Browsing Tag

yoga for back ache

Yoga

Some More for Your Back

May 4, 2016

My blog about how you can use a rope to manage, heal and even reverse causes of back ache has been hugely successful.  It’s great that a lot of people with chronic back ache and even disc bulges and slipped discs have tried this blog and  come back to me with positive reviews.  In this blog I’d like to explore alternative asanas which also provide relief from back ache.

pomelo_20160503124108_save.jpg1.  Start with the Ashwasanchalanasana, also called the Low Lunge.  Ensure that your back knee is locked and try and push your hips as close to the floor as possible.  This creates opposing forces within the body and this helps in easing out the kinks in your lower back.  This also stretches the hip joint and strengthens the quads.  When you focus on pushing your heel back, you will feel a stretch on the back of the calves as well.

2. Now place the knee on the floor and intensify the stretch a bit more. pomelo_20160503124123_save.jpg

3.  Now place your elbows on the floor and allow the hips to open up even more.  This pose is called the Lizard pose.pomelo_20160503124153_save.jpg

pomelo_20160503124134_save.jpg

4. Next is the Pigeon pose.  Place your knee on the floor and try and try to get the opposite thigh as close to the floor as you can.  Do this by squaring the hips.  The more you align the hips the better the stretch.

 

5.  And finally for the Agnistambasana or the Firelog pose.  I try and include this as much as I can in my classes.  In this pose the point to remember is that the knee and the ankle should be directly on top of each other for both legs.

 

Hold these poses for as long as you feel like.   If you have the time, even 2 minutes on each side would be great.  Since I’m heavily influenced by the Iyengar style I would recommend you find out how to use props to do poses which are a bit challenging for you.

Practice these daily and even more than once a day to manage your back aches.

Yoga

Getting Over That Hangover – Pose 1

October 10, 2013

Marichyasana (The Spinal Twist)

How To

  1. Sit on the floor with legs extended out in front of you.  Make sure your toes point straight up and knees are pushed into the ground.  Make sure your back is absolutely straight.
  2. Start with the right leg.  Bend the right leg at the knee and place the right foot on the inside of the left knee.
  3. Take the right hand and place it behind you so that your torso also twists to the right.
  4. Keep the left arm straight and elbow locked and place the elbow on the outside of the right knee.  Hold on to the left knee.
  5. Now push slightly with the left arm and deepen your twist.  Exhale as you do so.
  6. Look over your right shoulder.
  7. Repeat on the left side as well.

Variations

  1. This pose can also be performed without crossing the bent leg over to the inside of the other knee.
  2. Instead of holding the opposite knee you can also just keep your elbow bent

Benefits

  1. Great for digestion.
  2. Helps flush toxins out of your system.
  3. Revitalizes you.
  4. Helps in reducing the fat around the sides and therefore gives shape to your body.
  5. Tones and massages the abdominal organs.
  6. Helps to improve the functioning of liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and intestines.
  7. Helps to relieve backache.
  8. Relieves lumbago.
  9. Increases the flexibility of the neck and shoulders.
  10. Helps to improve the alignment of the spinal cord and keeps it supple.
  11. Cures indigestion.
  12. Relieves flatulence.

Contraindications

  1. Do not practice if you have diarrhoea.
  2. Pregnant women shouldn’t practice this asana.
Marichyasana will wring out all the toxins in no time.

Marichyasana will wring out all the toxins in no time.