As promised last week, today we are going to discuss the best yoga poses to alleviate back pain and explain how you can easily do them on your own at home!
Supported Fish Pose
The Supported Fish Pose can really help to stretch the muscles in your back. It will also put a moderate amount of pressure on certain points, which helps to work against pain. To do this pose at home you will need to acquire two medium sized blocks that you can place on the floor.
The first block must go underneath your shoulder blades and the second will rest under your head as a pillow. So to get into the pose you will need to lie on your back with the blocks in the aforementioned places.
Rest your arms at the side of your body and take five deep breaths in and out, holding for two counts before you exhale each time.
Thread The Needle Pose
The Thread The Needle Pose puts the body into a position that you absolutely wouldn’t generally encounter! This is great because it works to remind dormant muscles to get active. By kneeling down onto your knees and then stretching your arms forwards and down onto the floor in front of you, you can enter this pose.
Once you have entered this position, you must turn your head to the left and bring your right arm under and across your body to reach out straight, parallel with your shoulders.
Hold yourself in this position for five breaths in and out, holding for two counts before you exhale each time. You can then return to the start position and repeat in the opposite direction. You will find that this pose really opens up your back and shoulders, helping to relieve any tension and pain that might be present.
Seated Spinal Twist
As you get into and hold this position you will feel your joints wake up. If done in the morning it can really help to keep you feeling more flexible throughout the day.
To get into this pose you must start on the floor with both legs stretched out in front of you. You must then bend the right knee and move your right foot to rest on the outside of the left knee. It is up to you whether you keep your left leg stretched out long or if you bring it inwards to create a half-cross legged sitting position. You can then take your left arm and position it around the right leg with your right hand resting on the floor behind you.
Do the usual breath count of five and then move back to a comfortable sitting position before repeating on the other side.
Sphinx Pose
This pose is a simple pose that can not only help to alleviate pain in the back, but will also help to strengthen the spine.
Enter this pose by first lying flat on your stomach with your legs close to each other. Feel your outer thighs pull towards the floor as you feel your lower back lengthen. You can then reach your toes away from your body as you position your elbows under your shoulders, with your forearms parallel to each other and flat on the floor. Lift your upper torso up and away from your mat so that your body is in a gentle backbend.
Hold your body in this position for five long breaths in and out before lowering your torso back to the mat. Rest for a moment and then repeat.
Yoga Practice for Back Pain
Doing these yoga poses every day will take just a few minutes and can help to bring much needed relief to health problems that leave you with back pain!
If you find that your back pain is quite severe then it is always worth consulting your doctor before you embark upon any new type of physical activity.
Making yoga a more regular and consistent part of your life has the potential to not only alleviate your back pain, but could enhance your health and happiness in other ways also.
In addition to being able to help with flexibility, strength, and stamina, yoga also helps to calm the mind. This can be especially beneficial for those with busy schedules and stressful jobs. If you do not have the time to get along to a yoga class each week, then you can certainly still enjoy the benefits of this ancient practice by getting started at home on your own. You may also find that you can work a short session into your daily routine, such as before you go to work or on your lunch break!
However you decide to make yoga a part of your life, you will hopefully soon feel the benefits when it comes to soothing your back pain!
References
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