So I noticed that my daughter who is doing online school due to Covid-19 is hunched over all the time. I don’t want her or me to wind up like my grandmother with hunched back. Having bad posture can cause other back problems and pain.
What causes bad posture? Being at a computer all day, weak core, using your mobile phone and sitting at a desk or one spot for a long period of time. Strengthening your core can be so beneficial for lower and upper back pain. You can roll out your back by rolling out your yoga mat! Here are 10 yoga poses to help with poor back posture and neck soreness:
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)-
Get into a table top position. From there, exhale, push with your feet and raise your butt up to the sky. Widen and spread your fingers. Align your head with your arms so that your neck and back are in a straight line. Turn the inside of your elbows in so they are facing each other. Your body should create an upside down V. If needed micro-bend your knees. Stay in this pose for 3- 5 breaths. Feel and breathe into the pose. Notice how your body feels.
2. Plank Pose (Chataranga Dandasana)–
Get into table top position, then extend your legs straight out, butt down with core activated, feet extended and back flat. There should be a diagonal line from your head to your feet. Make sure your butt is not up but even with your back and your core is activated with your belly button pressed in. You should feel warmth in your arms and core.
3. Bridge Pose (Setubandhasana)-
Lay down on your back with you feet flat on the floor, knees bent and touch your fingers to your heels. Engage your core, push up through your feet and lift your back off the floor. You can make a fist underneath your butt as you are pushing your belly up to the sky. Or the hands can support the back as you push up through your feet like the picture. Make sure your neck is flat on the floor and that you are squeezing your knees so they are hip length apart. You can also place a block above your hips or squeezed between your knees. The level of the block depends on your comfort.
4. Fish Pose (Matsya)-
Lay down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Then extend your legs out straight, big toes together and a little bit of space between your heels. Inner thighs spin down towards the floor. Pressing down with your heels lift your hips and slide your hands underneath your hips, palms down. Elbows are stacked underneath your shoulders, pinching your shoulder blades together and forearms flat on the floor. Pressing into the palms, forearms and elbows expand your chest area and then lower the head back and onto the crown of the head. If this is hard on your neck, place a block under upper back and head.
5. Cobra (Bhujangasana)-
One of the most important poses for posture. Lie down on you abdomen and draw the hands underneath the shoulders. Pull the shoulders down and away from your ears. Spread your fingers wide and press your pubic bone into the floor. Push though your fingers and lift your torso up to a comfortable height. Draw your chest out. Hold for 3-5 breaths then repeat. Do not clench your buttocks muscles.
6. Bow (Dhanurasana)-
Lie down on your abdomen on the floor. Bend your knees so your feet are in the air. Place your hands along side your torso with your palms up. Reach up and grab your ankles. Reach your ankles and hands together towards the sky, stretching the torso and lifting your thighs. You can rock back and forth in this pose to massage your abdomen. Inhale stretch up to the sky, exhale release. 3-5 breaths of stretch and release.
7. Camel (Ustrasana)-
Start in table top pose then raise up (inhale) on your knees. Dangle your fingertips on the floor next to your torso. Your knees should be hip width apart and feet tops flat on the floor. Breathe out and reach back with both hands to touch your heels, (if you can’t reach your ankles dangle the hands towards the ankles) pinching your shoulder blades together. Push your chest out as you slightly arch your back and look up to the sky.
8. Eagle Arm with Goddess Pose (Garudasana with Utkata Konasana)-
From mountain pose spread your legs to the side as far apart as you can with toes pointing out, then bend your knees. Stretch out your left arm and place the right arm over it. Bend both elbows and interlock your hands, without grabbing your thumb. Push up and inhale reaching your eagle arms up too, then bend knees and exhale. 3-4 breaths, switch arm sides (right over left).
9. Staff (Dandasana)-
Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of your torso. You can use the wall for support in this pose. You want your back as straight as possible in this pose. Your hands are at your side next to your torso and the shoulders down away from your ears. Root into the floor through your sits bones. Lengthen through your sits bones to the crown of your head. You can use a blanket or bolster in the arch of your back when sitting against the wall.
10. Chair (Utkatasana)-
From mountain pose sit like you are sitting in an imaginary chair with feet together, big toes touching. Put palms together by your heart. Inhale stretch up, exhale sit back down with palms together, 3-5 breaths. You can use the wall for support at first in this pose.
Do these poses between computer time or several times a week to strengthen your core, lower and upper back. Don’t become the hunched back or your grandmother!! HaHa!!
Special thanks to my daughter for helping edit and work on my blog!
The Mindful DaVinci
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