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.

Why Cat-Cow Stretches? from Back Pain Guide Anne Asher.

Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana

Come back to a neutral spine.

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

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.

Hold the pose for five breaths.

Why Downward Facing Dog? from Back Pain Guide Anne Asher.

Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

Inhale, come forward to a Plank position.

Exhale, lower down onto your belly.

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

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.

Exhale, lower your forehead back to the floor.

Repeat this motion three to five times.

Why Cobra? from Back Pain Guide Anne Asher.

Child's Pose - Balasana

Push back to Child's Pose.

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

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

Why Child's Pose? from Back Pain Guide Anne Asher.