Yoga for back pain (5 min)

Hi, my name is Dana Taft. And I'll be your instructor today. I want to help you with any back pain you might be experiencing.

I want to get your back from going ouch to moving to ah.

So let's do a few yoga postures. We're gonna start on your mat, or you can do this just on your ground in your home.

Knees apart. Toes together. Sit back to your heels, and reach your fingers forward.

Relax the crown of your head, Child's Pose. Take a few deep breaths here in and out.

Nice, we'll move from Child's Pose to hands and knees. Stack your shoulders over your wrists and your knees

right underneath your hips for Cat and Cow. We'll take a nice Inhale, dip your spine. Look up.

Exhale. Lift your spine. Look in. Good, breathe like that as you move. Inhale.

Exhale. It's so important to relieve back pain by moving the spine in many directions.

So this movement of extension and flexion can help take away any tightness.

Keep your spine nice and tall. Curl your toes under. Lift your wrist up. And sit back towards your heels once again.

Then we'll reach your left hand over your right and feel that nice long stretch across the side of your body.

Do that same movement on the other side, right hand over left. Extend the right side over your body.

Nice. Come back to flat palms. Shift over your wrists and extend your right leg out.

Similar to Cat and Cow, I want you to lift your spine, round your back. And you can flatten your toes out here

and start to lean back towards that back foot. Take one more breath in this posture.

Now, come forward. Pick up your knee and kick your leg through. Come down.

It's a quick move, but you can do it. Drop to your elbows. And this is a nice twist.

So twist the spine. Bring your heart over your elbows and see how you can squeeze that backside in,

really letting some relief happen right around your hips into your low back.

Nice job. We'll do the other side of your body. From your hands and knees once again, extend your left leg out.

Lift your spine, just like you did in Cat Pose. And start to sit back towards your right heel.

Nice long breath in and out.

Good. Shift forward so that you can pick up your right knee. Here comes that kick move. Kick through and lower down on your hip.

Drop to your elbows so that your heart is right over your elbows. And let that twist happen.

Relieve from ouch to ah. One more breath.

Nice job. Plant your hands. Lift your hips, come back to your knees so that you can roll over onto your back.

From a seated posture, I want you to get into this loose diamond shape in your legs so your feet together, knees wide.

Sit up tall. And then round your back and tuck your chin.

Good. Now, lift your chest. Do that same move, but this time with your legs long in front of you.

Round your back. Tuck your chin. Maybe you can reach towards your ankles or toward your heels.

Nice and slow, come back up. Good. If you could scoot close to either a wall or your banister,

we're gonna get down on your back for Happy Baby. Lie on your back and let your knees go wide.

Reach up to the outsides of your feet. And let your back feel some relief and some happiness here.

Nice long breath. Press your mid back down onto your mat.

And then squeeze your knees together. Relax your ankles. For a final posture to relieve back pain,

legs up against the wall. So scooting your hips as close as you can to the base of the wall or banister,

lift your legs straight up and let the blood flow reverse as you relax.

And watch pain go away. And to come out of this posture, bend your knees.

Roll over to one side. Pause for just a moment on your side. Gently press yourself back up to a seated posture.

Great job today. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time, Bye. Bye. [CALM MUSIC]