10 YOGA POSES TO DIMINISH BACK PAIN

Many of us experience lower back pain and sometimes you don’t even know where it is coming from, all you know is it hurts like hell. Maybe you’ve spent days in bed and it hasn’t let off.

Maybe it is stopping you from doing things you want to do. The truth is lying in bed isn't going to solve this problem and we all know it so you will have to pull your self out of bed, roll on the floor even. Grab a long pillow too! Throw down a yoga mat, if you don’t have one any mat will do. Make an effort to do these simple exercises as they may very well aid you in your pain quite a bit.

Child Open Knee

Child Open Knee variation

Cat

Cow

Puppy

Child

Sphinx

Deer

Pavanamuktasana

Snail

1. Child open knee: Sit on your knees legs tucked behind you, spread your knees wide enough so that when you bend forward your whole body passes through. Try not to raise your behind but tuck in inwards, lay forward stretching your arms forth and resting your forehead on the floor. If you cannot rest it simply tuck a pillow underneath it. Breathe slowly and deeply and attempt to relax your body as much as it is possible. Lay there for 1 to 2 minutes.

Then simply move your body to the left side, your knees remaining the same just stretch to the side resting your left chest on your leg. Your right hand should be on your left wrist. You may or may not want to rest your right arm on the pillow. If you want attempt ocean breath, exhale and inhale, make sound so you become aware of your breathing. Try to relax as much as possible. 1 -2 minutes. Do the same on the other side.

2. Cat and Cow: Move onto all fours, during an inhale look upwards and bend the spine inward. On the exhale, tuck you head down, pull the navel inwards and round the spine upwards, pushing your shoulder blades up. // Do one after another repeatedly, slowly and focusing on keeping you breathing regular. Do this about 10 to 15 times for each one.

3. Puppy: Slide you knees apart as much as you can while still keeping them on the same line. Make small steps forward with your hands until your chest is just above or lying on the ground. Keep you bottom high and your knees in the same position. 2 minutes.

4. Child pose: Pull your knees together; sit down on your ankles and lay your stomach on your thighs. Place your arms parallel to your legs and lay your head down in front of you.

5. Sphinx: Lay down on your stomach, legs stretched and relaxed. Pull your upper body upwards and rest on your forearms. This pose, simple yet very effective will definitely help you however it may also feel uncomfortable as you are compacting your lower spine. Breath, slow easy breaths and attempt to relax as much as possible, do understand that the pose compacts the spine in order to lengthen and restore it.

The pose will bring 3 stages, the first being “okay I am in the pose”, the second “this hurts, this is pain unlike many I have felt, why do I do this to myself” and lastly “oh, it feels better now, I feel the improvement”. Leave the pose once you reach stage 3, not 2. When leaving the pose lay down on the ground on your front, stretch your arms along side you and relish in the sensations happening in your lower back. Move your pelvis lightly from side to side to aid the process.

6. Deer: Then pull your self upwards, still on your lie on the right side and pull the right knee in wards so it is parallel to your body. Leave the other leg outstretched. Rest on your elbows and try to level your shoulder blades so that both sides are even. Variation with pillows, you may want to place some pillows under your chest and outstretch your arms forward. Lie there for 2 min then switch to the other side.

7. Child pose.

8. Pavanamuktasana: Roll onto your back; pull your knees up to your chest by hugging your arms around them. Roll lightly from side to side.

9. Snail: If you are more experienced or feel comfortable enough to stretch further. Remove your arms and place them under your back then push it upwards using your stomach muscles and hold it above you using your hands to support you. Place your knees around your ear area and try to relax as much as possible.

10. Roll onto your buttocks and bend your knees in front of you in Butterfly Position. Take a big breath and on the exhale lean forward; imagine you are trying to reach your feet with the tip of your hand. Relax, think about the sensations in your body and once you are finished simply pull back into the sitting position and carefully stand up.