Watch Your Back

When it comes to back pain, this gentle approach is best.

By Hillari Dowdle

Watch Your Back Pose Sequence by Gary Kraftsow

1. Dvipada Pitham (Two-Footed Pose) Benefit Warms up the back muscles, stretches the iliopsoas and thighs Lie on your back with your arms extended along the floor at your sides. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, comfortably close to your sitting bones. On an inhalation, engage the belly muscles and press through your feet to lift your hips as you unwind your spine off the floor, vertebra by vertebra. On an exhalation, reverse the movement, rolling the spine back down to the floor, vertebra by vertebra. Do 8 times.

2. Apanasana (Knees-to-Chest Pose, variations) Benefit Opens the iliopsoas muscles and stretches the lower back Lie on your back with the left leg straight and right leg bent, holding on to the right knee with both hands. On an exhalation, draw the navel inward, bend the elbows, and pull the right knee toward the belly. As you inhale, release. Repeat 4 times. Then bend the left knee and extend the right leg, and repeat 4 times. Next, bend both knees so that you're holding one knee in each hand. On an exhalation, pull both knees in toward the belly, tucking the chin slightly down and gently pushing the lower back and sacrum toward the floor. On an inhalation, release to the starting position. Repeat 4 times.

3. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) Benefit Strengthens inner thighs and increases circulation to the sacrum Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet together and comfortably close to the buttocks. Inhale and open the legs, bringing the soles of the feet together as the knees come apart. On a long, slow exhalation, draw the knees back together as you tighten the belly muscles and push the lower back down. On an inhalation, open the knees again. This time, take the space of 2 exhalations to close them, pausing halfway up to inhale. Inhale and open the knees again. Take the space of 3 exhalations to close them, pausing one-third of the way up, and then two-thirds of the way up before returning to the starting position. Inhale and open the knees again. Finally, close the legs over the course of 4 exhalations, pausing to inhale at one-fourth, one-half, and three-fourths of the way up before returning to the starting position. (Don't worry if your legs begin to tremble—this is natural.)

4. Cakravakasana (Ruddy Goose Pose) Benefit Helps create a healthy pelvis-lumbar relationship Come to your hands and knees, with your shoulders positioned directly over the wrists and your hips over the knees. As you inhale, gently pull back with the heels of the hands, lifting the chest away from the navel and stretching the belly. Exhale, moving the hips back toward the heels as you gently pull the navel inward and round the lower back. Bend the elbows, keep the upper back relatively flat, and lower the chest toward the thighs. As you inhale again, come back to the starting position, lifting the head and stretching through the belly. Repeat this sequence 8 times, creating a smooth, flowing movement and breathing evenly throughout.

5. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose, variations) Benefit Strengthens the muscles that support the sacrum Lie face-down with the forearms and palms resting on the floor alongside the chest, and turn the head to one side. The legs should be extended, toes pointed, thighs touching yet relaxed. On an inhalation, pull back slightly with the hands, and use the muscles in the lower back to lift your chest off the mat, extending through the sternum as you turn your head to center. Exhale and lower to the starting position, turning the head to the opposite side. Repeat this sequence. Then spread your legs about 4 inches apart on the floor, and repeat the sequence 2 more times. Next, spread the legs 4 more inches apart (to 8 inches) and repeat twice more. Finally, spread the legs 4 more inches apart (to 12 inches) and perform 2 final repetitions. Then return to the starting position and relax. These movements strengthen the gluteal muscles which will help support the sacrum.

6. Cakravakasana (Ruddy Goose Pose) Flow through this posture again: Start in a tabletop position and move the hips back to meet the heels. Repeat 8 times.

7. Jathara Parivrtti (Abdominal Twist, variations) Benefit Stretches the lower back and stretches and strengthens the hip abductors Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and lifted toward the chest, thighs together. Extend your arms out from the shoulders, palms down. On an exhalation, lower your knees toward the floor to the right, twisting through the abdomen as you turn your head and look to the left. On an inhalation, return the knees and head to center. On the next exhalation, lower the legs to the left as you turn your head to the right. Inhale and return to center. Repeat these movements once more on each side. Now, on an exhalation, lower the knees to the right and hold the position. Maintaining that relationship of the hips and the bend in the knees, lift the left leg several inches off the right leg on each inhalation, and lower the left leg on each exhalation. Repeat 4 times. Return to the starting position on an inhalation. On an exhalation, lower the knees to the left and do the leg lifts with the right leg. Repeat 4 times. Return to center, place both feet on the floor, and relax.

8. Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose) Benefit Stretches the inner thighs and stabilizes the pelvis Lie on your back with the knees bent, hands behind them, and elbows slightly bent. As you inhale, extend your legs as much as possible, flex your feet, and reach the heels up toward the ceiling, letting your arms straighten and resting your hands on the front of your legs. As you exhale, press the lower back toward the floor, bend your knees, and pull the legs in toward the belly (see figure 8a). Repeat 4 times. Next, move the hands to the insides of the knees and open the legs as wide as possible on the inhalation (see figure 8c). On the exhalation, bring them together while keeping them extended. Repeat 4 times.

9. Dvipada Pitham (Two-Footed Pose) Repeat Dvipada Pitham, which you did at the start of the sequence.

10. Savasana (Corpse Pose) Benefit Relaxes the whole body and allows it to integrate the benefits of practice Lie on your back with your arms resting comfortably at your sides, palms up, and your knees resting over a bolster or pillow so that you feel no pressure in your lower back. You can also rest your legs on a chair, sofa, or bed. Try to find a position in which your body can rest deeply, so that it absorbs and integrates the effects of your yoga practice. Let yourself go into a state of total relaxation for at least 5 minutes. Slowly roll to one side to come out of the posture, and rest for a minute before moving on with your day.

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