Lie on a Block, Unwind Your Low Back

Greetings Overwhelmed Yogis,

Where in your body do you store stress?

For Tranquility Thursday today and next week, I’m sharing two favorite therapeutic exercises for common hot spots, the low back and the neck. Both involve lying down on a yoga block. If you don’t have a yoga block, a big book like a dictionary works, too, or if nothing else, a stack of books.

Today: the low back edition. See the video here.

Supported bridge is one of the best exercises to gently traction the low spine and open the hip flexors, which often contribute to pain when cramped from prolonged sitting or stress. It helps my back and my mood.

You’ll want to start with the block on the low setting under your sacrum, the lowest part of your back. For more traction, you can move it up to the medium height.

Be sure your neck isn’t pushing into the floor, but that you have enough space that someone could run a finger under your neck.

Then find the arm position that feels best to you. Some options I like include:

-arms by the side

-one hand on the heart and the other on the low belly

-both hands on the low belly

-cactus arms

-arms stretching overhead

Keep the arms still or move them around, whatever feels right. Close your eyes and rest on the block for at least one minute, as many as five. Then remove the block slowly, lower your hips, and draw your knees to your chest before you roll to your side and sit up.

This exercise is good for most anyone as long as the block is low enough. The higher the block, the harder this is. DON’T force a higher height than is comfortable. Some people like to put a blanket over the block for a softer surface. I find the pressure of a firm block more effective personally, but I definitely encourage experimenting to find your optimal setup.

Remember I’m not a doctor, just sharing what has helped me and my yoga students. I’m grateful that, after more than a quarter-century of yoga and movement study, I (more or less) know what to do when my low back gets cranky.

How did this feel for you? What types of exercises would be most useful to support you on stressful days?