Relieve Back Pain with Yoga

Men always complain about their lower backs hurting. Men hold the majority of their stress in their lower back.

YOGA BENEFITS THE BACK BY:

• Relieving your lower back pain
• Increasing your flexibility
• Strengthening your spinal and preventing future injuries
• Lengthening your hamstrings on the back of your legs
• Opening up your shoulders

You can do forward folds, either sitting, inverted or standing...the choice is yours. Do what yoga pose is most comfortable for you and while you breathe, deepen your inhalations and lengthen your exhalations broadening your back.

Practice these stretches for relief of back pain frequently, holding them comfortably for 5 to 10 breaths.

Cat Stretch - Start out on your hands and knees with a flat back, in a human table position. Place your hands, fingers spread wide directly under your shoulders, eyes of the elbows facing one another and knees directly under the hips. Head is held loosely as you gaze at the floor between your hands. Inhale, and as you exhale, arch your back toward the ceiling, tuck your chin in to your chest so that you are looking at your navel, and tuck your tailbone underneath. Hold, then release back into table position.

Downward Facing Dog - Place your knees directly below your hips and your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. Spread your palms, fingers spread wide, eyes of your elbows facing each other and turn your toes under. Exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press your chest towards the floor. Continue breathing as your press your thighs back into your femurs and stretching your heels onto or down toward the floor. Firm your outer thighs and roll the upper thighs inward slightly while continuing to firm the outer arms and press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the head between the upper arms.

Modified Downward Facing Dog - (using the wall as a prop)If you have severe back pain, use the wall as a prop, and place both hands on the wall (same alignment as above) and walk them down to where it's comfortable for you. Also try taking the legs wider will open up your lower back muscles.

Sphinx - Lie on your belly, legs side by side extended. Firm your tailbone toward your pubis and lengthen it toward your heels as you rotate your thighs inwardly. This helps broaden and lengthen your lower back and sacrum (the downward-facing triangular bone at the back of your pelvis). Reach actively through your toes behind you as you continue to lengthen your tail toward your heels to protect your lower back. Your buttocks should be firm but not clenched. While your legs are active, your tongue, eyes and brain should be quiet. Now set your elbows under your shoulders and your forearms on the floor parallel to each other. Inhale and lift your upper torso and head away from the floor into a mild backbend. The final step to building a solid foundation in Sphinx Pose is to bring awareness to your lower belly, the area just above the pubic bone and below the navel. Lightly draw it away from the floor to create a dome that rounds up toward your lower back lengthening the sides of your torso. This is very subtle—soothing your lower back and awakening your upper back.

Childs - Kneel on the floor. Touch your big toes together and sit on your heels, then separate your knees about as wide as your hips. Exhale and lay your torso down between your thighs bringing your hips to heels. As you broaden your sacrum across the back of your pelvis, lengthen your tailbone away from the back of the pelvis and bring your forehead to the floor. Lay your hands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the floor. Feel how the weight of the front shoulders pulls the shoulder blades wide across your back.