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Don’t worry: you won’t have to ask your kids to leave the room while you read today’s column. It is distinctly G-rated. In fact, it’s really more about how to get out of bed, rather than what to do in it.
Many students show up at yoga classes because of chronic back pain. In my humble opinion (and in the conclusions of several scientific studies), yoga is as good as any Western medical treatment for back pain. It is definitely more effective in the long-term than pain killers or rest.
The greatest thing about yoga poses for back pain is that many of the gentlest can actually be performed in bed. And if you’re anything like me, I wake up half-crippled many mornings (I have two herniated discs). So, loosening it all up even before my feet hit the floor really helps. These poses don’t take up much room or time to perform. They are best done on a firm surface, but in this case, the bed is perfectly fine. (Disclaimer: Please check with your personal physician to determine own your particular fitness to perform gentle exercise before following my recommendations.)
Here are three of the easiest and gentlest “bed” poses I know:
1) “Wind-releasing” pose: Yes, it is a darn funny name and we get a lot of laughs out of it in class. That said, it cannot be beat for elongating the spinal column and releasing any nerves trapped between the vertebrae that may be causing pain. What’s more, it’s easy. Simply lie on your back, bend your knees, and use your arms to pull them into your chest. You can interlace your fingers in front or in back of the knee joint. Breathe, and allow the muscles that run up either side of your spine (the erector spinae muscles) to relax. As you do, you will notice that you are able to bring the knees a bit closer and a bit closer in to your abdomen and that the effectiveness of the pose will increase. Hopefully, you will already begin to feel the pain beginning to release its grip.
2) Mid-back twist: Staying in the same position (knees to chest), release the knees, keeping them bent, and open your arms out to your sides in a “t” shape. Gently and slowly lower the knees to your right side until they are resting on the bed (if it is too much of a stretch to come all the way down to the bed, place a pillow beneath them). Turn your head to look in the opposite direction (over the left shoulder). Breathe deeply into the outer ribs. Hold for five to 10 breaths, and then reverse, moving both knees and head in the opposite direction.
3) Cat-and-cow pose: An amusing name, to be sure, but this pose offers the lubrication the spinal joints need to loosen up, and get things “flowing” in the morning. Come onto hands and knees, stacking all of the joints atop each other: wrists underneath elbows, elbows underneath shoulders, knees underneath hips. On an inhalation, drop the belly down, filling it with air. Allow your back to form a “U” shape. Look up towards the ceiling (unless this position causes the neck too much stress, in which case, look forward). On your exhalation, reverse the pose by tucking the pelvis, pushing the air out of the lungs and the navel towards the spine. Lift the middle back like a frightened cat. Look through your knees. Put the two poses together in a flow, moving back and forth between them at the speed of your own breath. When you have finished, have a seat on the bed, slowly swing your legs to the floor, and see if standing doesn’t just feel a little bit easier.
Enjoy!
Namaste (“The light within me bows to and honors the light within you.”),
Brianna Politzer Stevens
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Blogs: (follow my blog posts at http://twitter.com/briannapstevens)
S.F. Examiner.com blog on Yoga and Spiritual Living:
http://www.examiner.com/x-10141-SF-Yoga--Spiritual-Living-Examiner
Scuba blog for women: http://scuba.girlswhogodown.com
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Yoga classes: Sunday, 5:15-6:15 p.m. and Monday 12:00-1:00 p.m. at Castro Valley Yoga (http://www.cvyoga.com)
