9 yoga poses to try if you have lower back pain
Now that’s it’s 2017, pretty much everyone on this great big planet has heard that yoga is good for them. For those holdouts out there with achey-breaky backs, we hate to tell you, there are some yoga poses to try if you have lower back pain. Or just sit around all day and need to open yourself up.
Diehard yogis should also be making sure that these asanas make it into their daily mat routine, since it’s easy to get stuck (not literally, of course!) doing the same old routine and neglect an important area of the body.
The best thing about yoga is that it’s a practice, so nothing every has to be perfect.
It can be easy to psyche yourself out of giving yoga a try, since it looks like your body has to be in tip-top shape, ready to stretch and bend itself into any position (if Instagram is to be believed). Nothing could be further from the truth, tbough. Don’t let weird power yoga trends fool you — yoga is all about being aware of your body, in certain postures, and breathing.
Luckily, the poses below that are best for your lower back are also not very tricky. Seriously, sitting mindfully with your legs crossed on the floor and breathing deep is yoga. No sweat involved.
That’s not to say that yoga is easy. It’s not. It requires patience, and that you build up strength over time. But it’s worth a try for anyone dealing with pain or small kinks in their muscles. During National Yoga Month (which is right now!), try these lower-back focused yoga poses to try to get started.
1Cat & Cow Pose
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWq7abPF4ya
These two flow together. You get on all fours and try to channel your best “freaked out cat” and then ease into cow. Once you get the flow down, you’ll never want to stop.
2Wheel Pose
You might have done this in kindergarten back in the day. Just be careful and go really slowly at first so you aren’t pulling anything the wrong way. When you get good at it, you can even kick up a leg to make it more intense.
3Big Toe Pose
There are a few ways to do this if you like the idea of it. The simplest variation is to just fold over your legs and grab your heels.
4Locust Pose
Again, there are tons of ways to do this one. But the most basic is clasping your hands behind you and lifting those legs off the floor just a little bit. It will soothe your back and SLAY your abs.
5Bridge Pose
Bridge can look a lot like Wheel pose, but it’s a little different. If you try this restorative version in the picture, you will never come down.
6Downward Facing Dog
Ah, the classic yoga pose. Remember, hands and feet hips-width distance apart and just lift your butt as high up to ceiling as you can. (That’s what the old yoga gurus say, we swear.)
7Extended Puppy Pose
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYtcWKvATXw
This is like Downward Dog but a little more fun. You know when you see your dog stretch out after they wake up from a nap? Channel that vibe.
8Marichi’s Pose
Literally the simplest little twist.
9Easy Pose
What’s not to love about EASY POSE?
Whatever you do, remember to breathe.
