Spinal Yoga Exercises

Child's Pose

Since we’re working with the back — its flexibility, strength,

and balance — let’s just draw our attention to it. Feel free to

take any version of Child’s Pose that feels good to you — your

arms can be anywhere, knees apart or together, adding props as

needed. Inhale and feel the expansion of the back body; feel

each vertebrae separate, ever so slightly. Then exhale and let

your body sink into the earth/floor/mat. Just breathe and focus

here as long as you’d like, becoming aware of how the body

feels and any issues that arise right now, in this moment. Then

let it all go.

Cat/Cow

Inhale and bring your hands out in front (if they’re not there

already) and come up onto all fours. If your back feels a bit

stiff, go ahead and do a few cat/cow spinal waves. When you

feel a bit warmer, come back to a neutral position on all

fours.

Begin on an inhale; firm the belly and lift the right leg and

left arm, stretching them to opposite ends of the room. Balance

here a moment, then exhale and come back to all fours. Inhale

and switch sides. Feel free to stay here, alternating sides, if

you’re comfortable. But if you’re looking for a bit more of a

challenge, try connecting that left hand and right foot,

pressing the foot away while holding it and allowing that

pressure to draw and deepen the backbend. Hold here for a few

breaths, keeping the core engaged, then switch. Try three more

times on each side. Come into Child’s Pose and rest for a few

breaths

Plank

Inhale and come back onto all fours, stretching forward until

you come to Plank Pose (knees up or down). Keep the core

engaged and the bum down — a nice straight line, in other

words. Breathe here — three breaths if you can — and exhale

down onto the belly, keeping the elbows close to the ribs.

Control the descent as much as you can.

Cobra

Once there, press the pelvis and pubic bone into the mat and

draw the belly in slightly, engaging the core (this will

lengthen the spine). Slide the hands beneath the shoulders;

inhale and, engaging the core and the low back muscles, lift

the heart into Cobra (Bhujangasana) or Half Cobra (Ardha

Bhujangasana). Keep the shoulders down and the belly engaged,

head neutral. Take a nice inhale, then exhale down. Turn the

head to one side, arms by your side, and bring the big toes

together, letting the heels open to either side, to relieve the

low back.

Locust

Now prop your chin on the mat. Press the pelvis into the floor,

draw in the belly, and as you inhale, see if you can stretch

the feet and arms away so that the heart and low legs lift from

the mat (Locust Pose or Salabhasana). Take one deep breath,

then exhale back down to the mat. Turn the head to the other

side, bring the big toes together, and breathe.

Feel free to repeat steps four and five a few times. When

you’re ready, inhale and press up to all fours, exhale back

into Child’s Pose.

Side Plank

Inhale up onto all fours and come into Plank Pose (knees up or

down). Exhale, hold. Inhale and begin to shift your weight onto

the right side, coming into Side Plank (right knee can stay on

the mat for stability, or step it out to meet the left). Keep a

nice straight line here—use the core. Keep the gaze neutral, or

look up at the extended arm, if it’s comfortable. Inhale here,

then exhale and return to plank. Take a break if you need one,

or proceed, on the inhale, into Side Plank on the other side.

Return to Plank Pose; rest in Child’s Pose for a few breaths.

Camel

Next, inhale and come sitting on the heels. Exhale here. Inhale

and stand on the knees, bringing the hands to the sacrum.

Exhale here, balancing. Inhale and begin to draw the heart up

toward the ceiling. As you draw the body up (using the hands on

your back for support), you’ll find that you start to go back

into Camel (Ustrasana). Hold here a moment, then return to

neutral.

Note: if you have pain in the back here or find it hard to

breathe, then extend the spine more before you go back;

remember only to bend as far as you can comfortably. If you

feel OK with the hands on the sacrum, feel free to drop your

grip to your heels or to blocks set up by the feet. Repeat

three times, using the core to come back to center, then come

into Child’s Pose. Breathe.

Downward Dog

Inhale and come to all fours; exhale into downward facing dog.

Hold here a moment, pedaling the feet, keeping the shoulders

sliding down the back, a microbend (or more) in the knees, and

a long torso with the sitting bones tilting toward the ceiling.

Inhale and draw the right foot between the hands. Exhale,

settle.

High Lunge

Inhale and, using the core, bring the body up into high lunge.

Bring the hands to the hips or extend them to the sky.

High Lunge Pt. 2

Keeping the pose, clasp the hands behind you (if it’s

comfortable—otherwise, bring them to the sacrum), allowing them

to drop down toward the mat, allowing the body to come into a

slight backbend. If it feels OK in the neck, the gaze can rise.

Exhale here, then inhale as you come back to your high lunge.

Exhale, hands to the hips.

Warrior III

Inhale and bring the weight of the body into that front foot.

Hands can be on the hips or extended in front of you. Keep

shifting forward (core strength and engagement is key here, as

is keeping the gaze focused on an unmoving spot, or drishti

point) and let that back leg lift. Keep the foot flexed,

stretching the sole of the foot toward the wall behind you.

Arms can fly alongside your body (like an airplane) or come out

in front. Balance here in Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III).

Inhale, exhale come back to standing. Roll down into a forward

fold and step back into Down Dog. Repeat on the other side,

from step 9.

Upward-Facing Plank

Inhale in Down Dog, exhale, dropping the knees to the mat and

coming into Child’s Pose. Inhale, exhale. Inhale and come

sitting on the heels. Exhale and swing the legs out into Staff

Pose (Dandasana). Inhale and straighten the spine; exhale and

place the hands behind you, slightly behind the sitting bones,

fingertips facing the hips (or, if that’s not comfortable on

the wrists, place your hands in any arrangement that feels

good).

Inhale, draw the belly in, and begin to lift the hips from the

mat—this is Upward-Facing Plank (Purvottanasana), so all the

plank alignment guidelines apply here. If this doesn’t feel

good in your low spine, however, be sure to bend the knees,

making this an Upward-Facing Table pose. Exhale and come back

to sitting. Repeat twice more, if you can. Shake out the wrists

after that third repetition.

Forward Fold

Then, still in Dandasana, inhale and stretch the arms up,

extending and expanding the entire torso while grounding down

through the sitting bones. Flex the feet. Exhale, draw the

belly in, engaging the core, and stretch forward with the

hands, allowing the body to come into a forward fold (think

length here). Go as far as you can with a straight spine, then

feel free to fold forward; you can round the spine, but draw

the belly in so that you keep as much length as possible.

Let the hands fall where they are, grab the feet, or use a

strap around the soles of the feet, if you like. Pay attention

to how the legs feel here — we want the stretch in the back,

hamstrings, and/or calves. If you feel anything behind the

knees or at the sitting bones, those are ligaments, not

muscles. We don’t want to stretch those. Place a rolled blanket

beneath the knees to help alleviate this pressure. You can also

stack blankets or place a bolster across your lap to ease your

chest closer to your legs. If you suffer from shin splints,

feel free to let the feet relax, instead of flexing them.

Savasana

Inhale here, exhale, settle in a bit more deeply. Inhale, draw

the belly in, and come to sitting; exhale and roll down onto

your back. We’re coming into Savasana (our final relaxation, or

Corpse Pose), but if you’d like, go ahead and hug the knees

into the chest, rocking back and forth a bit (only if it feels

good). You may also choose to do a little reclining twist, if

your back feels a bit wiggly. Just let the knees drop to one

side, then to the other. When you’re comfortable, come lying

still. Cover yourself with a blanket if you’d like; eye pillows

are also pretty wicked, if you’ve never tried one.