4 Beginner Yoga Poses to Help Relieve Back Pain

June 21, 2023

If you feel intimidated by yoga, you’re not alone. You may believe that you have to be super flexible, in great shape, and have the perfect body in order to practice yoga. Nothing is further from the truth. Yoga is truly accessible for every body type, every shape, and size, and is well-suited for all physical and mental conditions. Yoga is an effective practice for improving your strength, flexibility, and mobility, all the while fostering a greater sense of mindfulness. According to research published in 2020, 74% of individuals who practice yoga experience less lower back and neck pain.

Yoga can play a powerful role in relieving back pain. By engaging our bodies, challenging our muscles, and moving in new ways, we can literally change the narrative of our pain stories and create a better outcome for ourselves.

The benefits of yoga for improving chronic pain

According to Harvard Health, there are three main ways yoga can improve chronic pain outcomes:

It helps create a renewed awareness of the body
It transforms your relationship with your body when you experience pain
It helps build body confidence and acceptance

Zanskar Health participants who incorporated yoga into their daily lives reported they are better able to control the degree to which pain interferes with their day-to-day activities. Other participants reported less frequent or less intense pain episodes because they could recognize body signals and adjust themselves to alleviate painful sensations.

“Very importantly, research found that practicing yoga in essence has the opposite effect on the brain as does chronic pain. Brain imaging studies show that a mind-body practice such as yoga has a causative link to structural changes in the brain’s white and gray matter. These structural changes have been shown to counteract the neuroanatomical effects of chronic pain.”

Getting started: 4 yoga poses to help relieve back pain

So, maybe this all sounds great. But where do you start? It can be daunting to try something new, especially when we have the fear of pain holding us back.

Below are some of our favorite poses to try if you’re new to yoga and want to try it out as a way to help relieve your pain.

Note: It’s best to practice yoga on a soft surface like an exercise mat or carpet, and modify poses as necessary to suit your body’s individual needs

1. Name of Pose: Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to do it:

Standing Child’s Pose:

Stand upright a few feet away from a sturdy surface, like the back of a chair, or countertop
Bend at the waist and lean your torso forward
Reach your arms out in front of you toward the sturdy surface. Rest your hands on the sturdy surface for support
Alternatively, you can start by standing upright close to the sturdy surface with your hands resting on the surface. Then, step back away from the sturdy surface, keeping your hands in place and lean your torso forward as you step back
Breathe deeply and allow your belly to expand and your back to rise as you inhale

Extended Child’s Pose:

Kneel with your knees shoulder-width apart and feet close together in a comfortable position
Sit your buttocks down towards your heels
Lean torso forward, reaching forward with your arms, and place your hands on the floor out in front of you
You can rest your forehead on the ground
Breathe deeply and allow your belly to expand into your thighs and your back to rise as you inhale

2. Name of Pose: “Butterfly" (Badhakonasana)

Benefits: Stretch targets lower back, hips & inner thighs.

How to do it:

Sit against a wall with legs straight out in front of you
Bend your knees, and pull your heels toward your pelvis
Drop your knees to the sides and press the soles of your feet together
Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as you can, grasping your feet

3. Name of Pose: “Runner’s Lunge/Low Lunge” (Anjaneyasana)

Benefits: Stretch targets the ankles, calves, hamstrings, hip flexors & groin muscles; Strengthens the knees, quads/thigh muscles, glutes & hips.

How to do it:

Place both hands on the floor and step the right foot back, placing the ball of the foot on the floor and keeping the right leg straight
Keep the left foot between the hands, which are shoulder-width apart, palms flat on the floor. The left knee is directly over the left ankle
Look forward, keeping the chin parallel with the floor and extending the spine. Take a breath and while exhaling, soften the groin and let it sink toward the floor
To exit, either step the left foot back to meet the right foot, and bring the body into a Plank position, or step the right foot up and bring the body up to standing
Repeat on the other side

4. Name of Pose: “Supine Spinal Twist” (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Benefits: Stretch targets upper back, lower back, oblique muscles & outer hips.

How to do it:

Lying on your back, bring your arms out to the sides with the palms facing down in a T position. Bend the right knee and place the right foot on the left knee
Exhale drop the right knee over to the left side of your body, twisting the spine and low back. Look at the right fingertips
Keep the shoulders flat to the floor, close the eyes, and relax into the posture. Let gravity pull the knee down, so you do not have to use any effort in this posture. Breathe and hold
To release: inhale and roll the hips back to the floor, and exhale the leg back down to the floor
Repeat on the other side

Yoga Breathing Basics

Since the aspect of controlled, purposeful breathing in yoga is just as important as the postures themselves, we encourage you to keep these “Breathing Basics” in mind as you begin your yoga journey:

Try to hold each pose for 1-2 minutes
Alternatively, you can hold each pose for 5 rounds of deep breaths (i.e. inhale slowly for a count of 4, then exhale slowly for a count of 4; Repeat 5 times)

Learn More About Zanskar Health

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Medical Review: This article is written by Dr Nishtha Mittal (Senior Health Content Editor at Zanskar Health) and has been medically reviewed by Dr Rashi Goel (Senior Physiotherapist at Zanskar Health). This article and its contents are provided for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or professional services specific to you or your medical condition.