Yoga is a fantastic way to stretch your back and reduce pain. A number of yoga postures can actually contribute to strengthening your back while at the same time helping relieve pain. Here is a list of some of the best yoga postures to reduce back pain!

Downward-Facing Dog

Downward Facing Dog is an excellent way to focus on pain in your upper and lower back. Performing this posture with the right alignment allows your back to be more flexible, preventing it from storing too much tension (which would otherwise lead to pain). This pose also increases blood flow throughout the body, which can further reduce swelling in your back.

1. Position yourself on your hands and knees, keeping your knees directly below your hips and your hands in front of your shoulders. Keep the palms of your hands spread out and keep your toes turned inward.
2. Exhale and lift your knees from the floor, keeping them partially bent while your heels lift off of the floor. Lift the tailbone towards the ceiling and push your legs towards your thighs.
3. As you exhale again, push your legs back and allow your heels to touch the floor. Without locking them, begin to straighten your knees while allowing your thighs to move inward.
4. Hold this position for 5-10 breaths while making sure you are breathing consistently.
5. Apply pressure on the floor through your index fingers and allow your arms to align themselves with the top of the shoulders. Keep your head between your arms during the stretch and prevent your head from freely hanging.
6. Release this posture by slowly bringing yours knees back to the floor and allowing your arms to lay freely in front of you.

Half Lord of the Fishes 

Also known as the Seated Half Twist, this yoga posture allows you to stretch your back by allowing the partial twist of your waist. This posture helps increase blood-flow to the spine and reduces back pain by increasing spinal elasticity. Performing this pose consistently can reduce mid-back spinal tension.

1. Sit up, bending your left leg and allowing the heel of your foot to sit beside your right hip. Take the right leg and place it over your left knee.
2. Place your left hand on top of your right knee, while positioning your right hand directly behind your back.
3. Allow your waist to twist and position your neck so you can look over your right shoulder while keeping your spine straight.
4. Hold this position for 5-10 breaths, making sure to breathe in and out at a constant and controlled rate the entire time.
5. As you exhale, remove your right hand from behind your back and allow your body to twist back in the forward direction, ensuring your body twists back before your neck does.
6. Do the same posture while keeping the opposite arm behind your back to stretch out the other side of your back.

Seated Forward Bend

Known to some as Paschimottana, the “intense stretch of the west” allows you to isolate lower back pain by stretching the bottom portion of your body. This posture is said to benefit the entire nervous system, so the benefits can be felt throughout the body. That being said, this stretch works best to strengthen and stretch the entire spine, reducing pain in the upper and lower back.

1. While seated with your legs in front of you, keep your arms slightly in front of your shoulder and open your palms on the floor. Raise your arms over your head.
2. As you exhale, bring your torso slowly towards your legs and use your hands to try and grab onto your toes, ankles, or legs.
3. Allow the heels of your feet to stretch outward, allowing your toes to point in the direction of your head.
4. Hold this position for 3-6 breaths, ensuring you are constantly inhaling and exhaling the entire time.
5. Release this posture by slowly allowing your spine to move back up. Keep your arms over your head until your spine is completely straight, and then allow your arms to come back down allowing your hands to touch the floor once again.

Child’s Pose

The Child’s Pose, or Balasana, is an easier way to receive some of the benefits of the Seated Forward Bend without requiring the need to stretch far enough to reach your ankles. This position allows you to release tension in the chest, shoulders, and back. By lengthening the spine, this posture is an effective way of stretching the entire back and relieving built up tension.

1. Start this pose by resting your knees and feet underneath your body while you remain seated up.
2. As you exhale, push your hips back towards your heels while naturally allowing your torso and arms to be lowered to the floor.
3. Keep your head down and position your arms in front of yourself, allowing your palms to be spread out on the floor. You can also keep your palms upward, positioned directly underneath your forehead, or clenched in a fist depending on what feels most comfortable.
4. Breathe consistently as you hold this position for 5-10 breaths.
5. Bring your arms slowly back under your shoulder and raise your body to the seated position to release this posture.

Locust Pose

The Locust Pose is another great way to not only relieve back pain by isolated stretching, but also an exercise for strengthening the lower back to reduce the prevalence of injury in the future. This pose is especially valuable for those with back pain because it is said to promote good posture when you are standing or sitting down, which may be a contributing source to the pain.

1. Start by laying on your stomach with your chin resting on the floor. Keep your legs stretched out and your arms down by your sides with the palms facing down.
2. Push your knee caps upward and allow your legs to be held out in mid air while pushing your pubic bone towards the floor.
3. As you inhale, lift your head, chest, arms, and legs off the floor, making sure to keep your neck and spine aligned the entire time.
4. Allow your shoulders to drop down while pushing your chest forward. Keep your legs lifted while still pushing your pubic bone towards the floor.
5. Hold this pose for 5-10 breaths while steadily inhaling and exhaling.
6. Release the posture by slowly lowering your chest and shoulders to the floor. Then lower your legs to the floor and keep your arms to your sides.

Sphinx Pose

The Sphinx Pose is an easy posture that isolates spinal injuries or back pain by creating a full stretch throughout the body. This posture allows you to strengthen your spine and relieve tension located in your lower back due to the reduced arch used for the stretch.

1. Start this posture by laying flat on your stomach with your forearms placed flat on the floor in front of you, ensuring that your elbows are positioned behind your shoulders.
2. Use your forearms to press off the floor, and lift your chest and head off the floor. Make sure to keep your spine and neck aligned to properly perform this posture.
3. Pull the knee caps while squeezing your thighs and pushing your pubic bone down to the floor.
4. Use your arms to push yourself higher while keeping your elbows to the sides of your body. Raise your head up and look towards the ceiling while keeping your chin raised (make sure to keep your head in line with the spine during this portion).
5. Hold this posture for 3-6 breaths while maintaining steady breathing
6. Release the posture by exhaling as you lower your head and chest to the floor and then allow your arms to rest freely on the ground.

Cat-Cow Pose

The Cat-Cow Pose is a fantastic posture used to alleviate pain in the middle and lower back. Requiring only limited flexibility to perform, this pose can be used to prevent chronic back pain by strengthening the back.

1. Start by sitting up on your knees. Rest the palms of your hands down in front of you allowing your body to rest on your arms and knees with your back straightened out in the air.
2. Take a deep breathe and push your tailbone towards the ceiling to arch your spine and back.
3. Bring your shoulders down slightly and allow your head to look up at the ceiling as high as possible without feeling any tensions or resistance.
4. On an exhale, round your spine towards the ceiling and pull your belly button up towards your spine. Be sure to engage your abs. Then, tuck your chin towards your chest and let your neck release.
5. Flow between the two poses at your own pace. Connect your breathe with each movement.
6. Repeat this 10 times.

Standing Half Forward Bend

Also known as the Ardha Uttanasana, this easy pose helps strengthen both the lower back and the core. Often used as a warm-up for other yoga stretches, the Standing Half Forward Bend is a useful way to stretch your legs, hips, and back. This posture also strengthens the back and spine, which would contribute to better overall posture.

1. Start this pose standing upright while keeping your arms hanging to the sides. Ensure that you are standing entirely straight during the start of this posture.
2. Bend down in front of yourself using your hands to touch the floor while pushing your hips backwards. Allow your bent upper body to rest on your arms with your palms flat on the ground,
3. While resting your upper body on your arms, be sure to keep your legs strong for even weight distribution during this posture.
4. Hold this pose for 3-6 breaths using consistent breathing technique.
5. Release this posture by slowly unbending your body backwards until you are standing upright once again.

Wind Relieving Pose

Also known as Pavana Muktasana, this pose is useful for stretching the lower back and spine. As the name implies, this posture is relieving to the body, and can be used to reduce stress that may be contributing to back pain. This yoga stretch also helps lengthen the spine, resulting in potential long term back relief.

1. Start this position laying on your back. Bring both knees up to your chest and wrap your arms around your legs.
2. Keep your chin tucked down and push your tailbone down into the floor.
3. Keeping them aligned, press your shoulders into the floor and try to keep the entire back and spine flat on the floor. Allow your hips, legs, and feet to relax while still holding your knees above your chest.
4. Hold this position for 5-10 breaths, making sure to focus on steady and deep breathing the entire time.
5. Release this posture by exhaling and releasing your arms and legs back to the resting position on the floor.

Supine Twist

The Supine Twist, also referred to as the Knee Down Twist, is a fantastic stretch used to strengthen the  back muscles and realign the spine. By isolating the lower and middle back, this posture is another  great way to not only alleviate back pain through stretching, but also strengthen the back to prevent  injury or pain down the line.

1. Begin this posture by laying on your back with your arms held out to the sides of your body. Make sure to keep the palms of your hands upward during this posture.
2. Bring both knees as close to your chest as possible.
3. As you exhale, allow both knees to twist over the right side of your body and keep them as close to the right arm as possible. This motion should cause a twist in your back and spine.
4. Keeping your shoulder flat, hold this position for 5-10 breaths with consistent breathing.
5. Release this posture by twisting your legs back into the resting position, with your body entirely positioned on the floor.
6. Repeat the twist on the left side in order to gain the full benefits of this posture.

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By Jake Manning

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Jake Manning is a senior writer at Shareably. Jake is a former college baseball player, but after graduating he realized his true passion lies in writing and traveling. Since graduating college, Jake has lived in 8 different cities, spanning 3 different continents. Now that he's settled stateside, he looks forward to coaching his kids' baseball team, writing his own novel, and continuing to share uplifting stories from around the globe.