and relieve tension in the lower back.
1. Begin standing on your yoga mat, feet slightly apart, about hip-width distance.
2. Gently bend your knees and slowly lower down into a squat position, keeping your feet firmly grounded.
3. Spread your knees apart and bring your heels towards the floor as much as possible. If your heels don’t touch the floor, you can support them by placing a rolled-up blanket or mat underneath.
4. Bring your hands to the center of your chest, palms together in prayer position, and use your elbows to gently push your knees outward, or you can also extend your arms forward to place them on the floor.
5. Keep your back as straight as possible and your chest lifted. If needed, lightly engage your abdominal muscles to support your posture.
6. Breathe deeply and comfortably in this position, remaining as relaxed as possible.
7. Stay in the Malasana pose for a few breaths or as long as you like.
5. Camel pose, Ustrasana
The Camel Pose, by opening the heart and gently stretching the spine backward, provides relief from back tension while enhancing the flexibility and overall health of our backs.
1. Begin by arching backward while kneeling on your yoga mat, keeping your knees hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands on your hips, fingers pointing downward, palms resting on the lower back.
3. Slowly tilt your torso backward, opening your chest, while keeping your hips stacked over your knees.
4. Keep your head neutral or gently allow it to fall backward, if comfortable, without forcing it.
5. Breathe deeply in this posture, maintaining the openness of your chest and keeping your shoulders relaxed.
Option: Level 2
6. Stay there, or if you want to go further, from the previous posture, drop one hand backward to reach your corresponding heel or ankle.
Option: Level 3
7. If you wish to deepen the posture, from the previous position, drop the other hand backward to grasp the corresponding heel or ankle, bringing both hands to both feet.
8. Immediately transition into the child’s pose for a soothing counter-stretch.
6. Happy baby, Ananda Balasana
The happy baby posture is excellent for stretching the muscles of the hips, thighs and lower back, and can also help relieve stress and tension.
1. Lie down on your back on your yoga mat, arms by your sides.
2. Bend your knees and bring them towards your chest.
3. Slightly separate your knees and grab the outer edges of your feet with your hands, near the heels. If reaching your feet is challenging, you can use a strap to catch them.
4. Keep your feet flexed, ankles aligned with knees, and knees aligned with hips.
5. Once you’ve caught your feet, gently push your feet towards the ceiling while keeping your knees bent and feet directly above knees.
6. Allow your shoulders and head to relax on the floor.
7. If you like, you can gently rock back and forth to massage your spine.
Stay in this posture for a few breaths, breathing deeply and feeling the stretch in the groin, thighs, and lower back muscles.
To exit the posture, gently release your feet, bring your knees back towards your chest, and extend your legs onto the floor.
Video of our yoga for back pain postures
Here’s an accelerated video showing the sequences of yoga postures to relieve back pain that we’ve just discovered.
