Gentle Hatha Yoga for the back, usually helps us in many ways. Posturing and stretching movements are excellent for all kinds of different ailments, aches, and pains. Lower back pain can be extremely debilitating, which can make sitting, standing, and laying down a painful experience. A stretch that rounds the back off, and is especially effective for the lower back, is the cat stretch. When this movement is combined with Cow Pose in a very gentle and slow flowing practice, many students experience pain relief. That said, if the gentle movements of a slow Cat/Cow stretch cause any pain, this exercise should be stopped immediately.
Step 1: Roll out a Yoga mat onto the floor. If no mat is available, a towel, rug, quilt, or blanket may be substituted. Get down on hands and knees. The spine should be kept in a neutral position (Table pose). The arms should be directly under the shoulders, while knees should be directly under the hips. Knees should be equal to hips in terms of distance apart. Inhale, while holding the Table pose.
Step 2: To move into the Cat Stretch, begin exhaling slowly, curve the spine downward in the direction of the floor, tucking the tail bone down, and allowing the head to sag in a relaxed manner, while the chin draws toward your collar bone without any force. The shape of the back and spine should resemble an arch.
Step 3: At the peak of the Cat Stretch, draw the navel toward the spine, while keeping the abs tight. Focus on expanding the ribcage, pulling the belly in and up. The exhale finishes here.
Step 4: Inhale and return to the Table Pose, keeping the spine in a neutral position.
Gentle Hatha Yoga for the back is a viable solution for pain reduction or elimination of pain. At the same time, balancing the muscle tension around the spine may correct the problem at the source. If you sit at a desk and have constant back pain, a sequence of movements may help. It should be understood that a back maintenance routine can include any number of methods and postures to be effective.
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