Back Series Exercises

Yoga for Back Pain Series 1: Yoga for Back Health

http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaandbackpain/ss/backpain01_4.htm

Pelvic Tilts

This series of four poses is designed to support back health and relieve back pain through yoga. On each page, you will find links to full instructions for each pose and an explanation on how the pose addresses back pain from Anne Asher, About.com's Guide to Back Pain.

1. Come to lie in your back with the knees bent and the soles of your feet on the floor.

2. Do 5-10 Pelvic Tilts to warm up the spine.

Supported Bridge Pose

1. Have a yoga block nearby.

2. Press into the soles of the feet to lift the hips. Slide a yoga block under your sacrum, coming into Supported Bridge.

3. This should be a comfortable resting position that you may want to hold for several minutes.

4. To come out, press into the feet the lift the sacrum off the block, slide the block out, and slowly lower your back on to the floor.

Reclined Big Toe Pose - Supta Padangusthasana

1. Have a yoga strap nearby.

2. Release your left leg flat on the floor (you may keep it bent with the sole on the floor if this is more comfortable) as you draw the right knee in to your chest.

3. Loop the strap over your right foot and straighten the leg coming in to Reclined Big Toe Pose - Supta Padangusthasana.

4. Repeat on the other leg.

Supine Spinal Twist - Supta Matsyendrasana

1. Lift your hips slightly off the floor and shift them about an inch to your right.

2. Bring your right knee into your chest and extend the left leg on the floor.

3. Drop your right knee over to the left side of your body, coming in to Supine Spinal Twist - Supta Matsyendrasana.

Yoga for Back Pain Series 2: Basic Flexibility for Pain Prevention

Basic Flexibility for Pain Prevention

This series of four poses is designed to prevent back pain through improving basic spinal flexibility, strengthening the core and the spinal support muscles, and becoming comfortable with the movements that control flexion and extention of the spine. On each page, you will find links to full instructions for each pose.

Begin the series by coming on to all fours with the wrists underneath the shoulders and the knees underneath the hips.

Cat-Cow Stretch

Do 5-10 Cat-Cow Stretches to warm up the spine.

Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana

1. Come back to a neutral spine.

2. Exhale, curl your toes under, and straighten your legs, coming back to Downward Facing Dog.

3. Bend your knees, coming up onto the balls of your feet and bring the belly to rest on the thighs and the sit bones up high. Then sink your heels, straightening the legs and keeping the high upward rotation of the sit bones.

4. Hold the pose for five breaths.

Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

1. Inhale, come forward to a Plank position.

2. Exhale, lower down onto your belly.

3. Place your forehead on the floor and your palms flat directly under your shoulders.

4. Inhale, engage the muscles of your lower back, press the tops of the feet into the floor, and lift the upper chest off the floor while keeping your gaze on the floor.

5. Exhale, lower your forehead back to the floor.

6. Repeat this motion three to five times.

Child's Pose - Balasana

1. Push back to Child's Pose.

2. Separate the knees as wide as your mat and let the belly sink down between the knees.

3. Rest here 5-10 breaths before coming back on to all fours and repeating the entire sequence.

Plank Pose

Type of pose: Arm Balance

Benefits: Strengthens the arms and spine. Preparation for more challenging arm balances.

Instructions:

1. From Downward Facing Dog, draw the torso forward until the shoulders are over the wrists and the whole body is in one straight line. This is very similar to the position you would take if you were about to do a push up.

2. Press the forearms and hands firmly down, do not let your chest sink, press back through the heels.

3. Keep the neck in line with the spine and broaden the shoulder blades.

Beginners: Move back and forth between Down Dog and Plank making sure the distance between your hands and feet does not change.

Advanced: Try lifting one leg at a time.

 

Yoga for Back Pain Series 3 - Hip Work For a Balanced Back

 

Mountain Pose - Tadasana

This series of standing yoga poses addresses several of the causes of back pain - tight hamstrings and weak hips. The series starts with Mountain Pose which helps establish a postural baseline. You will then move into three poses that stretch the hamstrings and strengthen and align the hips.

Begin the series by coming to stand in Mountain Pose - Tadasana.

Take 5-10 breaths here.

Triangle Pose - Trikonasana

Step the left foot to the back of your mat. Turn the left foot open to a ninety degree angle. Align the hips to face the left wall. Begin to draw the right arm forward as you draw the right leg up and into the hip socket. Come into Triangle Pose, bringing the right hand down to the right shin, ankle, the floor, or onto a block. Bring the left arm up toward the ceiling. Work on stacking the left hip over the right and opening the chest by turning the ribs toward the ceiling.

Hold 5 breaths.

Extended Side Angle Pose - Parsvakonasana

From Triangle Pose, bend the right knee so that it come directly over the right ankle, coming into Extended Side Angle Pose. Bring the right hand to the inside or outside of the right foot. You may also use a block or bring the right forearm to rest across the right thigh. Keep stacking the hips and opening the chest.

Hold 5 breaths and then step to the front of your mat.

Standing Forward Bend - Uttanasana

Stretch the arms up towards the ceiling before folding over the legs coming into a Standing Forward Bend. Hinge at the hip so that the spine cascades down over the legs.

Hold 5 breaths.