Everyone with back pain knows that there is no 15-minute quick fix. Likewise, everyone doing yoga knows that 15 minutes a day is not long enough to really get into the practice. Nevertheless, when you have back pain, making time for daily back care yoga will help you. It is making regular, small changes that can make a big difference. This is what I observe with my students who schedule 10 to 15 minutes for their yoga routine in the morning or before going to bed. The 15-minute back care yoga described in this blog is designed to gradually ease lower back tightness and can make a difference if you practise daily.

When it comes to back pain and yoga, I always have to specify: this practice is for people with mild lower back pain. Back pain can have many causes and each cause requires a different approach. If you’ve had a herniated disc in the recent past, or if any of the movements below hurt, these poses are not for you. There are other movements that could help you and a specialised yoga therapist can tailor the right yoga poses to your needs. If you are interested, don’t hesitate to book a free consultation call here: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/.

Apart from doing the short practice below, your back will be helped by observing and possibly adapting your posture (check out my blogs about posture, e.g. this one about sitting). It is also helpful to tackle stress and strengthen your back muscles and core. All of these are incorporated in my teaching. For group classes, you can find more information here: https://beneyoga.co.uk/yoga-for-healthy-ageing/.

Back care yoga

Cat — Cow — Child

Start on all fours, hands underneath the shoulders and knees under the hips.

Cow: inhale and lift the chest slightly, look down and forward to keep the neck long. Notice how your shoulder blades have moved away from the ears.

Cat: exhale and arch your back, bringing the navel area up and allowing your shoulders to move towards the ears. Allow the head to hang heavily.

Repeat the cow position with the inhalation.

Exhale and move the hips back towards the feet into child’s pose. Rest in this position for a few breaths before starting the sequence again. If your head does not touch the floor then fold your hands to support the forehead.

Repeat this sequence 2-5x.

Hug one leg

Turn around to lie on your back. If you find it more comfortable, use a pillow under your head.

Gently relax your chin towards the throat to ensure the back of the neck is released.

Keep one leg extended on the mat and hold the other one towards you, hugging it with both hands. If this position feels tight on the back of your waist, keep the extended leg bent with the foot on the floor.

Allow the arms to “hang down” from the leg: don’t pull the knee towards you as this may create tension in the shoulders and hip fold.

Repeat with the other leg.

Knee circles

Bring both knees towards the chest and place one hand on each knee.

Circle the knees around, away from each other, as in the breaststroke swimming movement. 6-10x in each direction.

Twist with the knees together and feet on the floor

Please be careful with this movement and avoid if it hurts.

Still on your back with the legs bent and feet on the floor, place your knees and feet together and spread your arms out to the side.

Breathe out to lower your knees to the left. Keep both shoulder blades on the mat. The knees do not have to go far at all. Better to observe if the movement feels beneficial or not.

Breathe in and raise the knees to the centre.

Breathe out and lower the knees to the right.

Keep alternating sides if it feels comfortable, 3-5x to each side.

Abdominal breathing

Always finish by lying on your back with the legs bent (or straight if that feels better for your back) for at least five minutes.

Observe the movement of your abdomen as you breathe: the abdomen rises slightly with the inhalation and relaxes down with the exhalation. This is due to the movement of the diaphragm, and this free movement is crucial for the body to function well, for the back to release and the mind to unwind.

Back Care classes

For those who live in West London, or those who are happy to do zoom classes, I teach several back care yoga classes per week. These classes are for people with mild lower back pain who would like to release back tightness. Apart from stretching back, hip and leg muscles, we strengthen abdominals and gluts and look at posture and alignment. There are also plenty of releasing exercises for the shoulders and neck. Don’t hesitate to contact me to find out more, or book a free consultation call here: https://beneyoga.co.uk/book-a-free-consultation-call/.

Namaste