If you have or have had back pain, you are not alone. The majority of US citizens have had or do have back pain at some point.
Why? Well mainly because of our life style has allowed three very common aspects to take place that cause back pain. These are;
- We don’t listen to our body or really know our
limitations when we participate in an activity we don’t normally do (sports,
yard work, etc.), move something or do something more strenuous - We have allowed our hamstrings to become overly
tight and we do something that uses our hamstrings and if they can’t stretch,
our back tries to compensate or - We have a weak core causing ourselves to not
have the strength to protect our back while doing activities that need support.
So how do we connect more with our body and how do we protect our spine?
One way, is by learning and applying regular basic yoga
postures.
So what poses are best for our back? Those that twist the spine, have spinal traction and those that work the core. This fits a lot of yoga poses but my favorites are;
- Boat pose
- Warrior I, II, reverse warrior
- Pyramid
- Down dog
- Straddle split down dog
- Side angle
- Seated rotational twist, and
- Straddle split rotational twist
I’m sure you will want to jump right in and do some of these poses next time you practice yoga.
If you are currently dealing with back pain though, take it easy and be sure you are working with a certified RYT-200 or greater yoga instructor who is equipped to give you the guidance necessary for a safe practice. In time, you will find with a regular practice the pain or discomfort will slip away.