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We all experience back pain at some point in our lives and there are many lifestyle factors that can contribute to discomfort in that area of your body. It’s important to keep our spine healthy and become aware of our daily movements. We see many guests coming to our retreats with common back issues and there are a few poses we encourage them to start practicing daily. These poses can allow you to bring more awareness into the spine and keep the spine mobile, all while releasing any back discomfort.
1. Child’s Pose
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Bring hips to rest on the heels with your toes together. Exhale, walk the hands out in front of you, and lower your forehead to the mat. Relax the hips, spine, and shoulders. To go deeper into the hips, take the knees as wide as your mat. Try and find length in the spine. Take five deep breaths.
2. Cat/Cow
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Come to all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Inhale, gaze up and push your chest forward through the arms, belly drawing down. Remember to keep the belly engaged to avoid dropping into the lower vertebrae. Exhale, round through the spine, pushing the mat away from you. Repeat for 5 repetitions.
3. Downward Facing Dog
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From all fours, tuck the toes, plant the hands, press into the whole palm, and lift the hips up and back towards the sky. Keep the knees soft if your hamstrings are tight. Think about finding a long spine as you allow the chest to draw to the shins. Hold for 5 breaths.
4. Seated Twist
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Come to sit with legs extended out in front of you, feet flexed. Take the right sole of the foot onto the mat, knee up to the sky next to the left leg. Inhale, sweep left arm up and feel a lengthening through the spine. Exhale, wrap left arm around the right thigh, placing your right arm on the mat behind the back. With the inhale, think length through the spine. With the exhale, twist a little deeper. Hold for 5 breaths then move to the other side.
Editor’s Note: You can learn more from the author and get more tips on Instagram here, and learn more about their newest yoga retreat in Cornwall here.
