10 Yoga Poses to Help Release Aches and Pains in Your Lower Back
Low back pain is one of the most common complaints I hear from students in Yoga. Not necessarily from the yoga practice, that’s a whole different conversation, more so from everyday life. Luckily, yoga can help relieve some of those aches and pains, as well as build strength in key muscles to avoid aches and pains in the first place!
Ragdoll
Ragdoll is a more passive posture that can feel really good on our low back when we add a gentle bend to our knees. It’s a great pose for relieving stress and tension not only in your low back but your neck and shoulders as well.
How To
From standing, heel-toe your feet a little wider than hip-distance. Gently hinge from your hips to fold. Once you feel a little resistance, you can allow your upper body to be heavy, as your spine rounds. Adding a gentle bend to your knees can feel great on your low back. Grabbing opposite elbows and nodding your head yes and no can help release your neck.
Standing WideLegged Forward Fold
Prasaritta Padottanasana or standing wide-legged forward fold can alleviate achiness in your low back. The strong foundation we create through our legs here, allows our upper body space and stability to lengthen. With our legs wider than hip-distance apart, we’re able to create a different type of space through our SI joint.
How To
From standing, step back with your right leg. Your feet should be a leg’s distance away from one another. You can adjust your stance as you see fit. If your hamstrings are really tight, a little wider is usually better. Don’t go too wide though, otherwise, you’ll lose stability. Spin your toes in heels slightly out, take your hands to your hips. Root through your tail as you lengthen through the crown of your head. Stay active in your legs, as you hinge from your hips folding forward and down. Take your hands to the earth or bricks.
Boat Pose
I know this pose isn’t the most relaxing, but hear me out. Often times when our low back is achy or in pain, it’s because it’s a weak point in our body. I know you’re probably wondering what boat pose or Navasana can do for you since it seems like a core dominant posture. However, boat poses not only strengthens our core, but it helps build stabilizer muscles in our low back. This can improve our posture and help us avoid pain in the future.
How to
From a seat, bend your knees and sit tall. Start to move your weight back, finding a balancing point between your sit bones and sacrum. Lift your legs away from the earth staying active in your feet and thighs. You can straighten your legs or keep them bent. Your arms can reach out in front of you, palms facing in, or you can grab the back of your thighs for support.
Seated Wide-legged Forward Fold Variation
This variation is by far my favorite way to tap into my low back space. For me, it’s what relieves the most tension and creates the most space, I absolutely love it!
How To
From a seated wide-legged position, bend your left knee and draw your left leg in. Fram your torso over your right leg, sit up tall. Stay active in your right leg, and flexed in your right toes. Hinge from your hips as you start to fold forward and down, over your right leg. Stay grounded through both sit bones, don’t let your bum lift off the earth. We are focusing more on our low back, not our hamstrings, so do your best to stay long through both sides of your body and don’t worry about how far down you get.
Seated Twist
This seated twist variation is known as Marichyasana C in Sanskrit. I personally love this twist when it comes to releasing pressure and tension in my low back. However, twists, in general, are great for moving into your lumbar spine.
How To
From a seat, bend your right knee as you extend your left leg long in front of you. Keep your left leg active, and flex your toes. Take your right hand behind you and lengthen your spine. Hook your left elbow on the outside of your right knee, or hug your right knee with your left arm. Shift your gaze over your right shoulder as you breathe space into the back of your ribs.
Yin-Style Bound Angle Pose
Baddha Konasa, or bound angle pose, can be taken in a more passive variation. This passive variation, or yin style pose, helps tap into the connective tissues in our body. It’s a similar shape in our spine as ragdoll, however, we get a little more SI joint action because of the placement of our hips.
How to
From a seat, bend your knees and take the souls of your feet together and knees wide. Make more of a diamond shape with your legs, inviting ease into your outer hips. Feel free to use a brick underneath each knee for a little more support. Sit up tall to begin, as you hinge from your hips. Once you feel a little resistance in this active spine, you can release that activation as you allow your upper body to be heavy, rounding in. Allow your shoulders and jaw to soften, as you send your breath to the back of your heart and low back.
Locust Pose
Locust pose, or salambhasana, much like boat pose, is intended on building strength and stability in your back muscles. This will help avoid aches and pains, to begin with. Locust pose is also great for stabilizing your SI joint and hips.
How To
From your belly, reach your arms behind you and find a bind. Press down through your pubic bone as you peel your legs and upper body off of the earth. Use your shoulder blades to support the back of your heart, and keep your feet hip-distance apart to encourage spaciousness in your low back.
Extended Childs Pose
Childs pose is probably the most common go-to posture when it comes to releasing your low back. This posture allows our spine to lengthen and gives us space to breathe into the backside of our bodies.
How To
From a tabletop position, take your big toes together and knees wide. Sink your weight back into your heels as you reach forward through your fingertips.
Restorative Bridge Pose
Restorative postures are amazing because they allow us to move into the shape of the posture with little to no effort. This allows our body to rest, while still receiving some of the amazing benefits of the physical practice. A restorative bridge helps lengthen and lift our low back while allowing us to stay calm and focused on our breath.
How To
Lie on your back and bend your knees. Take your heels underneath your knees, hip-distance apart. Then, press your feet into the earth to lift your hips as you sneak a brick underneath your sacrum, the flat portion of our low back. Let your full weight rest on your brick, as you breathe deeply into your chest and diaphragm.
Restorative Legs up the Wall
This is by far one of my all-time favorite yoga poses. It feels so good on your low back, especially after a long day. You can do this pose lying up against a wall, or with the support of a brick or bolster.
How To
From your restorative bridge pose, bend your knees into your chest and lift your legs towards the sky. Your legs should feel like they’re floating here, if not you might need to scoot your brick closer to the front end of your mat.
These are my favorite poses for releasing tension and aches in my low back. I hope they help you too! If you have any suggestions or questions let me know in the comments below.
