Dozens of yoga poses help alleviate sciatica pain, according to Yoga Journal and Women Fitness. Poses range from the elaborate to the super simple and all share a common goal: to elongate and align your back. Whether you are an experienced yoga or trying yoga for the first time, four of the less complicated asana are a simple way to soothe.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog lives up to its name by resembling a dog with its rear in the air and its head and front legs stretching down and forward. Lie on your stomach with your palms flat near your chest and your toes curled under. Lift by extending your arms and balancing on your toes with your body straight like a plank. Push your buttocks in the air by angling your arms toward the back of the mat. The pose leaves your palms and feet flat and firmly on the mat, your back legs firm and straight and your back stretching up from your neck to your tailbone. Hold the pose for one to three minutes.
Bound Angle Pose
Sit with your legs extended in front of you, bend your knees and bring your feet together, dropping your knees as close to the mat as you can. Move your heels toward your pelvis as you grasp each big toe with your thumb and first two fingers of each hand. Wrap each thumb around the bottom of the big toe and your first two fingers around the top of the toe. Keep the outer edges of your feet on the mat and your pelvis neutral, rather than tilted forward or back. Lengthen your torso and pull your shoulder blades and sacrum firmly against your back. Your back should be straight, your knees bent and your heels touching each other in front of you. Hold the pose for one to five minutes.
Staff Pose
Staff pose leaves you sitting on the mat with your back and legs straight. Start seated on the mat with extended legs. Place your palms flat against the mat by your sides. Inhale and elongate your spine. Exhale, keeping your back straight and rooted firmly in the mat. Hold for one minute.
Reclining Big Toe Pose
Reclining big toe pose leaves you flat on your back with one leg extended straight up in the air with a strap or yoga belt looped around its foot. Start in staff pose then slowly lower your back to the mat. Bend your right knee to your chest and place the strap around the bottom of your right foot at the base of your toes. Inhale and raise your right leg, grasping both ends of the strap in your right hand. Stretch your right leg as you gently pull the strap. Hold for one to three minutes and repeat on the other side.
Member Comments